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VERIFY: What does it take to buy guns in Minnesota?

Does every gun purchase need a permit?

MINNEAPOLIS - With guns continuing to make national headlines we set out to verify what it takes to buy one. How old do you have to be? Does every purchase need a permit? KARE 11's Lou Raguse sorted fact from fiction in a visit to Kory Krause, an established gun seller Frontiersman Sports.

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Q: Do you need a permit to buy a gun from a licensed dealer in Minnesota?

Kory: "In Minnesota just for handguns, and what they call assault-style rifles, which would include the AR-15 variance and AK-type guns." That means any other type of rifle or shotgun can be purchased without a permit.

Q: How old do you have to be to buy a gun in Minnesota?

Kory: "Long guns you need to be 18 years old, handguns you need to be 21." That means an 18-year-old can buy an assault-style rifle, but not a handgun, at least from a licensed dealer.

Q: Will you need to pass a background check?

Kory: "Yes. Every purchase here you have to pass a federal background check." That usually means the FBI background check, which probes criminal history, warrants, and protection orders. Krauss admits they don't always catch everything. "They're not linked up well enough, and they do need to get into mental health records."

Q: Is there a mandatory waiting period in Minnesota?

A: No. There is no waiting period in state law, and federal background checks usually come back instantly. But to buy a handgun or assault-style rifle you do need a permit, which can take some time. It usually takes 7 days to process a permit. That permit allows a person to buy gun for one year. A permit to carry allows the holder to purchase guns for a five year period.

Q: Do the restrictions above apply to person-to-person gun sales?

A: Minnesota doesn't require background checks or permits with private sales, like those at gun shows. A buyer who is 18 can purchase a handgun or assault-style rifle in a person-to-person sale at a gun show or in a personal transaction, and a 14-year-old can buy any other kind of rifle or shotgun in a person-to-person transaction 'without' the permission of a parent.

Sources:

  • Kory Krause - Frontiersman Sports
  • MN State Statutes

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