SF4141

Purpose

The bill adds a mandatory duty for firearm owners, possessors, or controllers to report the loss or theft of a firearm to a law enforcement agency in the appropriate jurisdiction. The goal is to improve public safety by ensuring timely notification to authorities and creating a clear framework for reporting, penalties, and related immunity.

Main Provisions

• Duty to report
  • A person who owns, possesses, or controls a firearm must report its loss or theft to a law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where the loss or theft occurred.
  • The report must be made as soon as practicable but no later than 48 hours after the person knew or reasonably should have known of the loss or theft.
• Penalties for noncompliance
  • First violation: petty misdemeanor.
  • Second violation: misdemeanor.
  • Third or subsequent violation: gross misdemeanor.
• Immunity
  • A person who reports a lost or stolen firearm in compliance with the reporting requirements is immune from criminal prosecution for state law offenses related to the storage of firearms.
• Reporting to the state
  • A chief of police or sheriff must report the lost or stolen firearm to the commissioner of public safety within seven days of receiving notification of the loss or theft.

How it changes existing law

• Establishes a mandatory, time-bound duty to report lost or stolen firearms.
• Introduces a tiered penalty structure for violations (petty misdemeanor, misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor).
• Creates immunity from certain storage-related state offenses for those who report as required.
• Requires local law enforcement leadership to forward information to the state-level public safety agency within seven days.

Practical effects and considerations

• Timely notification: Expect faster reporting to authorities, which can aid investigations and firearm recovery or tracking.
• Accountability: Penalties for failure to report may deter noncompliance.
• Data and oversight: The commissioner of public safety will receive information on reported losses, helping state-level data collection and safety planning.
• Storage-related offenses: The immunity provision reduces fear of criminal exposure for people who report promptly, as long as they complied with the reporting requirements.

Relevant terms

• lost or stolen firearms
• report
• duty to report
• 48 hours
• as soon as practicable
• law enforcement agency
• jurisdiction
• petty misdemeanor
• misdemeanor
• gross misdemeanor
• immunity
• immuni ty from criminal prosecution
• state law offenses
• storage of firearms
• chief of police
• sheriff
• commissioner of public safety
• report to the commissioner
• seven days
• Minnesota Statutes chapter 624
• section 624.7139