Current with all legislation from the 2024 Regular Session. Please check to make sure there have been no changes since this time. You will find these and additional statutes online through the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes.
Statutes: Minnesota
Statutes: Minnesota
Chapter 257. Children; Custody, Legitimacy
Custody
257.025. Custody disputes
(a) In any custody or parenting time proceeding involving unmarried parents, the court shall consider section 518.175 and evaluate all relevant factors in section 518.17, subdivision 1, to determine the best interests of the child.
(b) The fact that the parents of the child are not or were never married to each other shall not be determinative of the custody and parenting time of the child.
(c) A person may seek custody of a child by filing a petition or motion pursuant to section 518.156.
(d) Section 518.619 applies to this section.
Chapter 363A. Human Rights
363A.03. Definitions
Subdivision 1. Terms. For the purposes of this chapter, the words defined in this section have the meanings ascribed to them.
Subd. 2. Age. The prohibition against unfair employment or education practices based on age prohibits using a person’s age as a basis for a decision if the person is over the age of majority except for section 363A.13 which shall be deemed to protect any individual over the age of 25 years.
Subd. 3. Repealed by Laws 2024, c. 105, § 20, eff. Aug. 1, 2024.
Subd. 4. Business. The term “business” includes any partnership, association, corporation, legal representative, trustee, trustee in bankruptcy, or receiver, but excludes the state and its departments, agencies, and political subdivisions.
Subd. 5. Charging party. “Charging party” means a person filing a charge with the commissioner or the commissioner’s designated agent pursuant to section 363A.28, subdivision 1.
Subd. 6. Closed case file. “Closed case file” means a file containing human rights investigative data in which an order or other decision resolving the alleged or suspected discrimination has been made or issued by the commissioner, a hearing officer, or a court, and the time for any reconsideration of or appeal from the order or decision has expired.
Subd. 7. Commissioner. “Commissioner” means the commissioner of human rights.
Subd. 8. Complainant. “Complainant” means the commissioner of human rights after issuing a complaint pursuant to sections 363A.06, subdivision 3, paragraph (8), and 363A.28, subdivisions 1 to 9.
Subd. 9. Confidential, private, and public data on individuals and protected nonpublic data not on individuals. “Confidential,” “private,” “public data on individuals,” “protected nonpublic data not on individuals,” and any other terms concerning the availability of human rights investigative data have the meanings given them by section 13.02 of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.
Subd. 10. Demand responsive system. “Demand responsive system” means a system of providing public transportation that is not a fixed route system.
Subd. 11. Department. “Department” means the Department of Human Rights.
Subd. 12. Disability. “Disability” means any condition or characteristic that renders a person a disabled person. A disabled person is any person who (1) has a physical, sensory, or mental impairment which materially limits one or more major life activities; (2) has a record of such an impairment; (3) is regarded as having such an impairment; or (4) has an impairment that is episodic or in remission and would materially limit a major life activity when active.
Subd. 13. Discriminate. The term “discriminate” includes segregate, separate, or harassment.
Subd. 14. Educational institution. “Educational institution” means a public or private institution and includes an academy, college, elementary or secondary school, extension course, kindergarten, nursery, school system and a business, nursing, professional, secretarial, technical, vocational school, and includes an agent of an educational institution.
Subd. 15. Employee. “Employee” means an individual who is employed by an employer and who resides or works in this state. Employee includes a commission salesperson, as defined in section 181.145, who resides or works in this state.
Subd. 16. Employer.“Employer” means a person who has one or more employees.
Subd. 17. Employment agency. “Employment agency” means a person or persons who, or an agency which regularly undertakes, with or without compensation, to procure employees or opportunities for employment.
Subd. 18. Familial status. “Familial status” means the condition of one or more minors having legal status or custody with (1) the minor’s parent or parents or the minor’s legal guardian or guardians or (2) the designee of the parent or parents or guardian or guardians with the written permission of the parent or parents or guardian or guardians. Familial status also means residing with and caring for one or more individuals who lack the ability to meet essential requirements for physical health, safety, or self-care because the individual or individuals are unable to receive and evaluate information or make or communicate decisions. The protections afforded against discrimination on the basis of family status apply to any person who is pregnant or is in the process of securing legal custody of an individual who has not attained the age of majority.
Subd. 19. Fixed route system. “Fixed route system” means a system of providing public transportation on which a vehicle is operated along a prescribed route according to a fixed schedule.
Subd. 20. Historic or antiquated rail passenger car. “Historic or antiquated rail passenger car” means a rail passenger car:
(1) that is at least 30 years old at the time of its use for transporting individuals;
(2) the manufacturer of which is no longer in the business of manufacturing rail passenger cars; or
(3) that has consequential association with events or persons significant to the past or embodies, or is being restored to embody, the distinctive characteristics of a type of rail passenger car used in the past or to represent a time period that has passed.
Subd. 21. Human rights investigative data. “Human rights investigative data” means written documents issued or gathered by the department for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting alleged or suspected discrimination.
Subd. 22. Labor organization. “Labor organization” means any organization that exists wholly or partly for one or more of the following purposes:
(1) collective bargaining;
(2) dealing with employers concerning grievances, terms or conditions of employment; or
(3) mutual aid or protection of employees.
Subd. 23. Local commission. “Local commission” means an agency of a city, county, or group of counties created pursuant to law, resolution of a county board, city charter, or municipal ordinance for the purpose of dealing with discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, or familial status.
Subd. 24. Marital status. “Marital status” means whether a person is single, married, remarried, divorced, separated, or a surviving spouse and, in employment cases, includes protection against discrimination on the basis of the identity, situation, actions, or beliefs of a spouse or former spouse.
Subd. 25. National origin. “National origin” means the place of birth of an individual or of any of the individual’s lineal ancestors.
Subd. 26. Open case file.“Open case file” means a file containing human rights investigative data in which no order or other decision resolving the alleged or suspected discrimination has been made or issued by the commissioner, a hearing officer, or a court, or a file in which an order or other decision has been issued but the time for any reconsideration or appeal of the order or decision has either not yet expired or the reconsideration or appeal is then pending.
Subd. 27. Operates. “Operates,” when used with respect to a demand responsive or fixed route system, includes the operation of the system by a person under a contractual or other arrangement or relationship with a public or private entity.
Subd. 28. Over-the-road bus. “Over-the-road bus” means a bus characterized by an elevated passenger deck located over a baggage compartment.
Subd. 29. Party in interest. “Party in interest” means the complainant, respondent, or commissioner.
Subd. 30. Person. “Person” includes partnership, association, corporation, legal representative, trustee, trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, and the state and its departments, agencies, and political subdivisions.
Subd. 31. Physical access. “Physical access” means (1) the absence of physical obstacles that limit a disabled person’s opportunity for full and equal use of or benefit from goods, services, and privileges; or, when necessary, (2) the use of methods to overcome the discriminatory effect of physical obstacles. The methods may include redesign of equipment, assignment of aides, or use of alternate accessible locations.
Subd. 32. Private entity. “Private entity” means an entity other than a public service.
Subd. 33. Program access. “Program access” means (1) the use of auxiliary aids or services to ensure full and equal use of or benefit from goods, services, and privileges; and (2) the absence of criteria or methods of administration that directly, indirectly, or through contractual or other arrangements, have the effect of subjecting qualified disabled persons to discrimination on the basis of disability, or have the effect of defeating or impairing the accomplishment of the objectives of the program.
Subd. 34. Place of public accommodation. “Place of public accommodation” means a business, accommodation, refreshment, entertainment, recreation, or transportation facility of any kind, whether licensed or not, whose goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages or accommodations are extended, offered, sold, or otherwise made available to the public.
Subd. 35. Public service. “Public service” means any public facility, department, agency, board or commission, owned, operated or managed by or on behalf of the state of Minnesota, or any subdivision thereof, including any county, city, town, township, or independent district in the state.
Subd. 36. Qualified disabled person. “Qualified disabled person” means:
(1) with respect to employment, a disabled person who, with reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions required of all applicants for the job in question; and
(2) with respect to public services, a person with a disability who, with or without reasonable modifications to rules, policies, or practices, removal of architectural, communications, or transportation barriers, or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the essential eligibility requirements for receipt of services and for participation in programs and activities provided by the public service.
For the purposes of this subdivision, “disability” excludes any condition resulting from alcohol or drug abuse which prevents a person from performing the essential functions of the job in question or constitutes a direct threat to property or the safety of others.
If a respondent contends that the person is not a qualified disabled person, the burden is on the respondent to prove that it was reasonable to conclude the disabled person, with reasonable accommodation, could not have met the requirements of the job or that the selected person was demonstrably better able to perform the job.
Subd. 36a. Race. “Race” is inclusive of traits associated with race, including but not limited to hair texture and hair styles such as braids, locs, and twists.
Subd. 37. Rail passenger car. “Rail passenger car” means, with respect to intercity or commuter rail transportation, single- and bi-level coach cars, dining cars, sleeping cars, lounge cars, restroom cars, and food service cars.
Subd. 38. Real estate broker or salesperson. “Real estate broker or salesperson” means, respectively, a real estate broker as defined by section 82.55, subdivision 19, and a real estate salesperson as defined by section 82.55, subdivision 20.
Subd. 39. Real property. “Real property” includes real estate, lands, tenements, and hereditaments, corporeal and incorporeal.
Subd. 40. Religious or denominational educational institution. “Religious or denominational educational institution” means an educational institution which is operated, supervised, controlled or sustained primarily by a religious or denominational organization, or one which is stated by the parent church body to be and is, in fact, officially related to that church by being represented on the board of the institution, and by providing substantial financial assistance and which has certified, in writing, to the board that it is a religious or denominational educational institution.
