The laws are constantly changing and it’s our responsibility to keep up with them. Here’s a release that just came out from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety today.

August 11, 2015

Under Minnesota law, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) has been required since 2003 to publish a list of states which have handgun carry permit laws that are not substantially similar to Minnesota’s permit-to-carry law. During the 2015 legislative session, a law was passed that changed the phrase “substantially similar” to “similar”. 

As a result of the law change, DPS conducted a thorough and comprehensive review of all 50 states’ permit-to-carry laws to determine whether or not they are similar to Minnesota’s law. This included contacting other states to understand details of their laws. The 2015 review has now been completed.

States with Laws NOT Similar to Minnesota (not valid in Minnesota)

Alabama	Maine	Oregon
Arizona	Maryland	Pennsylvania
California	Massachusetts	Texas
Colorado	Mississippi	Utah
Connecticut	Missouri	Vermont
Florida	Montana	Virginia
Georgia	Nebraska	Washington
Hawaii	New Hampshire	West Virginia
Indiana	New York	Wisconsin
Iowa	North Carolina	Wyoming

Out of State Permits Valid in Minnesota

Alaska	Louisiana	Ohio
Arkansas	Michigan	Oklahoma
Delaware*	Nevada	Rhode Island*
Idaho* (enhanced permit only)	New Jersey*	South Carolina*
Illinois*	North Mexico	South Dakota*
Kansas	North Dakota* (enhanced permit only)	Tennessee
Kentucky

*added in 2015

Four states were removed from the 2014 list

• Missouri passed a law in 2014 to allow 19-year-old military personnel and veterans to obtain a permit. Minnesota law does not allow issuing permits to anyone under 21.
• Texas passed a law in 2014 to allow 19-year-old military personnel and veterans to obtain a permit. Minnesota law does not allow issuing permits to anyone under 21.
• Wyoming law gives local sheriffs discretion to issue permits to 18-21-year-olds. Minnesota law does not allow issuing permits to anyone under 21. In addition Wyoming law does not require permit-holders to demonstrate shooting proficiency. Minnesota law requires training to include shooting proficiency. 
• Utah law does not require permit-holders to demonstrate shooting proficiency. Minnesota law requires training to include shooting proficiency.

As directed by the law, DPS will continue to annually review state laws governing the issuance of permits to carry weapons and will publish an updated list on its website each year.

Sincerely,

E. Joseph Newton, General Counsel