Minnesota Supreme Court rules that ‘ghost guns’ are not required to have serial numbers

On Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in a split decision that ‘ghost guns’ are not required to have a serial number.

The opinion written by Justice Paul Thissen says that the Minnesota statute in question relies on federal law and that federal law does require a serial number.

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The ruling also references that Minnesota has not regulated ghost guns on a state level yet, specifically citing that “Indeed, in 2023, the Legislature had before it, but did not enact, a proposed prohibition on ghost guns,” and that any ghost gun regulation is their decision to make.

A ‘ghost gun’ is a gun that is put together by parts in a kit or various pieces. They can also be 3D printed at home.

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The case stems from a crash in Fridley in 2022, when a trooper found a ghost gun in a man’s vehicle without a serial number. He was charged with having a firearm without a serial number, but charges were later dropped by a district judge before being reinstated by the court of appeals.

Jeff Potts, the executive director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, said that ghost guns without serial numbers pose a problem for how successful law enforcement can be in solving crimes.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison provided the following statement:

“The spread of ghost guns presents a serious threat to the safety of Minnesotans, which is why today’s ruling from the Minnesota Supreme Court is so concerning. To keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, I have been working hard to hold firearms dealers accountable when they sell guns to straw buyers who then re-sell those weapons on the black market. Ghost guns, by definition, circumvent many of the protections in place to ensure firearms are only put into the hands of qualified buyers, allowing them to more easily be used for criminal acts and to be trafficked. Leaders in Minnesota need to work together to fill this gap in state law, ban ghost guns, and keep people safe.”

You can read the ruling in full below.

OPA230863-080625 (1)Download
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