Subd. 41. Respondent. “Respondent” means a person against whom a complaint has been filed or issued.
Subd. 42. Sex. “Sex” includes, but is not limited to, pregnancy, childbirth, and disabilities related to pregnancy or childbirth.
Subd. 43. Sexual harassment. “Sexual harassment” includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexually motivated physical contact or other verbal or physical conduct or communication of a sexual nature when:
(1) submission to that conduct or communication is made a term or condition, either explicitly or implicitly, of obtaining employment, public accommodations or public services, education, or housing;
(2) submission to or rejection of that conduct or communication by an individual is used as a factor in decisions affecting that individual’s employment, public accommodations or public services, education, or housing; or
(3) that conduct or communication has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s employment, public accommodations or public services, education, or housing, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive employment, public accommodations, public services, educational, or housing environment.
Subd. 44. Sexual orientation. “Sexual orientation” means to whom someone is, or is perceived of as being, emotionally, physically, or sexually attracted to based on sex or gender identity. A person may be attracted to men, women, both, neither, or to people who are genderqueer, androgynous, or have other gender identities.
Subd. 45. Specified public transportation. “Specified public transportation” means transportation by bus, rail, or any other conveyance other than aircraft that provides the general public with general or special service, including charter service, on a regular and continuing basis.
Subd. 46. Station. “Station” means property located next to a right-of-way on which intercity and commuter transportation is operated, which is used by the general public and is related to the provision of the transportation, including passenger platforms, designated waiting areas, ticketing areas, restrooms, drinking fountains, public telephones, and, if a public service providing rail transportation owns the property, concessions areas to the extent that the public service exercises control over the selection, design, construction, or alteration of the property. Station does not include flag stops.
Subd. 47. Status with regard to public assistance. “Status with regard to public assistance” means the condition of being a recipient of federal, state, or local assistance, including medical assistance, or of being a tenant receiving federal, state, or local subsidies, including rental assistance or rent supplements.
Subd. 48. Unfair discriminatory practice. “Unfair discriminatory practice” means any act described in sections 363A.08 to 363A.19 and 363A.28, subdivision 10.
Subd. 49. Vehicle. “Vehicle” does not include a rail passenger car, railroad locomotive, railroad freight car, railroad caboose, or railroad car.
Subd. 50. Gender identity. “Gender identity” means a person’s inherent sense of being a man, woman, both, or neither. A person’s gender identity may or may not correspond to their assigned sex at birth or to their primary or secondary sex characteristics. A person’s gender identity is not necessarily visible to others.
Chapter 491A. Conciliation Court
491A.01. Establishment; powers; jurisdiction
Subdivision 1. Establishment. The district court in each county shall establish a conciliation court division with the jurisdiction and powers set forth in this chapter.
Subd. 2. Powers; issuance of process. The conciliation court has all powers, and may issue process as necessary or proper to carry out the purposes of this chapter. No writ of execution or garnishment summons may be issued out of conciliation court.
Subd. 3. Expired August 1, 2014.
Subd. 3a. Jurisdiction; general. (a) Except as provided in subdivisions 4 and 5, the conciliation court has jurisdiction to hear, conciliate, try, and determine civil claims if the amount of money or property that is the subject matter of the claim does not exceed: (1) $20,000; or (2) $4,000, if the claim involves a consumer credit transaction.
(b) “Consumer credit transaction” means a sale of personal property, or a loan arranged to facilitate the purchase of personal property, in which:
(1) credit is granted by a seller or a lender who regularly engages as a seller or lender in credit transactions of the same kind;
(2) the buyer is a natural person;
(3) the claimant is the seller or lender in the transaction; and
(4) the personal property is purchased primarily for a personal, family, or household purpose and not for a commercial, agricultural, or business purpose.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision and subdivisions 5 to 11, the territorial jurisdiction of conciliation court is coextensive with the county in which the court is established. The summons in a conciliation court action under subdivisions 6 to 10 may be served anywhere in the state, and the summons in a conciliation court action under subdivision 7, paragraph (b), may be served outside the state in the manner provided by law. The court administrator shall serve the summons in a conciliation court action by first class mail, except that if the amount of money or property that is the subject of the claim exceeds $2,500, the summons must be served by the plaintiff by certified mail, and service on nonresident defendants must be made in accordance with applicable law or rule. Subpoenas to secure the attendance of nonparty witnesses and the production of documents at trial may be served anywhere within the state in the manner provided by law.
When a court administrator is required to summon the defendant by certified mail under this paragraph, the summons may be made by personal service in the manner provided in the Rules of Civil Procedure for personal service of a summons of the district court as an alternative to service by certified mail.
Subd. 4. Jurisdiction; exclusions. The conciliation court does not have jurisdiction over the following actions:
(1) involving title to real estate, including actions to determine boundary lines;
(2) involving claims of defamation by libel or slander;
(3) for specific performance, except to the extent authorized in subdivision 5;
(4) brought or defended on behalf of a class;
(5) requesting or involving prejudgment remedies;
(6) involving injunctive relief, except to the extent authorized in subdivision 5;
(7) pursuant to chapters 256, 257, 259, 260, 518, 518A, 518B, and 518C, except for actions involving debts owed to state agencies or political subdivisions that arise under those chapters;
(8) pursuant to chapters 524 and 525;
(9) where jurisdiction is vested exclusively in another court or division of district court;
(10) for eviction; and
(11) involving medical malpractice.
Subd. 5. Jurisdiction; personal property. If the controversy concerns the ownership or possession of personal property the value of which does not exceed the jurisdictional limit under subdivision 3, the conciliation court has jurisdiction to determine the ownership and possession of the property and direct any party to deliver the property to another party. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, once the judgment of the court directing return of the property becomes final, it is enforceable by the sheriff of the county in which the property is located without further legal process. The sheriff is authorized to effect repossession of the property according to law, including, but not limited to: (1) entry upon the premises for the purposes of demanding the property and ascertaining whether the property is present and taking possession of it; and (2) causing the building or enclosure where the property is located to be broken open and the property taken out of the building and if necessary to that end, the sheriff may call the power of the county to the sheriff’s aid. If the party against whom the judgment is directed is not physically present at the time of entry by the sheriff, then a copy of the judgment must be served upon any person in possession of the property or if no person is present, a copy of the judgment must be left on the premises. After taking possession of the property, the sheriff shall turn the property over to the prevailing party.
Subd. 6. Jurisdiction; student loans. The conciliation court also has jurisdiction to determine a civil action commenced by a plaintiff educational institution, including but not limited to, a state college or university governed by the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, with administrative offices in the county in which the conciliation court is located, to recover the amount of a student loan or loans even though the defendant or defendants are not residents of the county under the following conditions:
(1) the student loan or loans were originally awarded in the county in which the conciliation court is located;
(2) notice that payment on the loan is overdue has previously been sent by first class mail to the borrower to the last known address reported by the borrower to the educational institution; and
(3) the notice states that the educational institution may commence a conciliation court action in the county where the loan was awarded to recover the amount of the loan.
Subd. 7. Jurisdiction; foreign defendants. (a) If a foreign corporation is subject by law to service of process in this state or is subject to service of process outside this state under section 543.19, a conciliation court action may be commenced against the foreign corporation:
(1) in the county where the corporation’s registered agent is located;
(2) in the county where the cause of action arose, if the corporation has a place of business in that county either at the time the cause of action arose or at the time the action was commenced; or
(3) in the county in which the plaintiff resides, if the corporation does not appoint or maintain a registered agent in this state, withdraws from the state, or the certificate of authority of the corporation is canceled or revoked.
(b) If a nonresident other than a foreign corporation is subject to service of process outside this state under section 543.19, a conciliation court action may be commenced against the nonresident in the county in which the plaintiff resides.
Subd. 8. Jurisdiction; multiple defendants. The conciliation court also has jurisdiction to determine a civil action commenced against two or more defendants in the county in which one or more of the defendants resides. Counterclaims may be commenced in the county where the original action was commenced.
Subd. 9. Jurisdiction; rental property. The conciliation court also has jurisdiction to determine an action for damages arising from the landlord and tenant relationship under chapter 504B or under the rental agreement in the county in which the rental property is located.
Subd. 10. Jurisdiction; dishonored checks. The conciliation court also has jurisdiction to determine a civil action commenced by a plaintiff, resident of the county, to recover the amount of a dishonored check issued in the county, even though the defendant or defendants are not residents of the county, if the notice of nonpayment or dishonor described in section 609.535, subdivision 3, is sent to the maker or drawer as specified in that section and the notice states that the payee or holder of the check may commence a conciliation court action in the county where the dishonored check was issued to recover the amount of the check. This subdivision does not apply to a check that has been dishonored by stop payment order.
Subd. 11. Jurisdiction; county claim against nonresident. The conciliation court has jurisdiction to determine a civil action commenced by the county in which it is established to recover debts owed to the county for fees, services, overpayments, or similar obligations, even though the defendant is not a resident of the county provided that notice of the overdue debt:
(1) has previously been sent by first class mail to the nonresident defendant at the defendant’s last known address; and
(2) states that the county may commence a conciliation court action in the county where the debt owed was incurred.
For the purposes of this section, “overpayments” does not include any overpayments that are governed by the procedures set forth under chapter 256.
Chapter 504B. Landlord and Tenant
Tenant's Rights
504B.206. Right of victims of violence to terminate lease
Subdivision 1. Right to terminate; procedure. (a) A tenant to a residential lease may terminate a lease agreement in the manner provided in this section without penalty or liability, if the tenant or another authorized occupant fears imminent violence after being subjected to:
(1) domestic abuse, as that term is defined under section 518B.01, subdivision 2;
(2) criminal sexual conduct under sections 609.342 to 609.3451;
(3) sexual extortion under section 609.3458; or
(4) harassment under section 609.749.
