With Minnesota Democrats in full gun-ban mode, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is warning that the only thing standing between lawful gun owners and a sweeping ban on guns and magazines is the state House of Representatives.
“Minnesota’s 2026 firearm policy fight is no longer about what anti-gun lawmakers would like to do,” the NSSF wrote in a recent alert. “It is about what they are actually moving. Senate Democrats already advanced Senate File 3655, a sweeping proposal targeting possession of firearms the bill defines as ‘semi-automatic military-style assault weapons’ and standard-capacity magazines, while the tied Minnesota House of Representatives remains the one institution that has not yet matched that momentum. That split-chamber reality is the whole story right now, and it is the reason gun control advocates have not yet turned ambition into unconstitutional law.”
As NSSF pointed out, SF 3655 reaches far beyond future transactions. Minnesotans who lawfully owned a covered firearm or “large-capacity” magazine before August 1, 2026, and want to keep it, would have to request certification of ownership from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension by February 1, 2027. That certification would then have to be renewed every three years.
The bill also imposes possession restrictions, mandates loss or theft reporting within 48 hours and sharply limits transfers, including those involving inheritance, bequest or succession.
“That is not a modest adjustment to state law,” NSSF wrote. “It is a new state control regime imposed on people who were following the law when they acquired their firearms and magazines in the first place. Failure to comply with the bill’s core prohibitions or certification requirements can trigger felony exposure punishable by up to five years in prison, up to a $25,000 fine, or both.”
Unfortunately for law-abiding Minnesotans, the measure, like many such in other states, completely ignores the main question lawmakers should be answering: How do we curb violent criminals from hurting and killing people with firearms?
“These bills do not center on violent criminals, repeat offenders, straw purchasers or prosecution failures,” NSSF wrote. “They target possession of commonly owned semi-automatic firearms and standard-capacity equipment already held for lawful purposes.
As NSSF further noted, if the Senate is where gun control advocates have demonstrated momentum, the House is where that momentum runs into arithmetic. Minnesota’s House is tied, operating under a power-sharing arrangement with co-chairs and equal party membership on committees. That means moving a bill out of committee and across the floor requires bipartisan support. That’s already been a roadblock for gun control politicians.
Ultimately, Minnesota’s current situation, with a House evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, is a lesson on the importance of voting. With just one seat change toward the anti-gun side in the future, lawful gun owners in the North Star State will be facing long odds in trying to keep their rights intact.
For more information, you can read the complete NSSF report here.