In Minnesota, the ability to carry a handgun in your vehicle depends on whether or not you have a permit to carry and how the handgun is transported.
No Permit
If you do not have a permit to carry, you cannot carry a loaded handgun in your vehicle. In order to transport a handgun in your vehicle without a permit, the handgun must be unloaded and kept in either a closed trunk or a gun case. If using a gun case, the case must be designed for the purpose of containing a handgun and must be fastened closed (zipped, buckled, tied, etc.).
Carrying/transporting a handgun in your vehicle without a permit, or without following the above requirements, is a gross misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and/or up to a $3,000 fine. A second conviction is classified as a felony, for which a sentence of more than one year imprisonment may be imposed.
Permit
If you have a permit to carry in Minnesota—or a permit from another state that qualifies for state reciprocity—you can carry/transport a loaded handgun in your vehicle or on your person such as in a holster.
If you are pulled over and you possess a handgun—in the car or on your person—you are not required by law to inform the officer that you are carrying a firearm. However, if a police officer requests to see your permit, you must present it. If the officer then asks if you are carrying a concealed firearm, you must confirm whether or not you are.
Though you are not required to inform the police officer of your firearm permit or the presence of the firearm unless asked, you are required to carry your permit and some form of identification, such as a