(b) The tenant must provide signed and dated advance written notice to the landlord:
(1) stating the tenant fears imminent violence from a person as indicated in a qualifying document against the tenant or an authorized occupant if the tenant or authorized occupant remains in the leased premises;
(2) stating that the tenant needs to terminate the tenancy;
(3) providing the date by which the tenant will vacate; and
(4) providing written instructions for the disposition of any remaining personal property in accordance with section 504B.271.
(c) The written notice must be delivered before the termination of the tenancy by mail, fax, or in person, and be accompanied by a qualifying document.
(d) The landlord may request that the tenant disclose the name of the perpetrator and, if a request is made, inform the tenant that the landlord seeks disclosure to protect other tenants in the building. The tenant may decline to provide the name of the perpetrator for safety reasons. Disclosure shall not be a precondition of terminating the lease.
(e) The tenancy terminates, including the right of possession of the premises, as provided in subdivision 3.
Subd. 2. Treatment of information. (a) A landlord must not disclose:
(1) any information provided to the landlord by a tenant in the written notice required under subdivision 1, paragraph (b);
(2) any information contained in the qualifying document;
(3) the address or location to which the tenant has relocated; or
(4) the status of the tenant as a victim of violence.
(b) The information referenced in paragraph (a) must not be entered into any shared database or provided to any person or entity but may be used when required as evidence in an eviction proceeding, action for unpaid rent or damages arising out of the tenancy, claims under section 504B.178, with the consent of the tenant, or as otherwise required by law.
Subd. 3. Liability for rent; termination of tenancy. (a) A tenant who is a sole tenant and is terminating a lease under subdivision 1 is responsible for the rent payment for the full month in which the tenancy terminates. The tenant forfeits all claims for the return of the security deposit under section 504B.178 and is relieved of any other contractual obligation for payment of rent or any other charges for the remaining term of the lease, except as provided in this section. In a sole tenancy, the tenancy terminates on the date specified in the notice provided to the landlord as required under subdivision 1.
(b) In a tenancy with multiple tenants, one of whom is terminating the lease under subdivision 1, any lease governing all tenants is terminated at the later of the end of the month or the end of the rent interval in which one tenant terminates the lease under subdivision 1. All tenants are responsible for the rent payment for the full month in which the tenancy terminates. Upon termination, all tenants forfeit all claims for the return of the security deposit under section 504B.178 and are relieved of any other contractual obligation for payment of rent or any other charges for the remaining term of the lease, except as provided in this section. Any tenant whose tenancy was terminated under this paragraph may reapply to enter into a new lease with the landlord.
(c) This section does not affect a tenant’s liability for delinquent, unpaid rent or other amounts owed to the landlord before the lease was terminated by the tenant under this section.
Subd. 4. Deleted by amendment, Laws 2014, c. 188, § 2, eff. Aug. 1, 2014.
Subd. 5. Waiver prohibited. A residential tenant may not waive, and a landlord may not require the residential tenant to waive, the tenant’s rights under this section.
Subd. 6. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given:
(1) “court official” means a judge, referee, court administrator, prosecutor, probation officer, or victim’s advocate, whether employed by or under contract with the court, who is authorized to act on behalf of the court;
(2) “qualified third party” means a person, acting in an official capacity, who has had in-person contact with the tenant and is:
(i) a licensed health care professional operating within the scope of the license;
(ii) a domestic abuse advocate, as that term is defined in section 595.02, subdivision 1, paragraph (l); or
(iii) a sexual assault counselor, as that term is defined in section 595.02, subdivision 1, paragraph (k);
(3) “qualifying document” means:
(i) a valid order for protection issued under chapter 518B;
(ii) a no contact order currently in effect, issued under section 629.75 or chapter 609;
(iii) a writing produced and signed by a court official, acting in an official capacity, documenting that the tenant or authorized occupant is a victim of domestic abuse, as that term is defined under section 518B.01, subdivision 2, criminal sexual conduct under sections 609.342 to 609.3451, sexual extortion under section 609.3458, or harassment under section 609.749, and naming the perpetrator, if known;
(iv) a writing produced and signed by a city, county, state, or tribal law enforcement official, acting in an official capacity, documenting that the tenant or authorized occupant is a victim of domestic abuse, as that term is defined under section 518B.01, subdivision 2, criminal sexual conduct under sections 609.342 to 609.3451, sexual extortion under section 609.3458, or harassment under section 609.749, and naming the perpetrator, if known; or
(v) a statement by a qualified third party, in the following form:
STATEMENT BY QUALIFIED THIRD PARTY
I, ………. (name of qualified third party), do hereby verify as follows:
1. I am a licensed health care professional, domestic abuse advocate, as that term is defined in section 595.02, subdivision 1, paragraph (l), or sexual assault counselor, as that term is defined in section 595.02, subdivision 1, paragraph (k), who has had in-person contact with ………. (name of victim(s)).
2. I have a reasonable basis to believe ………. (name of victim(s)) is a victim/are victims of domestic abuse, criminal sexual conduct, sexual extortion, or harassment and fear(s) imminent violence against the individual or authorized occupant if the individual remains (the individuals remain) in the leased premises.
3. I understand that the person(s) listed above may use this document as a basis for gaining a release from the lease.
I attest that the foregoing is true and correct.
(Printed name of qualified third party)
(Signature of qualified third party)
(Business address and business telephone)
(Date)
Subd. 7. Conflicts with other laws. If a federal statute, regulation, or handbook permitting termination of a residential tenancy subsidized under a federal program conflicts with any provision of this section, then the landlord must comply with the federal statute, regulation, or handbook.
Chapter 518. Marriage Dissolution
Proceedings
518.06. Dissolution of marriage; legal separation; grounds; uncontested legal separation
Subdivision 1. Meaning and effect; grounds. A dissolution of marriage is the termination of the marital relationship between a husband and wife. A decree of dissolution completely terminates the marital status of both parties. A legal separation is a court determination of the rights and responsibilities of a husband and wife arising out of the marital relationship. A decree of legal separation does not terminate the marital status of the parties. A dissolution of a marriage shall be granted by a county or district court when the court finds that there has been an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage relationship.
A decree of legal separation shall be granted when the court finds that one or both parties need a legal separation.
Defenses to divorce, dissolution and legal separation, including but not limited to condonation, connivance, collusion, recrimination, insanity, and lapse of time, are abolished.
Subd. 2. Repealed by Laws 1978, c. 772, § 63.
Subd. 3. Uncontested legal separation. If one or both parties petition for a decree of legal separation and neither party contests the granting of the decree nor petitions for a decree of dissolution, the court shall grant a decree of legal separation.
518.07. Residence of parties
Subdivision 1. General. Except as provided in subdivision 2, no dissolution shall be granted unless:
(1) one of the parties has resided in this state, or has been a member of the armed services stationed in this state, for not less than 180 days immediately preceding the commencement of the proceeding; or
(2) one of the parties has been a domiciliary of this state for not less than 180 days immediately preceding commencement of the proceeding.
Subd. 2. Action for dissolution by certain nonresidents. (a) If neither party to the civil marriage is a resident of this state at the commencement of the proceeding, a court of this state has jurisdiction over the dissolution if:
(1) the civil marriage was performed in this state; and
(2) neither party to the civil marriage resides in a jurisdiction that will maintain an action for dissolution by the parties because of the sex or sexual orientation of the spouses.
(b) There is a rebuttable presumption that a jurisdiction will not maintain an action for dissolution if the jurisdiction does not recognize the civil marriage.
(c) An action for dissolution authorized by this subdivision must be adjudicated in accordance with the laws of this state.
518.17. Custody and support of children on judgment
Subdivision 1. Best interests of the child. (a) In evaluating the best interests of the child for purposes of determining issues of custody and parenting time, the court must consider and evaluate all relevant factors, including:
(1) a child’s physical, emotional, cultural, spiritual, and other needs, and the effect of the proposed arrangements on the child’s needs and development;
(2) any special medical, mental health, developmental disability, or educational needs that the child may have that may require special parenting arrangements or access to recommended services;
(3) the reasonable preference of the child, if the court deems the child to be of sufficient ability, age, and maturity to express an independent, reliable preference;
(4) whether domestic abuse, as defined in section 518B.01, has occurred in the parents’ or either parent’s household or relationship; the nature and context of the domestic abuse; and the implications of the domestic abuse for parenting and for the child’s safety, well-being, and developmental needs;
(5) any physical, mental, or chemical health issue of a parent that affects the child’s safety or developmental needs;
(6) the history and nature of each parent’s participation in providing care for the child;
(7) the willingness and ability of each parent to provide ongoing care for the child; to meet the child’s ongoing developmental, emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs; and to maintain consistency and follow through with parenting time;
(8) the effect on the child’s well-being and development of changes to home, school, and community;
(9) the effect of the proposed arrangements on the ongoing relationships between the child and each parent, siblings, and other significant persons in the child’s life;
(10) the benefit to the child in maximizing parenting time with both parents and the detriment to the child in limiting parenting time with either parent;
(11) except in cases in which domestic abuse as described in clause (4) has occurred, the disposition of each parent to support the child’s relationship with the other parent and to encourage and permit frequent and continuing contact between the child and the other parent; and
(12) the willingness and ability of parents to cooperate in the rearing of their child; to maximize sharing information and minimize exposure of the child to parental conflict; and to utilize methods for resolving disputes regarding any major decision concerning the life of the child.
(b) Clauses (1) to (9) govern the application of the best interests of the child factors by the court:
(1) The court must make detailed findings on each of the factors in paragraph (a) based on the evidence presented and explain how each factor led to its conclusions and to the determination of custody and parenting time. The court may not use one factor to the exclusion of all others, and the court shall consider that the factors may be interrelated.
