New Gun Laws Go Into Effect August 1st

(KNSI) — Adult use of recreational marijuana is getting the spotlight as it becomes legal for those over 21 to possess, consume and grow it, but there are other new laws taking effect today, and those include gun restrictions.

Minnesota joins 18 other states in expanding background checks for gun sales and adds a new requirement. The owner and the buyer must both fill out a transfer record about the gun and themselves. Law enforcement then has 30 days to process the sale instead of the previous seven.

The new laws prevent owners from lending someone a firearm, which means friends and family can’t hand over their rifles or shotguns to someone for a weekend hunting trip. Loaning a gun to a friend while on a hunting trip together is still legal and requires no legal transfer, but the owner must be with the person who has possession of their firearm.

Anyone who wants to buy a pistol or military-style rifle must first get a permit to purchase, and another provision increases the penalty for owning, possessing or operating a machine gun, trigger activator or machine gun conversion kit. The penalty has gone from five to 20 years.

The red flag law, which also passed this session, allowing the removal of guns from someone’s possession if they are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others, goes into effect January 1st, 2024.

The laws were passed by DFL controlled House and Senate and signed into law by Governor Tim Walz, who promised to crack down on gun owners to curb gun violence.

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