Firearm Safety Classes in Minnesota

Many people throughout the United States own firearms for recreational sport shooting, hunting or personal safety. Knowing how to safely operate a firearm is vitally important, as gun accidents cause injuries and deaths each year. In Minnesota, all firearms safety courses are run by the state's Department of Natural Resources (DNR). There are four types of firearms safety classes in Minnesota.

  1. Traditional Firearms Safety Courses

    • Traditional, face-to-face firearms safety courses are offered by the DNR year-round at several locations throughout the state. Each course consists of at least 12 hours of combined classroom and field experience. The classroom portion teaches students the basics of firearm safety and gun law, and the field experience allows students to practice firing live rounds on a rifle range in the presence of the instructor. If a student successfully completes the course, he or she will earn a certificate allowing them to purchase a hunting license in Minnesota. In addition to the general adult classes, Minnesota also offers face-to-face classes specifically for women and girls. Fees for these classes range from $7.50 to $15. A list of classes is available online at www.dnr.state.mn.us/index.html.

    Online Independent Study

    • Instead of face-to-face classes, Minnesotans can choose to complete an online firearms safety course. This course involves completing several learning activities online, including becoming familiar with the Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook. Students must complete an online exam. Upon successful completion of the exam and all other assignments, students must attend a field session where they will demonstrate their safety knowledge on a rifle range. Students can either attend one of the already-scheduled field sessions for a traditional face-to-face class or may coordinate an individual field experience with an instructor. Fees for this class range from $7.50 to $15, but there is an additional fee of $24.95 to take the online exam.

    Offline Independent Study

    • If Internet access is unavailable, students may choose to complete a written, offline independent study course that is similar to the online course but which does not require a computer. For this option, students must contact a volunteer instructor in their area (a list is available on the DNR website) to obtain a study guide and workbook. Upon completion of all of the required workbook assignments, students must arrange a field experience with their instructor. Fees for this option range from $7.50 to $15.

    Advanced Hunter Education Seminar

    • The Advanced Hunter Education Seminar is an 18-hour, face-to-face class that covers all of the topics in the basic courses as well as survival skills, map and compass reading, and current hunting issues. The seminar is available to anyone ages 12 and up, but youth ages 12-15 must first complete one of the basic firearms safety courses. The advantage of this course is that it meets the hunting education requirements for all 50 states, so upon completion of the seminar, hunters will be able to obtain a license anywhere in the United States. Fees for this course are $15 with a list of upcoming courses available on the DNR website.