(2) The court shall consider that it is in the best interests of the child to promote the child’s healthy growth and development through safe, stable, nurturing relationships between a child and both parents. In determining custody, the court must consider the best interests of the child and must not prefer one parent over the other solely on the basis of the gender of the parent.
(3) The court shall consider both parents as having the capacity to develop and sustain nurturing relationships with their children unless there are substantial reasons to believe otherwise. In assessing whether parents are capable of sustaining nurturing relationships with their children, the court shall recognize that there are many ways that parents can respond to a child’s needs with sensitivity and provide the child love and guidance, and these may differ between parents and among cultures.
(4) The court shall not consider conduct of a party that does not affect the party’s relationship with the child.
(5) Disability alone, as defined in section 363A.03, of a proposed custodian or the child shall not be determinative of the custody of the child.
(6) The court shall consider evidence of a violation of section 609.507 in determining the best interests of the child.
(7) There is no presumption for or against joint physical custody, except as provided in clause (9).
(8) Joint physical custody does not require an absolutely equal division of time.
(9) The court shall use a rebuttable presumption that upon request of either or both parties, joint legal custody is in the best interests of the child. However, the court shall use a rebuttable presumption that joint legal custody or joint physical custody is not in the best interests of the child if domestic abuse, as defined in section 518B.01, has occurred between the parents. In determining whether the presumption is rebutted, the court shall consider the nature and context of the domestic abuse and the implications of the domestic abuse for parenting and for the child’s safety, well-being, and developmental needs. Disagreement alone over whether to grant sole or joint custody does not constitute an inability of parents to cooperate in the rearing of their children as referenced in paragraph (a), clause (12).
(c) In a proceeding involving the custodial responsibility of a service member’s child, a court may not consider only a parent’s past deployment or possible future deployment in determining the best interests of the child. For purposes of this paragraph, “custodial responsibility” has the meaning given in section 518E.102, paragraph (f).
Subds. 1a, 2. Repealed by Laws 2015, c. 30, art. 1, § 13, eff. August 1, 2015.
Subd. 2a. Parents with disabilities. (a) A court shall not deny nor restrict a parent’s parenting time or custody due to the parent’s disability. A party raising disability as a basis for denying or restricting parenting time has the burden to prove by clear and convincing evidence that a parent’s specific behaviors during parenting time would endanger the health or safety of the child. If the party meets the burden, a parent with a disability shall have the opportunity to demonstrate how implementing supportive services can alleviate any concerns. The court may require a parent with a disability to use supportive parenting services to facilitate parenting time.
(b) If a court denies or limits the right of a parent with a disability to custody of a child or visitation with a child, the court shall make specific written findings stating the basis for the denial or limitation and why providing supportive parenting services is not a reasonable accommodation that could prevent denying or limiting the parent’s custody or parenting time.
(c) For purposes of this subdivision, “disability” and “supportive parenting services” have the meanings given in section 260C.141, subdivision 1a.
Subd. 3. Custody order. (a) Upon adjudging the nullity of a marriage, or in a dissolution or separation proceeding, or in a child custody proceeding, the court shall make such further order as it deems just and proper concerning:
(1) the legal custody of the minor children of the parties that shall be sole or joint;
(2) their physical custody, parenting time, and residence; and
(3) their support.
(b) The court shall grant the rights listed in subdivision 3a to each of the parties, regardless of custodial designation, unless specific findings are made under section 518.68, subdivision 1. The court shall include in the custody order the notice under subdivision 3a.
(c) The court may waive any of the rights under this section if it finds it is necessary to protect the welfare of a party or child.
(d) If a court order or law prohibits contact by a party, the notifications and information required to be sent under subdivision 3a, clauses (1), (2), (3), (5), and (6), shall not be made by direct communication of the parties. Third-party communication shall be limited to the specific purposes delineated in this subdivision or subdivision 3a. Nothing in this subdivision or subdivision 3a shall modify, suspend, revoke, or terminate a court order or law that prohibits contact by a party.
(e) If one of the parties is a program participant under chapter 5B, the other party shall send all information and notifications required under subdivision 3a, clauses (1), (2), (3), (5), and (6), to the participant’s designated address. The program participant is exempted from the requirements of subdivision 3a.
(f) Failure to notify or inform a party of rights under subdivision 3a does not form a basis for modification under section 518.18, paragraph (d), clause (iv), unless other grounds are alleged which would support a modification.
Subd. 3a. Contents on notice. The required notice under subdivision 3 must be substantially as follows:
“NOTICE
EACH PARTY IS GRANTED THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS:
(1) right of access to, and to receive copies of, school, medical, dental, religious training, police reports, and other important records and information about the minor children;
(2) right of access to information regarding health or dental insurance available to the minor children;
(3) right to be informed by the other party as to the name and address of the school of attendance of the minor children;
(4) right to be informed by school officials about the children’s welfare, educational progress and status, and to attend school and parent-teacher conferences. The school is not required to hold a separate conference for each party, unless attending the same conference would result in violation of a court order prohibiting contact with a party;
(5) right to be notified by the other party of an accident or serious illness of a minor child, including the name of the health care provider and the place of treatment;
(6) right to be notified by the other party if the minor child is the victim of an alleged crime, including the name of the investigating law enforcement officer or agency. There is no duty to notify if the party to be notified is the alleged perpetrator; and
(7) right to reasonable access and telephone or other electronic contact with the minor children.”
Subds. 4, 5. Repealed by Laws 1986, c. 406, § 9.
Subd. 6. Departure from guidelines based on joint custody. An award of joint legal custody is not a reason for departure from the guidelines in section 518A.35.
518.175. Parenting time
Subdivision 1. General. (a) In all proceedings for dissolution or legal separation, subsequent to the commencement of the proceeding and continuing thereafter during the minority of the child, the court shall, upon the request of either parent, grant such parenting time on behalf of the child and a parent as will enable the child and the parent to maintain a child to parent relationship that will be in the best interests of the child. The court, when issuing a parenting time order, may reserve a determination as to the future establishment or expansion of a parent’s parenting time. In that event, the best interest standard set forth in subdivision 5, paragraph (a), shall be applied to a subsequent motion to establish or expand parenting time.
(b) If the court finds, after a hearing, that parenting time with a parent is likely to endanger the child’s physical, mental, or emotional health or safety or impair the child’s emotional development, the court shall restrict parenting time with that parent as to time, place, duration, or supervision and may deny parenting time entirely, as the circumstances warrant. The court shall consider the age of the child and the child’s relationship with the parent prior to the commencement of the proceeding.
(c) A parent’s failure to pay support because of the parent’s inability to do so shall not be sufficient cause for denial of parenting time.
(d) The court may provide that a law enforcement officer or other appropriate person will accompany a party seeking to enforce or comply with parenting time.
(e) Upon request of either party, to the extent practicable an order for parenting time must include a specific schedule for regular parenting time, including the frequency and duration of parenting time and parenting time during holidays, vacations, and school breaks unless parenting time is restricted, denied, or reserved.
(f) The court administrator shall provide a form for a pro se motion regarding parenting time disputes, which includes provisions for indicating the relief requested, an affidavit in which the party may state the facts of the dispute, and a brief description of the parenting time expeditor process under section 518.1751. The form may not include a request for a change of custody. The court shall provide instructions on serving and filing the motion.
(g) In the absence of other evidence, there is a rebuttable presumption that a child must receive a minimum of at least 25 percent of the parenting time with each parent. For purposes of this paragraph, the percentage of parenting time may be determined by calculating the number of overnights that a child spends with a parent or by using a method other than overnights if the parent has significant time periods on separate days when the child is in the parent’s physical custody but does not stay overnight. The court may consider the age of the child in determining whether a child is with a parent for a significant period of time.
Subd. 1a. Domestic abuse; supervised parenting time. (a) If a parent requests supervised parenting time under subdivision 1 or 5 and an order for protection under chapter 518B or a similar law of another state is in effect against the other parent to protect the parent with whom the child resides or the child, the judge or judicial officer must consider the order for protection in making a decision regarding parenting time.
(b) The state court administrator, in consultation with representatives of parents and other interested persons, shall develop standards to be met by persons who are responsible for supervising parenting time. Either parent may challenge the appropriateness of an individual chosen by the court to supervise parenting time.
Subd. 2. Rights of children and parents. Upon the request of either parent, the court may inform any child of the parties, if eight years of age or older, or otherwise of an age of suitable comprehension, of the rights of the child and each parent under the order or decree or any substantial amendment thereof. The parent with whom the child resides shall present the child for parenting time with the other parent, at such times as the court directs.
Subd. 3. Move to another state. (a) The parent with whom the child resides shall not move the residence of the child to another state except upon order of the court or with the consent of the other parent, if the other parent has been given parenting time by the decree. If the purpose of the move is to interfere with parenting time given to the other parent by the decree, the court shall not permit the child’s residence to be moved to another state.
(b) The court shall apply a best interests standard when considering the request of the parent with whom the child resides to move the child’s residence to another state. The factors the court must consider in determining the child’s best interests include, but are not limited to:
(1) the nature, quality, extent of involvement, and duration of the child’s relationship with the person proposing to relocate and with the nonrelocating person, siblings, and other significant persons in the child’s life;
(2) the age, developmental stage, needs of the child, and the likely impact the relocation will have on the child’s physical, educational, and emotional development, taking into consideration special needs of the child;
(3) the feasibility of preserving the relationship between the nonrelocating person and the child through suitable parenting time arrangements, considering the logistics and financial circumstances of the parties;
(4) the child’s preference, taking into consideration the age and maturity of the child;
(5) whether there is an established pattern of conduct of the person seeking the relocation either to promote or thwart the relationship of the child and the nonrelocating person;
(6) whether the relocation of the child will enhance the general quality of the life for both the custodial parent seeking the relocation and the child including, but not limited to, financial or emotional benefit or educational opportunity;
(7) the reasons of each person for seeking or opposing the relocation; and
(8) the effect on the safety and welfare of the child, or of the parent requesting to move the child’s residence, of domestic abuse, as defined in section 518B.01.
