Key Takeaways
- →Status: SF4067 passed the Minnesota Senate 34-33 on May 4, 2026 and died without a House vote. Democrats won the House on November 3, and Gov.-elect Amy Klobuchar says she will sign it.
- →Feature test: the bill would make any detachable-magazine semi-auto rifle with a pistol grip, telescoping stock, protruding grip, or barrel shroud an assault weapon, which covers a standard AR-15.
- →17-round line: magazines holding more than 17 rounds become large-capacity magazines, so 30-round AR-15 magazines are covered and a 17-round Glock 17 magazine is not.
- →Certification: starting July 1, 2027, owners would have to certify every covered rifle and magazine with the BCA and renew every three years; dealers could no longer sell either.
- →Legal today: AR-15s, 30-round magazines, binary triggers, and NFA-registered suppressors are legal in Minnesota as of November 2026. Forced reset triggers are not.
Will Minnesota Pass an Assault Weapons Ban in 2027?
A Minnesota assault weapons ban is more likely in 2027 than at any point in the last decade. The bill already exists: SF4067, an omnibus firearms bill, passed the Senate 34-33 on a party-line vote on May 4, 2026. It stalled in a House tied 67-67, where Republican Speaker Lisa Demuth held it for the rest of the session and it was never reported to the floor. On May 14, House Democrats moved to suspend the rules and take up a clone bill, HF5140, which needed 90 of 134 votes and failed.
The November 3, 2026 election removed that block. Democrats won 77 of 134 House seats in unofficial Associated Press results, kept the Senate, and Klobuchar beat Demuth for governor. In her victory speech Klobuchar said, "we will get that gun safety vote, and I will sign that bill," and tied it to the August 2025 Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in Minneapolis.
SF4067 itself cannot be revived. Its regular session ended in May 2026, and the new Legislature convenes in the first week of January 2027, so the 2027 version will carry a new bill number and can change. The 2026 text is the best guide to what Democrats will introduce, because it is the version their Senate caucus already passed. Every date below comes from that text.
What SF4067 Defines as an Assault Weapon
SF4067 would add a one-feature test to Minnesota's definition of a "semiautomatic military-style assault weapon," effective July 1, 2027. A semi-auto rifle that accepts a detachable magazine and has any one of a pistol grip, a thumbhole stock, a folding or telescoping stock, a barrel shroud, or "any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the nontrigger hand" would qualify. Nearly every AR-15 sold today has at least two of those features.
The bill keeps the existing list of named models, including the Colt AR-15 type, AK-47 type, Galil, Steyr AUG, Uzi, and SKS with a detachable magazine, and adds the feature tests on top. It also deletes the current exception for firearms "generally recognized as particularly suitable for" sporting purposes under federal import law. A firearm made permanently inoperable is excluded.
- Semiautomatic rifleBase conditionCan accept a detachable magazineAny one of these makes it an assault weaponPistol grip or thumbhole stock; any feature that works as a protruding grip for the non-trigger hand; folding or telescoping stock; barrel shroud
- Semiautomatic pistolBase conditionCan accept a detachable magazineAny one of these makes it an assault weaponProtruding grip for the non-trigger hand; folding, telescoping, or thumbhole stock; barrel shroud (a slide does not count); magazine well outside the pistol grip
- Semiautomatic shotgunBase conditionNoneAny one of these makes it an assault weaponPistol grip or thumbhole stock; protruding grip; folding or telescoping stock; fixed magazine over 17 rounds; ability to accept a detachable magazine
- Shotgun with a revolving cylinderBase conditionNoneAny one of these makes it an assault weaponCovered outright
- Parts kitsBase conditionIn one person's possession or controlAny one of these makes it an assault weaponAny combination of parts from which an assault weapon can be assembled
| Firearm type | Base condition | Any one of these makes it an assault weapon |
|---|---|---|
| Semiautomatic rifle | Can accept a detachable magazine | Pistol grip or thumbhole stock; any feature that works as a protruding grip for the non-trigger hand; folding or telescoping stock; barrel shroud |
| Semiautomatic pistol | Can accept a detachable magazine | Protruding grip for the non-trigger hand; folding, telescoping, or thumbhole stock; barrel shroud (a slide does not count); magazine well outside the pistol grip |
| Semiautomatic shotgun | None | Pistol grip or thumbhole stock; protruding grip; folding or telescoping stock; fixed magazine over 17 rounds; ability to accept a detachable magazine |
| Shotgun with a revolving cylinder | None | Covered outright |
| Parts kits | In one person's possession or control | Any combination of parts from which an assault weapon can be assembled |
Large-Capacity Magazines: The 17-Round Line
SF4067 defines a large-capacity magazine as any feeding device that can accept more than 17 rounds, plus any kit or combination of parts that can be assembled into one. A standard 30-round AR-15 magazine is covered. A 17-round Glock 17 magazine is not, but a basepad extension that pushes it past 17 rounds would turn it into a large-capacity magazine under that definition.
Three things are excluded: a magazine permanently altered so it cannot hold more than 17 rounds, a .22 caliber tube magazine, and the tubular magazine in a lever-action firearm. The magazine rules take effect on the same date as the rifle rules, July 1, 2027. Our AR-15 magazine rankings cover which 30-round magazines hold up best, since a certified magazine would have to last.
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We track the 2027 Minnesota assault weapons bill from introduction to the governor's desk, plus the Supreme Court's AR-15 case. One email a week.
