New Minnesota Gun Law Now in Effect

St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News)- A new gun law in Minnesota is now in effect.

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The bill was passed during the 2023 legislative session. It moved out of the DFL-controlled Senate on a 34-33 party-line vote before being signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz.

The law, referred to as the “Red Flag Law” and officially called the Extreme List Protection Order, allows Minnesotans to request a court order to temporarily prohibit a person experiencing a period of crisis in which they may hurt themselves or others from buying or possessing firearms.

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“Extreme Risk Protection Order laws empower loved ones or law enforcement to intervene and temporarily prevent someone in crisis from accessing firearms. These laws, sometimes referred to as “red flag” laws, can help de-escalate emergency situations. They are a proven way to intervene before an incident of gun violence — such as a firearm suicide or mass shooting — occurs and takes more lives,” according to a post on the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s website.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website. Resource information is provided for free as well as a chat message service. To speak directly to a professional, call 988. You are not alone and help is available. Every life is important.

Judicial officers can either grant an emergency protection order which takes immediate effect and lasts for 14 days or a long-term order that would be put in place after a court hearing and would last for six to 12 months.

The law charges law enforcement with serving the order to the person prohibited from having firearms by the order. Authorities are also tasked with enforcing the law.

Photo by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash

Those wishing to file Extreme Risk Protection Order must fill out a form that’s available, along with procedural instructions, on the Minnesota Judicial system’s website.