(c) The burden of proof is upon the parent requesting to move the residence of the child to another state, except that if the court finds that the person requesting permission to move has been a victim of domestic abuse by the other parent, the burden of proof is upon the parent opposing the move. The court must consider all of the factors in this subdivision in determining the best interests of the child.
Subd. 4. Repealed by Laws 1996, c. 391, art. 1, § 6.
Subd. 5. Modification of parenting plan or order for parenting time. (a) If a parenting plan or an order granting parenting time cannot be used to determine the number of overnights or overnight equivalents the child has with each parent, the court shall modify the parenting plan or order granting parenting time so that the number of overnights or overnight equivalents the child has with each parent can be determined. For purposes of this section, “overnight equivalents” has the meaning given in section 518A.36, subdivision 1.
(b) If modification would serve the best interests of the child, the court shall modify the decision-making provisions of a parenting plan or an order granting or denying parenting time, if the modification would not change the child’s primary residence. Consideration of a child’s best interest includes a child’s changing developmental needs.
(c) Except as provided in section 631.52, the court may not restrict parenting time unless it finds that:
(1) parenting time is likely to endanger the child’s physical or emotional health or impair the child’s emotional development; or
(2) the parent has chronically and unreasonably failed to comply with court-ordered parenting time.
A modification of parenting time which increases a parent’s percentage of parenting time to an amount that is between 45.1 to 54.9 percent parenting time is not a restriction of the other parent’s parenting time.
(d) If a parent makes specific allegations that parenting time by the other parent places the parent or child in danger of harm, the court shall hold a hearing at the earliest possible time to determine the need to modify the order granting parenting time. Consistent with subdivision 1a, the court may require a third party, including the local social services agency, to supervise the parenting time or may restrict a parent’s parenting time if necessary to protect the other parent or child from harm. If there is an existing order for protection governing the parties, the court shall consider the use of an independent, neutral exchange location for parenting time.
Subd. 6. Remedies. (a) Each party must follow a court’s order for custody and parenting time unless the parties have made another agreement in writing as defined by section 645.44, subdivision 14.
(b) For the purposes of this subdivision, “court-ordered parenting time” means:
(1) parenting time that a court has ordered, regardless of whether the order is temporary or permanent and whether family court or juvenile court has issued the order;
(2) an order by a parenting time consultant, parenting coordinator, special master, or other court-appointed individual who is authorized to establish or modify parenting time; or
(3) a binding agreement or decision under section 518.1751, subdivision 3.
(c) The court shall fully consider providing compensatory parenting time when a parent has intentionally made a substantial amount of court-ordered parenting time unavailable to the other parent unless providing the compensatory parenting time is not consistent with the child’s best interests. The court must consider all relevant evidence to determine whether a parent has made a substantial amount of court-ordered parenting time unavailable to the other parent.
(d) If the court finds that a person has been deprived of court-ordered parenting time under paragraph (b), the court shall order the parent who has interfered to allow compensatory parenting time to the other parent. When compensatory parenting time is awarded, additional parenting time must be:
(1) at least of the same type and duration as the deprived parenting time and, at the discretion of the court, may be in excess of or of a different type than the deprived parenting time;
(2) taken within one year after the deprived parenting time; and
(3) at a time acceptable to the parent deprived of parenting time.
(e) If the court finds that a party has repeatedly and intentionally denied or interfered with court-ordered parenting time, the court must, in addition to awarding compensatory parenting time, require the party to reimburse the other party for costs incurred as a result of the party’s denial of or interference with court-ordered parenting time and award reasonable attorney fees to the other party, provided that the court finds that the party from whom fees, costs, and disbursements are sought has the means to pay them. The court may:
(1) impose a sanction of up to $500 against the party who denied or interfered with parenting time that is payable to the other party;
(2) modify legal and physical custody of the child by awarding custody of the child to the party whose parenting time was denied or interfered with, in accordance with the procedures under section 518.18; or
(3) award any other remedy that the court finds to be in the best interests of the children involved.
(f) The court shall provide one or more of the remedies available in paragraph (e), clauses (1) and (2), if the court finds that a party has repeatedly and intentionally denied or interfered with court-ordered parenting time after a previous finding that the party repeatedly and intentionally denied or interfered with court-ordered parenting time.
(g) If the court makes written findings that any denial of or interference with court-ordered parenting time was necessary to protect a child’s physical or emotional health, the court is not required to comply with paragraphs (d) to (f).
(h) If the court finds that a party has been denied parenting time and has incurred expenses in connection with the denied parenting time, the court may require the party who denied parenting time to post a bond in favor of the other party in the amount of prepaid expenses associated with upcoming planned parenting time.
(i) Proof of an unwarranted denial of or interference with duly established parenting time may constitute contempt of court and may be sufficient cause for reversal of custody.
(j) All parenting time orders must include notice of the provisions of this subdivision.
(k) The required notice under paragraph (j) must be substantially as follows:
“NOTICE REGARDING COMPLIANCE WITH PARENTING TIME ORDER:
The parties are expected to fully comply with the court’s order unless the parties mutually agree otherwise in writing as defined by Minnesota Statutes, section 645.44, subdivision 14. Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 518.175, subdivision 6, and Minnesota Statutes, section 518.131, subdivision 11, the parties are hereby notified that:
(1) The court shall award compensatory parenting time to a parent who has been prevented from exercising parenting time.
(2) Deprivation of parental rights is a FELONY crime pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 609.375.
(3) If the court finds that one parent has repeatedly and intentionally denied or interfered with another parent’s parenting time, then the court shall award attorney fees to the parent who has been denied parenting time and require the parent who has been denying or interfering with parenting time to pay the other parent for costs incurred as a result of enforcing the decision.
(4) If the court finds that one parent has repeatedly and intentionally denied or interfered with parenting time, then the court may also:
(i) transfer custody of the child to the other parent;
(ii) impose a sanction of up to $500 on the parent who repeatedly and intentionally denied or interfered with parenting time; or
(iii) award other relief as determined to be in the best interests of the children involved.”
(l) An order issued under this section requiring reimbursement of costs or fees does not require a party to have direct contact with another party.
Subd. 7. Renumbered § 518.1752 in St.2001 Supp.
Subd. 8. Additional parenting time for child care parent. The court may allow additional parenting time to a parent to provide child care while the other parent is working if this arrangement is reasonable and in the best interests of the child, as defined in section 518.17, subdivision 1. In addition, the court shall consider:
(1) the ability of the parents to cooperate;
(2) methods for resolving disputes regarding the care of the child, and the parents’ willingness to use those methods; and
(3) whether domestic abuse, as defined in section 518B.01, has occurred between the parties.
Maintenance, Support, Property
518.552. Maintenance
Subdivision 1. Grounds. In a proceeding for dissolution of marriage or legal separation, or in a proceeding for maintenance following dissolution of the marriage by a court which lacked personal jurisdiction over the absent spouse and which has since acquired jurisdiction, the court may grant a maintenance order for either spouse if it finds that the spouse seeking maintenance:
(a) lacks sufficient property, including marital property apportioned to the spouse, to provide for reasonable needs of the spouse considering the standard of living established during the marriage, especially, but not limited to, a period of training or education;
(b) is unable to provide adequate self-support, after considering the standard of living established during the marriage and all relevant circumstances; or
(c) is the custodian of a child whose condition or circumstances make it appropriate that the custodian not be required to seek employment outside the home.
Subd. 2. Amount of maintenance. The maintenance order shall be in amounts and for periods of time, either transitional or indefinite, as the court deems just, without regard to marital misconduct, and after considering all relevant factors including:
(a) the financial resources of the party seeking maintenance, including marital property apportioned to the party, and the party’s ability to meet needs independently, including the extent to which a provision for support of a child living with the party includes a sum for that party as custodian;
(b) the time necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to enable the party seeking maintenance to find appropriate employment, and the probability, given the party’s age and skills, of completing education or training and becoming fully or partially self-supporting;
(c) the standard of living established during the marriage and the extent to which the standard of living was funded by debt;
(d) the duration of the marriage and the earnings, seniority, benefits, and other employment opportunities forgone by the spouse seeking maintenance to support the other spouse or children and the length of absence from employment and the extent to which any education, skills, or experience have become outmoded and earning capacity has become permanently diminished;
(e) the age, and physical, mental, or chemical health of both spouses;
(f) the ability of the spouse from whom maintenance is sought to meet needs while meeting those of the spouse seeking maintenance;
(g) the contribution of a spouse in furtherance of the other party’s employment or business; and
(h) the need and ability of each spouse to prepare for retirement and the anticipated time of retirement.
Subd. 3. Duration of maintenance. (a) A maintenance award may be transitional or indefinite. An award of temporary maintenance issued before August 1, 2024, is deemed transitional maintenance. An award of permanent maintenance issued before August 1, 2024, is deemed indefinite maintenance. Maintenance awarded during the pendency of an initial proceeding for dissolution or legal separation pursuant to section 518.131 is deemed temporary maintenance.
(b) For purposes of this subdivision, “length of the marriage” means the period from the date of the marriage until the date of the commencement of the action.