The BCA Certification Requirement for Guns You Already Own
SF4067 does not grandfather existing guns without paperwork. It makes it unlawful to own or possess a semiautomatic military-style assault weapon or large-capacity magazine that has not been certified with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Every owner must request certification of ownership, renew it every three years, and pay whatever fee the BCA sets. Anyone who lawfully acquires a covered rifle or magazine later has 120 days to request certification.
Possessing an uncertified covered firearm or magazine is a gross misdemeanor, and a second conviction is a felony. The bill classifies the BCA's certification records as private data on individuals. Police, military members acting within their duties, and licensed manufacturers and dealers are exempt. The possession rule starts July 1, 2027, but the BCA must begin building the certification system the day after the bill is enacted.
Buying and Selling After July 1, 2027
After July 1, 2027, a licensed dealer could not sell a semiautomatic military-style assault weapon or a large-capacity magazine in Minnesota. Two private, unlicensed Minnesotans could still transfer one, but only if the buyer presents a valid transferee permit and ID, the seller proves the item is BCA-certified and was legally acquired before the transfer (a receipt showing purchase before July 1, 2027, or proof of a gift, inheritance, or other lawful acquisition), and both sides complete and keep a record of transfer for 10 years.
The sales ban does not apply to sales to dealers or law enforcement, to transfers among immediate family, to gifts and transfers at death, or to loans under 30 days with no payment. Violating it is a gross misdemeanor; selling more than 10 covered guns or magazines within 180 days is a felony carrying up to three years in prison. Until a law passes, buying a rifle follows today's rules, and our AR-15 lower receiver rankings and first gun guide cover where to start.
AR-15 Magazines
Magpul PMAG 30 AR/M4 GEN M3
- 30 rounds
- 5.56/.223
DURAMAG SPEED 30-Round Aluminum Magazine
- 30 rounds
- 6061-T6 aluminum
Magpul D-60 Drum Magazine
- 60 rounds
- Polymer construction
Daniel Defense 32-Round Magazine
- 32 rounds
- 5.56/.223
Daniel Defense 32-Round Magazine 12-Pack
- 12 magazines
- 32 rounds each
DURAMAG SS 6.5 Grendel 26-Round Magazine
- 26 rounds
- 6.5 Grendel
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What Is Legal in Minnesota Today
As of November 2026, Minnesota has no assault weapons ban and no magazine capacity limit. Current law defines semiautomatic military-style assault weapons only by named models, excludes sporting-purpose firearms, and regulates how they are bought, not how they are configured. A dealer can transfer one to a buyer who holds a transferee permit, which is valid statewide for one year, or after a transfer report, which carries a 30-day wait unless the chief of police or sheriff waives it. Under a 2023 law, a private sale of a pistol or one of these rifles also requires a transferee permit or a background check run through a dealer.
Accessory rules split. Forced reset triggers are illegal under the trigger-activator language in Minn. Stat. 609.67, with up to 20 years in prison. Binary triggers are legal again: the Court of Appeals affirmed on May 26, 2026 that the 2024 ban violated the state single-subject clause, and SF4067 included a section to reenact it. Suppressors are legal with federal NFA approval and no state permit, and short-barreled rifles carry no separate state restriction. Our state-by-state legality tracker keeps each of these classes current, and the binary trigger ruling breakdown covers that case in detail.
Minneapolis and St. Paul Assault Weapon Bans Wait on Preemption
Minneapolis and St. Paul have both passed assault weapon bans that cannot take effect. Minn. Stat. 471.633 preempts all city and county regulation of firearms, ammunition, and their components, except rules on discharge and rules identical to state law, and declares inconsistent local rules void. Both ordinances are written to switch on only if the Legislature changes that law, and SF4067 did not touch preemption.
The St. Paul City Council passed its ordinance 7-0 on November 12, 2025, banning assault weapons, magazines over 20 rounds, and binary triggers within city limits. The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus sued the same day in Ramsey County District Court (No. 62-CV-25-9927). Judge Leonardo Castro denied the Caucus a temporary injunction on January 12, 2026, then denied the city's motion to dismiss on May 26, 2026, and the city appealed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals on June 10, 2026.
Minneapolis followed. Its City Council unanimously approved an ordinance banning assault weapons, large-capacity magazines, ghost guns, and binary triggers, with safe storage rules, and Mayor Jacob Frey signed it on May 13, 2026. The Gun Owners Caucus said it was evaluating its legal options. If a 2027 bill repeals or narrows preemption, these city ordinances become the next layer of law for gun owners in the Twin Cities.
The Supreme Court Case That Could Decide the Ban
The Supreme Court hears argument on December 2, 2026 in Viramontes v. Cook County (No. 25-238), consolidated with Grant v. Higgins (No. 25-566), challenges to Cook County's assault weapons ordinance and Connecticut's assault weapons law. The question before the Court is whether a ban on AR-15-pattern rifles is consistent with the Second Amendment. A decision is expected before the term ends in summer 2027, close to SF4067's July 1, 2027 start date.
A ruling against Cook County and Connecticut would make a new Minnesota ban hard to defend in court on the day it takes effect. A ruling for them would leave Minnesota's feature test, 17-round magazine limit, and certification rule standing on the same footing as the laws already in force in other states. Our assault weapon feature tracker shows which states enforce a feature ban today.
