Minnesota becomes 26th state to accept CCW in lieu of Brady checks when buying guns

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Friday that Minnesotans with a valid concealed handgun license no longer have to get an additional background check when buying a firearm.

ATF Assistant Director Marvin Richardson penned an open letter to all Minnesota federal firearms licensees that those with the state’s Permit to Carry with an expiration date of Aug. 1, 2019, or later, may now be able to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer sans the required background check.

“This decision reduces the administrative burden on Minnesota’s firearms dealers and eliminates a duplicative step in ensuring firearms are only in the hands of those who are qualified to purchase them,” said Larry Keane, senior vice president and general counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Minnesota joins the growing list of states that accept a permit as an as alternatives to the background check requirements of the 1994 Brady law and allows the transfer of a firearm over the counter by an FFL without first performing a National Instant Criminal Background Check System check.

Some 25 other states accept personal concealed carry permits as Brady exemptions while California also allows the exemption for Entertainment Firearms Permits. A similar move is pending in South Dakota.

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