(c) The court must determine the duration of maintenance based on the length of the marriage as follows:
(1) when the length of the marriage is less than five years, it is rebuttably presumed that no maintenance should be awarded;
(2) when the length of the marriage is at least five years and less than 20 years, it is rebuttably presumed that transitional maintenance should be awarded with a duration of no longer than one-half the length of the marriage if the factors set forth in subdivision 1 support an award of maintenance; and
(3) when the length of the marriage is 20 years or more, it is rebuttably presumed that indefinite maintenance should be awarded if the factors set forth in subdivision 1 support an award of maintenance.
Subd. 4. Reopening maintenance awards. Section 518.145, subdivision 2, applies to awards of spousal maintenance.
Subd. 5. Private agreements. The parties may expressly preclude or limit modification of maintenance through a stipulation, if the court makes specific findings that the stipulation is fair and equitable, is supported by consideration described in the findings, and that full disclosure of each party’s financial circumstances has occurred. The stipulation must be made a part of the judgment and decree or a post-decree stipulated order. The parties may restore the court’s authority or jurisdiction to award or modify maintenance through a binding stipulation.
Subd. 5a. Maintenance on death or remarriage. Unless otherwise agreed in writing or expressly provided in the decree, the obligation to pay future maintenance is terminated upon the death of either party or the remarriage of the party receiving maintenance.
Subd. 5b. Modification. (a) Upon the motion of either of the parties, the court may modify the amount and duration of maintenance and may issue an order that the court might have issued in the original proceeding, except as otherwise provided in this subdivision.
(b) The terms of a maintenance order may be modified upon a showing of one or more of the following circumstances that make the terms of the existing order unreasonable and unfair:
(1) substantially increased or decreased gross income of an obligor or obligee;
(2) substantially increased or decreased need of an obligor or obligee; or
(3) substantial changes in the federal or state tax laws that affect spousal maintenance.
(c) Upon a motion to modify maintenance, including a motion to extend the duration of a maintenance award, the court shall apply, in addition to all other relevant factors, the factors for an award of maintenance under subdivisions 1 to 3 that exist at the time of the motion.
(d) Unless the court adopts an alternative effective date under paragraph (f), a modification of maintenance, including interest that accrued pursuant to section 548.091, may be made retroactive:
(1) for any period during which the petitioning party has a motion for modification that is pending;
(2) from the date that the notice of the motion to modify was served on the responding party;
(3) from the date that the notice of the motion to modify was served on the public authority if public assistance is being received; or
(4) from the date that the notice of the motion to modify was served on the county attorney if the county attorney is the attorney of record.
(e) The court need not hold an evidentiary hearing on a motion to modify maintenance.
(f) The court may select an alternative effective date for a maintenance order if the parties enter into a binding agreement for an alternative effective date. The court’s adoption of an alternative effective date under this paragraph must not be considered a retroactive modification of maintenance.
Subd. 6. Cohabitation. (a) Spousal maintenance may be modified pursuant to subdivision 5b based on the cohabitation by the maintenance obligee with another adult following dissolution of the marriage. The modification may consist of a reduction, suspension, reservation, or termination of maintenance. In determining if maintenance should be modified due to cohabitation, the court shall consider:
(1) whether the obligee would marry the cohabitant but for the maintenance award;
(2) the economic benefit the obligee derives from the cohabitation;
(3) the length of the cohabitation and the likely future duration of the cohabitation; and
(4) the economic impact on the obligee if maintenance is modified and the cohabitation ends.
(b) The court must not modify a maintenance award based solely on cohabitation if a marriage between the obligee and the cohabitant would be prohibited under section 517.03, subdivision 1, clause (2) or (3). A modification under this subdivision must be precluded or limited to the extent the parties have entered into a private agreement under subdivision 5.
(c) A motion to modify a spousal maintenance award on the basis of cohabitation may not be brought within one year of the date of entry of the decree of dissolution or legal separation that orders spousal maintenance, unless the parties have agreed in writing that a motion may be brought or the court finds that failing to allow the motion to proceed would create an extreme hardship for one of the parties.
Subd. 7. Retirement. (a) If a party retires, spousal maintenance may be modified. The modification of maintenance may consist of a reduction, suspension, reservation, or termination of maintenance.
(b) In determining if maintenance should be modified due to a party’s retirement, the court shall consider:
(1) whether the retirement is in good faith or is an unjustifiable self-limitation of income;
(2) whether the party has attained the age to receive the party’s full retirement benefits under section 216 of the Social Security Act, United States Code, title 42, section 416, or the customary age for retirement in the party’s occupation;
(3) whether a party has reasonably and prudently managed the party’s assets since the dissolution of the marriage; and
(4) the financial resources available to both parties.
(c) It is presumed that when a party has attained the age to receive the party’s full retirement benefits under section 216 of the Social Security Act, United States Code, title 42, section 416, or the customary age for retirement in the party’s occupation, the party will use both income and assets to meet the party’s needs.
(d) A party must not be presumed to have retired in bad faith or to have unjustifiably self-limited the party’s income in the event that the party’s retirement is occurring on or after the date the party attains the age to receive full retirement benefits under section 216 of the Social Security Act, United States Code, title 42, section 416, or the customary age for retirement in the party’s occupation.
(e) A motion to modify maintenance due to retirement may be brought before a party actually retires provided that the moving party specifies the date by which the party’s retirement will occur. The court may then make the modification effective as of the actual date of retirement.
Subd. 8. Form. The state court administrator’s office shall prepare and make available to court administrators, obligors, and persons to whom spousal maintenance is owed a form to be submitted in support of a motion for a modification of an order for maintenance or for contempt of court.
Chapter 518A. Child Support
Computation of Basic Support
518A.39. Modification of orders or decrees
Subdivision 1. Authority. After an order under this chapter or chapter 518 for child support, or for the appointment of trustees to receive property awarded as support money, the court may from time to time, on motion of either of the parties, a copy of which is served on the public authority responsible for child support enforcement if payments are made through it, or on motion of the public authority responsible for support enforcement, modify the order respecting the amount of support money or medical support, and the payment of it, and also respecting the appropriation and payment of the principal and income of property held in trust, and may make an order respecting these matters which it might have made in the original proceeding, except as herein otherwise provided. A party or the public authority also may bring a motion for contempt of court if the obligor is in arrears in support or maintenance payments.
Subd. 2. Modification. (a) The terms of an order respecting child support may be modified upon a showing of one or more of the following, any of which makes the terms unreasonable and unfair: (1) substantially increased or decreased gross income of an obligor or obligee; (2) substantially increased or decreased need of an obligor or obligee or the child or children that are the subject of these proceedings; (3) receipt of assistance under the AFDC program formerly codified under sections 256.72 to 256.87 or 256B.01 to 256B.39, or chapter 256J or 256K; (4) a change in the cost of living for either party as measured by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics; (5) extraordinary medical expenses of the child not provided for under section 518A.41; (6) a change in the availability of appropriate health care coverage or a substantial increase or decrease in health care coverage costs; (7) the addition of work-related or education-related child care expenses of the obligee or a substantial increase or decrease in existing work-related or education-related child care expenses; or (8) upon the emancipation of the child, as provided in subdivision 5.
(b) It is presumed that there has been a substantial change in circumstances under paragraph (a) and the terms of a current support order shall be rebuttably presumed to be unreasonable and unfair if:
(1) the application of the child support guidelines in section 518A.35, to the current circumstances of the parties results in a calculated court order that is at least 20 percent and at least $75 per month higher or lower than the current support order or, if the current support order is less than $75, it results in a calculated court order that is at least 20 percent per month higher or lower;
(2) the medical support provisions of the order established under section 518A.41 are not enforceable by the public authority or the obligee;
(3) health coverage ordered under section 518A.41 is not available to the child for whom the order is established by the parent ordered to provide;
(4) the existing support obligation is in the form of a statement of percentage and not a specific dollar amount;
(5) the gross income of an obligor or obligee has decreased by at least 20 percent through no fault or choice of the party; or
(6) a deviation was granted based on the factor in section 518A.43, subdivision 1, clause (4), and the child no longer resides in a foreign country or the factor is otherwise no longer applicable.
(c) A child support order is not presumptively modifiable solely because an obligor or obligee becomes responsible for the support of an additional nonjoint child, which is born after an existing order. Section 518A.33 shall be considered if other grounds are alleged which allow a modification of support.
(d) If child support was established by applying a parenting expense adjustment or presumed equal parenting time calculation under previously existing child support guidelines and there is no parenting plan or order from which overnights or overnight equivalents can be determined, there is a rebuttable presumption that the established adjustment or calculation will continue after modification so long as the modification is not based on a change in parenting time. In determining an obligation under previously existing child support guidelines, it is presumed that the court shall:
(1) if a 12 percent parenting expense adjustment was applied, multiply the obligor’s share of the combined basic support obligation calculated under section 518A.34, paragraph (b), clause (5), by 0.88; or
(2) if the parenting time was presumed equal but the parents’ parental incomes for determining child support were not equal:
(i) multiply the combined basic support obligation under section 518A.34, paragraph (b), clause (5), by 0.75;
(ii) prorate the amount under item (i) between the parents based on each parent’s proportionate share of the combined PICS; and
(iii) subtract the lower amount from the higher amount.
(e) On a motion for modification of support, the court:
(1) shall apply section 518A.35, and shall not consider the financial circumstances of each party’s spouse, if any; and
(2) shall not consider compensation received by a party for employment in excess of a 40-hour work week, provided that the party demonstrates, and the court finds, that:
(i) the excess employment began after entry of the existing support order;
(ii) the excess employment is voluntary and not a condition of employment;
(iii) the excess employment is in the nature of additional, part-time employment, or overtime employment compensable by the hour or fractions of an hour;
(iv) the party’s compensation structure has not been changed for the purpose of affecting a support obligation;
(v) in the case of an obligor, current child support payments are at least equal to the guidelines amount based on income not excluded under this clause; and
(vi) in the case of an obligor who is in arrears in child support payments to the obligee, any net income from excess employment must be used to pay the arrearages until the arrearages are paid in full.
