Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota Senate Bill SF438 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1.1 A bill for an act
2	2	1.2 relating to public safety; amending the Minnesota Personal Protection Act; creating
3	3	1.3 lifetime permits to carry handguns; reducing the application fee for permits to
4	4	1.4 carry; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 624.714, subdivisions 2a, 3, 7,
5	5	1.5 14.
6	6	1.6BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
7	7	1.7 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 624.714, subdivision 2a, is amended to read:
8	8	1.8 Subd. 2a.Training in safe use of a pistol.(a) An applicant must present evidence that
9	9	1.9the applicant received training in the safe use of a pistol within one year of the date of an
10	10	1.10original or renewal application. Training may be demonstrated by:
11	11	1.11 (1) employment as a peace officer in the state of Minnesota within the past year; or
12	12	1.12 (2) completion of a firearms safety or training course providing basic training in the safe
13	13	1.13use of a pistol and conducted by a certified instructor.
14	14	1.14 (b) Basic training must include:
15	15	1.15 (1) instruction in the fundamentals of pistol use;
16	16	1.16 (2) successful completion of an actual shooting qualification exercise; and
17	17	1.17 (3) instruction in the fundamental legal aspects of pistol possession, carry, and use,
18	18	1.18including self-defense and the restrictions on the use of deadly force.
19	19	1.19 (c) The certified instructor must issue a certificate to a person who has completed a
20	20	1.20firearms safety or training course described in paragraph (b). The certificate must be signed
21	21	1.21by the instructor and attest that the person attended and completed the course.
22	22	1Section 1.
23	23	25-00730 as introduced12/05/24 REVISOR KLL/HL
24	24	SENATE
25	25	STATE OF MINNESOTA
26	26	S.F. No. 438NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
27	27	(SENATE AUTHORS: GREEN)
28	28	OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
29	29	Introduction and first reading01/21/2025
30	30	Referred to Judiciary and Public Safety 2.1 (d) A person qualifies as a certified instructor if the person is certified as a firearms
31	31	2.2instructor within the past five years by an organization or government entity that has been
32	32	2.3approved by the Department of Public Safety in accordance with the department's standards.
33	33	2.4 (e) A sheriff must accept the training described in this subdivision as meeting the
34	34	2.5requirement in subdivision 2, paragraph (b), for training in the safe use of a pistol. A sheriff
35	35	2.6may also accept other satisfactory evidence of training in the safe use of a pistol.
36	36	2.7 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 624.714, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
37	37	2.8 Subd. 3.Form and contents of application.(a) Applications for permits to carry must
38	38	2.9be an official, standardized application form, adopted under section 624.7151, and must set
39	39	2.10forth in writing only the following information:
40	40	2.11 (1) the applicant's name, residence, telephone number, if any, and driver's license number
41	41	2.12or state identification card number;
42	42	2.13 (2) the applicant's sex, date of birth, height, weight, and color of eyes and hair, and
43	43	2.14distinguishing physical characteristics, if any;
44	44	2.15 (3) the township or statutory city or home rule charter city, and county, of all Minnesota
45	45	2.16residences of the applicant in the last five years, though not including specific addresses;
46	46	2.17 (4) the township or city, county, and state of all non-Minnesota residences of the applicant
47	47	2.18in the last five years, though not including specific addresses;
48	48	2.19 (5) a statement that the applicant authorizes the release to the sheriff of commitment
49	49	2.20information about the applicant maintained by the commissioner of human services or any
50	50	2.21similar agency or department of another state where the applicant has resided, to the extent
51	51	2.22that the information relates to the applicant's eligibility to possess a firearm; and
52	52	2.23 (6) a statement by the applicant that, to the best of the applicant's knowledge and belief,
53	53	2.24the applicant is not prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
54	54	2.25 (b) The statement under paragraph (a), clause (5), must comply with any applicable
55	55	2.26requirements of Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, sections 2.31 to 2.35, with respect
56	56	2.27to consent to disclosure of alcohol or drug abuse patient records.
57	57	2.28 (c) An applicant must submit to the sheriff an application packet consisting only of the
58	58	2.29following items:
59	59	2.30 (1) a completed application form, signed and dated by the applicant;
60	60	2Sec. 2.
61	61	25-00730 as introduced12/05/24 REVISOR KLL/HL 3.1 (2) an accurate photocopy of the certificate described in subdivision 2a, paragraph (c),
62	62	3.2that is submitted as the applicant's evidence of training in the safe use of a pistol; and
63	63	3.3 (3) an accurate photocopy of the applicant's current driver's license, state identification
64	64	3.4card, or the photo page of the applicant's passport.
65	65	3.5 (d) In addition to the other application materials, a person who is otherwise ineligible
66	66	3.6for a permit due to a criminal conviction but who has obtained a pardon or expungement
67	67	3.7setting aside the conviction, sealing the conviction, or otherwise restoring applicable rights,
68	68	3.8must submit a copy of the relevant order.
69	69	3.9 (e) Applications must be submitted in person.
