Resident permit · CA → MN
Is a California Resident Permit Valid in Minnesota?
Minnesota accepts the California resident permit. Bring the permit itself when you carry; Minnesota's own carry rules apply during your stay.
Why
- Minnesota's official reciprocity list includes California.
DPS publishes the recognized-state list annually (Minn. Stat. 624.714 subd. 16); the statute recognizes 'a person holding a carry permit' from a qualifying state without requiring residency in the issuing state. NOT recognized (2026 list): Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Several states are recognized only conditionally — see overrides.
The permit (California)
- Permit
- California Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) License
- Issued by
- County sheriff or city police chief
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
The destination (Minnesota)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 33 states
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Minnesota
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Minnesota, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- No proactive duty: the permit card and ID must be displayed upon lawful demand, and the holder must disclose whether they are carrying only upon a peace officer's request (Minn. Stat. 624.714 subd. 1b).
- Minnesota sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Minnesota is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Minnesota recognizes.
- A permit is required to carry a loaded pistol in a motor vehicle; without a permit, pistols must be transported unloaded and cased under the Minn. Stat. 624.714 transport exceptions.
Off-limits places in Minnesota
Minnesota bans carry in 5 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- School property, except in a vehicle or placing/retrieving from the trunk (Minn. Stat. 609.66 subd. 1d)
- Courthouse complexes, unless the permit holder has notified the sheriff (Minn. Stat. 609.66 subd. 1g)
California vs Minnesota: what changes at the state line
Crossing from California into Minnesota changes 3 rules: magazine limit (10 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (None → 33 states); open carry (Restricted → With a permit).
| Rule | California | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | 33 states |
| Open carry | Restricted | With a permit |
Going the other way, a Minnesota resident permit in California: not recognized.
Driving on from Minnesota
How a California resident permit fares in the states bordering Minnesota:
- Iowa — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- North Dakota — Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
- South Dakota — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Wisconsin — Recognized — carry with your permit
Frequently asked questions
- Does Minnesota honor a California non-resident permit?
- Recognized — carry with your permit. The answer is the same as for the resident permit on this page.
- Can a Minnesota resident permit holder carry in California?
- Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on California's law, not Minnesota's.
- Where does Minnesota publish its official reciprocity list?
- Minnesota publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.
Official sources
- Minnesota DPS/BCA — Permit to Carry reciprocity (annual recognized-state list) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Minn. Stat. 624.714 — permit to carry a pistol (issuance, non-residents, disclosure, recognition) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Minn. Stat. 609.66 — dangerous weapons (school property, courthouse complexes) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Minnesota DPS/BCA — Permit to Carry frequently asked questions — accessed 2026-09-27
- California DOJ — Firearms FAQs (out-of-state permits not valid; 10-round magazine limit) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 26150 (CA Legislature) — shall-issue standard, age 21, county residency/employment — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 26230 (CA Legislature) — sensitive places off-limits to CCW licensees (SB 2) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 25610 (CA Legislature) — unlicensed vehicle transport (unloaded, locked container) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 26350 (CA Legislature) — crime of openly carrying an unloaded handgun — accessed 2026-09-27
- Penal Code § 26190 (CA Legislature) — license fees (DOJ + local) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Penal Code § 26165 (CA Legislature) — 16-hour training course and live fire — accessed 2026-09-27
- Penal Code § 26220 (CA Legislature) — license term (2 years) — accessed 2026-09-27
- California Penal Code § 26150 (as amended by Stats. 2025, ch. 570, AB 1078, eff. 2026-01-01) — accessed 2026-09-27