(f) A modification of support, including interest that accrued pursuant to section 548.091, may be made retroactive only with respect to any period during which the petitioning party has pending a motion for modification but only from the date of service of notice of the motion on the responding party and on the public authority if public assistance is being furnished or the county attorney is the attorney of record, unless the court adopts an alternative effective date under paragraph (l). The court’s adoption of an alternative effective date under paragraph (l) shall not be considered a retroactive modification of support.
(g) Except for an award of the right of occupancy of the homestead, provided in section 518.63, all divisions of real and personal property provided by section 518.58 shall be final, and may be revoked or modified only where the court finds the existence of conditions that justify reopening a judgment under the laws of this state, including motions under section 518.145, subdivision 2. The court may impose a lien or charge on the divided property at any time while the property, or subsequently acquired property, is owned by the parties or either of them, for the payment of maintenance or support money, or may sequester the property as is provided by section 518A.71.
(h) The court need not hold an evidentiary hearing on a motion for modification of support.
(i) Sections 518.14 and 518A.735 shall govern the award of attorney fees for motions brought under this subdivision.
(j) An enactment, amendment, or repeal of law constitutes a substantial change in the circumstances for purposes of modifying a child support order when it meets the standards for modification in this section.
(k) On the first modification following implementation of amended child support guidelines, the modification of basic support may be limited if the amount of the full variance would create hardship for either the obligor or the obligee. Hardship includes, but is not limited to, eligibility for assistance under chapter 256J.
(l) The court may select an alternative effective date for a support order if the parties enter into a binding agreement for an alternative effective date.
Subd. 3. Repealed by Laws 2024, c. 101, art. 2, § 11, eff. Aug. 1, 2024.
Subd. 4. Child support on death of obligor. Unless otherwise agreed in writing or expressly provided in the order, provisions for the support of a child are not terminated by the death of a parent obligated to support the child. When a parent obligated to pay support dies, the amount of support may be modified, revoked, or commuted to a lump-sum payment, to the extent just and appropriate in the circumstances.
Subd. 5. Automatic termination of support. (a) Unless a court order provides otherwise, a child support obligation in a specific amount per child terminates automatically and without any action by the obligor to reduce, modify, or terminate the order upon the emancipation of the child as provided under section 518A.26, subdivision 5.
(b) A child support obligation for two or more children that is not a support obligation in a specific amount per child continues in the full amount until the emancipation of the last child for whose benefit the order was made, or until further order of the court.
(c) The obligor may request a modification of the obligor’s child support order upon the emancipation of a child if there are still minor children under the order. The child support obligation shall be determined based on the income of the parties at the time the modification is sought.
Subd. 6. Form. The state court administrator’s office shall prepare and make available to court administrators, obligors, and persons to whom child support is owed a form to be submitted by the obligor or the person to whom child support is owed in support of a motion for a modification of an order for support or maintenance or for contempt of court.
Subd. 7. Child care exception. Child care support must be based on the actual child care expenses. The court may provide that a decrease in the amount of the child care based on a decrease in the actual child care expenses is effective as of the date the expense is decreased. Under section 518A.40, subdivision 4, paragraph (d), a decrease in the amount of child care support shall be effective as of the date the expenses terminated unless otherwise found by the court.
Subd. 8. Medical support-only modification. (a) The medical support terms of a support order and determination of the child dependency tax credit may be modified without modification of the full order for support or maintenance, if the order has been established or modified in its entirety within three years from the date of the motion, and upon a showing of one or more of the following:
(1) a change in the availability of appropriate health care coverage or a substantial increase or decrease in health care coverage costs;
(2) a change in the eligibility for medical assistance under chapter 256B;
(3) a party’s failure to carry court-ordered coverage, or to provide other medical support as ordered;
(4) the federal child dependency tax credit is not ordered for the same parent who is ordered to carry health care coverage; or
(5) the federal child dependency tax credit is not addressed in the order and the noncustodial parent is ordered to carry health care coverage.
(b) For a motion brought under this subdivision, a modification of the medical support terms of an order may be made retroactive only with respect to any period during which the petitioning party has pending a motion for modification, but only from the date of service of notice of the motion on the responding party and on the public authority if public assistance is being furnished or the county attorney is the attorney of record.
(c) The court need not hold an evidentiary hearing on a motion brought under this subdivision for modification of medical support only.
(d) Sections 518.14 and 518A.735 shall govern the award of attorney fees for motions brought under this subdivision.
(e) The PICS originally stated in the order being modified shall be used to determine the modified medical support order under section 518A.41 for motions brought under this subdivision.
Chapter 518B. Domestic Abuse
518B.01. Domestic Abuse Act
Subdivision 1. Short title. This section may be cited as the “Domestic Abuse Act.”
Subd. 2. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings given them:
(a) “Domestic abuse” means the following, if committed against a family or household member by a family or household member:
(1) physical harm, bodily injury, or assault;
(2) the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, or assault; or
(3) terroristic threats, within the meaning of section 609.713, subdivision 1; criminal sexual conduct, within the meaning of section 609.342, 609.343, 609.344, 609.345, or 609.3451; sexual extortion within the meaning of section 609.3458; or interference with an emergency call within the meaning of section 609.78, subdivision 2.
(b) “Family or household members” means:
(1) spouses and former spouses;
(2) parents and children;
(3) persons related by blood;
(4) persons who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past;
(5) persons who have a child in common regardless of whether they have been married or have lived together at any time;
(6) a man and woman if the woman is pregnant and the man is alleged to be the father, regardless of whether they have been married or have lived together at any time; and
(7) persons involved in a significant romantic or sexual relationship.
Issuance of an order for protection on the ground in clause (6) does not affect a determination of paternity under sections 257.51 to 257.74. In determining whether persons are or have been involved in a significant romantic or sexual relationship under clause (7), the court shall consider the length of time of the relationship; type of relationship; frequency of interaction between the parties; and, if the relationship has terminated, length of time since the termination.
(c) “Qualified domestic violence-related offense” has the meaning given in section 609.02, subdivision 16.
(d) “Custodian” means any person other than the petitioner or respondent who is under a legal obligation to provide care and support for a minor child of a petitioner or who is in fact providing care and support for a minor child of a petitioner. Custodian does not include any person caring for a minor child if the petitioner’s parental rights have been terminated.
Subd. 3. Court jurisdiction. An application for relief under this section may be filed in the court having jurisdiction over dissolution actions, in the county of residence of either party, in the county in which a pending or completed family court proceeding involving the parties or their minor children was brought, or in the county in which the alleged domestic abuse occurred. There are no residency requirements that apply to a petition for an order for protection. In a jurisdiction which utilizes referees in dissolution actions, the court or judge may refer actions under this section to a referee to take and report the evidence in the action in the same manner and subject to the same limitations provided in section 518.13. Actions under this section shall be given docket priorities by the court.
Subd. 3a. Filing fee. The filing fees for an order for protection under this section are waived for the petitioner and respondent.
Subd. 3b. Information on petitioner’s location or residence. (a) Upon the petitioner’s request, information maintained by the court regarding the petitioner’s location or residence is not accessible to the public and may be disclosed only to court personnel or law enforcement for purposes of service of process, conducting an investigation, or enforcing an order.
(b) Upon request of the petitioner or a custodian of the petitioner’s minor children, information maintained by the court regarding the location or residence of the petitioner’s minor children is not accessible to the public and may be disclosed only to court personnel or law enforcement for purposes of service of process, conducting an investigation, or enforcing an order. If any custodian is a program participant as defined in section 5B.02, paragraph (g), the protections, limitations, and requirements in chapter 5B apply and information maintained by the court regarding the location or residence of the petitioner’s minor children is not accessible to the public.
Subd. 4. Order for protection. There shall exist an action known as a petition for an order for protection in cases of domestic abuse.
(a) A petition for relief under this section may be made by any family or household member personally or by a family or household member, a guardian as defined in section 524.1-201, clause (27), or, if the court finds that it is in the best interests of the minor, by a reputable adult age 25 or older on behalf of minor family or household members. A minor age 16 or older may make a petition on the minor’s own behalf against a spouse or former spouse, or a person with whom the minor has a child in common, if the court determines that the minor has sufficient maturity and judgment and that it is in the best interests of the minor.
(b) A petition for relief shall allege the existence of domestic abuse, and shall be accompanied by an affidavit made under oath stating the specific facts and circumstances from which relief is sought.
(c) A petition for relief must state whether the petitioner has ever had an order for protection in effect against the respondent.
(d) A petition for relief must state whether there is an existing order for protection in effect under this chapter governing both the parties and whether there is a pending lawsuit, complaint, petition or other action between the parties under chapter 257, 518, 518A, 518B, or 518C. The court administrator shall verify the terms of any existing order governing the parties. The court may not delay granting relief because of the existence of a pending action between the parties or the necessity of verifying the terms of an existing order. A subsequent order in a separate action under this chapter may modify only the provision of an existing order that grants relief authorized under subdivision 6, paragraph (a), clause (1). A petition for relief may be granted, regardless of whether there is a pending action between the parties.
(e) A petition for relief must state whether the petitioner has any minor children and, if so, must provide the name of any custodian of the minor children and must identify the location or residence of the custodian. If any custodian is a program participant as defined in section 5B.02, paragraph (g), the location or residence of the custodian is the address designated by the secretary of state as the address of the program participant. A petition must not be rejected or denied for failure to identify any custodian.