70	70	3.10 (f) The sheriff may charge a new an application processing fee in an amount not to
71	71	3.11exceed the actual and reasonable direct cost of processing the application or $100, whichever
72	72	3.12is less. Of this amount, $10 must be submitted to the commissioner and deposited into the
73	73	3.13general fund.
74	74	3.14 (g) This subdivision prescribes the complete and exclusive set of items an applicant is
75	75	3.15required to submit in order to apply for a new or renewal permit to carry. The applicant
76	76	3.16must not be asked or required to submit, voluntarily or involuntarily, any information, fees,
77	77	3.17or documentation beyond that specifically required by this subdivision. This paragraph does
78	78	3.18not apply to alternate training evidence accepted by the sheriff under subdivision 2a,
79	79	3.19paragraph (d).
80	80	3.20 (h) Forms for new and renewal applications must be available at all sheriffs' offices and
81	81	3.21the commissioner must make the forms available on the Internet.
82	82	3.22 (i) Application forms must clearly display a notice that a permit, if granted, is void and
83	83	3.23must be immediately returned to the sheriff if the permit holder is or becomes prohibited
84	84	3.24by law from possessing a firearm. The notice must list the applicable state criminal offenses
85	85	3.25and civil categories that prohibit a person from possessing a firearm.
86	86	3.26 (j) Upon receipt of an application packet and any required fee, the sheriff must provide
87	87	3.27a signed receipt indicating the date of submission.
88	88	3.28 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 624.714, subdivision 7, is amended to read:
89	89	3.29 Subd. 7.Permit card contents; no expiration; renewal.(a) Permits to carry must be
90	90	3.30on an official, standardized permit card adopted by the commissioner, containing only the
91	91	3.31name, residence, and driver's license number or state identification card number of the
92	92	3.32permit holder, if any.
93	93	3Sec. 3.
94	94	25-00730 as introduced12/05/24 REVISOR KLL/HL 4.1 (b) The permit card must also identify the issuing sheriff and state the expiration date
95	95	4.2of the permit. The permit card must clearly display a notice that a permit, if granted, is void
96	96	4.3and must be immediately returned to the sheriff if the permit holder becomes prohibited by
97	97	4.4law from possessing a firearm.
98	98	4.5 (c) A permit to carry a pistol issued under this section expires five years after the date
99	99	4.6of issue. It may be renewed in the same manner and under the same criteria which the
100	100	4.7original permit was obtained, subject to the following procedures: does not expire and permit
101	101	4.8cards issued after August 1, 2023, must prominently state that the permit does not expire.
102	102	4.9 (1) no earlier than 90 days prior to the expiration date on the permit, the permit holder
103	103	4.10may renew the permit by submitting to the appropriate sheriff the application packet described
104	104	4.11in subdivision 3 and a renewal processing fee not to exceed the actual and reasonable direct
105	105	4.12cost of processing the application or $75, whichever is less. Of this amount, $5 must be
106	106	4.13submitted to the commissioner and deposited into the general fund. The sheriff must process
107	107	4.14the renewal application in accordance with subdivisions 4 and 6; and
108	108	4.15 (2) a permit holder who submits a renewal application packet after the expiration date
109	109	4.16of the permit, but within 30 days after expiration, may renew the permit as provided in
110	110	4.17clause (1) by paying an additional late fee of $10.
111	111	4.18 (d) The renewal permit is effective beginning on the expiration date of the prior permit
112	112	4.19to carry.
113	113	4.20 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 624.714, subdivision 14, is amended to read:
114	114	4.21 Subd. 14.Records.(a) A sheriff must not maintain records or data collected, made, or
115	115	4.22held under this section concerning any applicant or permit holder that are not necessary
116	116	4.23under this section to support a permit that is outstanding or eligible for renewal under
117	117	4.24subdivision 7, paragraph (b). Notwithstanding section 138.163, sheriffs must completely
118	118	4.25purge all files and databases by March 1 of each year to delete all information collected
119	119	4.26under this section concerning all persons who are no longer current permit holders or
120	120	4.27currently eligible to renew their permit.
121	121	4.28 (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to records or data concerning an applicant or permit
122	122	4.29holder who has had a permit denied or revoked under the criteria established in subdivision
123	123	4.302, paragraph (b), clause (1), or subdivision 6, paragraph (a), clause (3), for a period of six
124	124	4.31years from the date of the denial or revocation.
125	125	4Sec. 4.
126	126	25-00730 as introduced12/05/24 REVISOR KLL/HL 5.1 Sec. 5. REPLACEMENT PERMITS TO CARRY.
127	127	5.2 A person with a valid permit to carry a handgun issued under Minnesota Statutes, section
128	128	5.3624.714, prior to August 1, 2025, shall request a replacement permit card that conforms
129	129	5.4with the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 624.714, subdivision 7, paragraph (c),
130	130	5.5prior to the expiration date listed on the permit holder's card. The issuing sheriff may charge
131	131	5.6up to $10 to issue a replacement card under this section.
132	132	5Sec. 5.
133	133	25-00730 as introduced12/05/24 REVISOR KLL/HL