(f) The court shall provide simplified forms and clerical assistance to help with the writing and filing of a petition under this section.
(g) The court shall advise a petitioner under paragraph (f) of the right to file a motion and affidavit and to sue in forma pauperis pursuant to section 563.01 and shall assist with the writing and filing of the motion and affidavit.
(h) The court shall advise a petitioner under paragraph (f) of the right to serve the respondent by published notice under subdivision 5, paragraph (b), if the respondent is avoiding personal service by concealment or otherwise, and shall assist with the writing and filing of the affidavit.
(i) The court shall advise the petitioner of the right to seek restitution under the petition for relief.
(j) The court shall advise the petitioner of the right to request a hearing under subdivision 7, paragraph (c). If the petitioner does not request a hearing, the court shall advise the petitioner that the respondent may request a hearing and that notice of the hearing date and time will be provided to the petitioner and the custodian of any of the petitioner’s minor children by mail at least five days before the hearing.
(k) The court shall advise the petitioner of the right to request supervised parenting time, as provided in section 518.175, subdivision 1a.
Subd. 5. Hearing on application; notice. (a) Upon receipt of the petition, the court shall order a hearing which shall be held not later than 14 days from the date of the order for hearing unless an ex parte order is issued.
(b) If an ex parte order has been issued under subdivision 7 and the petitioner seeks only the relief under subdivision 7, paragraph (a), a hearing is not required unless:
(1) the court declines to order the requested relief; or
(2) one of the parties requests a hearing.
(c) If an ex parte order has been issued under subdivision 7 and the petitioner seeks relief beyond that specified in subdivision 7, paragraph (a), or if the court declines to order relief requested by the petitioner, a hearing must be held within seven days. Personal service of the ex parte order may be made upon the respondent and any custodian at any time up to 12 hours prior to the time set for the hearing, provided that the respondent at the hearing may request a continuance of up to five days if served fewer than five days prior to the hearing which continuance shall be granted unless there are compelling reasons not to.
(d) If an ex parte order has been issued only granting relief under subdivision 7, paragraph (a), and the respondent requests a hearing, the hearing shall be held within ten days of the court’s receipt of the respondent’s request. Service of the notice of hearing must be made upon the petitioner and any custodian not less than five days prior to the hearing. The court shall serve the notice of hearing upon the petitioner and any custodian by mail in the manner provided in the Rules of Civil Procedure for pleadings subsequent to a complaint and motions and shall also mail notice of the date and time of the hearing to the respondent. In the event that service cannot be completed in time to give the respondent, petitioner, or any custodian the minimum notice required under this subdivision, the court may set a new hearing date no more than five days later.
(e) If for good cause shown either party is unable to proceed at the initial hearing and requests a continuance and the court finds that a continuance is appropriate, the hearing may be continued. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties and approved by the court, the continuance shall be for no more than five days. If the court grants the requested continuance, the court shall also issue a written order continuing all provisions of the ex parte order pending the issuance of an order after the hearing.
(f) Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this subdivision, service on the respondent may be made by one week published notice, as provided under section 645.11, provided the petitioner files with the court an affidavit stating that an attempt at personal service made by a sheriff or other law enforcement or corrections officer was unsuccessful because the respondent is avoiding service by concealment or otherwise, and that a copy of the petition and notice of hearing has been mailed to the respondent at the respondent’s residence or that the residence is not known to the petitioner. Service under this paragraph is complete seven days after publication. The court shall set a new hearing date if necessary to allow the respondent the five-day minimum notice required under paragraph (d).
Subd. 6. Relief by court. (a) Upon notice and hearing, the court may provide relief as follows:
(1) restrain the abusing party from committing acts of domestic abuse;
(2) exclude the abusing party from the dwelling which the parties share or from the residence of the petitioner;
(3) exclude the abusing party from a reasonable area surrounding the dwelling or residence, which area shall be described specifically in the order;
(4) award temporary custody or establish temporary parenting time with regard to minor children of the parties on a basis which gives primary consideration to the safety of the victim and the children. In addition to the primary safety considerations, the court may consider particular best interest factors that are found to be relevant to the temporary custody and parenting time award. Findings under section 257.025, 518.17, or 518.175 are not required with respect to the particular best interest factors not considered by the court. If the court finds that the safety of the victim or the children will be jeopardized by unsupervised or unrestricted parenting time, the court shall condition or restrict parenting time as to time, place, duration, or supervision, or deny parenting time entirely, as needed to guard the safety of the victim and the children. The court’s decision on custody and parenting time shall in no way delay the issuance of an order for protection granting other relief provided for in this section. The court must not enter a parenting plan under section 518.1705 as part of an action for an order for protection;
(5) on the same basis as is provided in chapter 518 or 518A, establish temporary support for minor children or a spouse, and order the withholding of support from the income of the person obligated to pay the support according to chapter 518A;
(6) provide upon request of the petitioner counseling or other social services for the parties, if married, or if there are minor children;
(7) order the abusing party to participate in treatment or counseling services, including requiring the abusing party to successfully complete a domestic abuse counseling program or educational program under section 518B.02;
(8) award temporary use and possession of property and restrain one or both parties from transferring, encumbering, concealing, or disposing of property except in the usual course of business or for the necessities of life, and to account to the court for all such transfers, encumbrances, dispositions, and expenditures made after the order is served or communicated to the party restrained in open court;
(9) exclude the abusing party from the place of employment of the petitioner, or otherwise limit access to the petitioner by the abusing party at the petitioner’s place of employment;
(10) order the abusing party to have no contact with the petitioner whether in person, by telephone, mail, or electronic mail or messaging, through a third party, or by any other means;
(11) order the abusing party to pay restitution to the petitioner;
(12) order the continuance of all currently available insurance coverage without change in coverage or beneficiary designation;
(13) order, in its discretion, other relief as it deems necessary for the protection of a family or household member, including orders or directives to the sheriff or other law enforcement or corrections officer as provided by this section;
(14) direct the care, possession, or control of a pet or companion animal owned, possessed, or kept by the petitioner or respondent or a child of the petitioner or respondent; and
(15) direct the respondent to refrain from physically abusing or injuring any pet or companion animal, without legal justification, known to be owned, possessed, kept, or held by either party or a minor child residing in the residence or household of either party as an indirect means of intentionally threatening the safety of such person.
(b) Any relief granted by the order for protection shall be for a period not to exceed two years, except when the court determines a longer period is appropriate. When a referee presides at the hearing on the petition, the order granting relief becomes effective upon the referee’s signature.
(c) An order granting the relief authorized in paragraph (a), clause (1), may not be vacated or modified in a proceeding for dissolution of marriage or legal separation, except that the court may hear a motion for modification of an order for protection concurrently with a proceeding for dissolution of marriage upon notice of motion and motion. The notice required by court rule shall not be waived. If the proceedings are consolidated and the motion to modify is granted, a separate order for modification of an order for protection shall be issued.
(d) An order granting the relief authorized in paragraph (a), clause (2) or (3), is not voided by the admittance of the abusing party into the dwelling from which the abusing party is excluded.
(e) If a proceeding for dissolution of marriage or legal separation is pending between the parties, the court shall provide a copy of the order for protection to the court with jurisdiction over the dissolution or separation proceeding for inclusion in its file.
(f) An order for restitution issued under this subdivision is enforceable as civil judgment.
(g) An order granting relief shall prohibit the abusing party from possessing firearms for the length the order is in effect if the order (1) restrains the abusing party from harassing, stalking, or threatening the petitioner or restrains the abusing party from engaging in other conduct that would place the petitioner in reasonable fear of bodily injury, and (2) includes a finding that the abusing party represents a credible threat to the physical safety of the petitioner or prohibits the abusing party from using, attempting to use, or threatening to use physical force against the petitioner. The order shall inform the abusing party of that party’s prohibited status. Except as provided in paragraph (i), the court shall order the abusing party to transfer any firearms that the person possesses, within three business days, to a federally licensed firearms dealer, a law enforcement agency, or a third party who may lawfully receive them. The transfer may be permanent or temporary. A temporary firearm transfer only entitles the receiving party to possess the firearm. A temporary transfer does not transfer ownership or title. An abusing party may not transfer firearms to a third party who resides with the abusing party. If an abusing party makes a temporary transfer, a federally licensed firearms dealer or law enforcement agency may charge the abusing party a reasonable fee to store the person’s firearms and may establish policies for disposal of abandoned firearms, provided such policies require that the person be notified via certified mail prior to disposal of abandoned firearms. For temporary firearms transfers under this paragraph, a law enforcement agency, federally licensed firearms dealer, or third party shall exercise due care to preserve the quality and function of the transferred firearms and shall return the transferred firearms to the person upon request after the expiration of the prohibiting time period, provided the person is not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. The return of temporarily transferred firearms to an abusing party shall comply with state and federal law. If an abusing party permanently transfers the abusing party’s firearms to a law enforcement agency, the agency is not required to compensate the abusing party and may charge the abusing party a reasonable processing fee. A law enforcement agency is not required to accept an abusing party’s firearm under this paragraph.
(h) An abusing party who is ordered to transfer firearms under paragraph (g) must file proof of transfer as provided for in this paragraph. If the transfer is made to a third party, the third party must sign an affidavit under oath before a notary public either acknowledging that the abusing party permanently transferred the abusing party’s firearms to the third party or agreeing to temporarily store the abusing party’s firearms until such time as the abusing party is legally permitted to possess firearms. The affidavit shall indicate the serial number, make, and model of all firearms transferred by the abusing party to the third party. The third party shall acknowledge in the affidavit that the third party may be held criminally and civilly responsible under section 624.7144 if the abusing party gains access to a transferred firearm while the firearm is in the custody of the third party. If the transfer is to a law enforcement agency or federally licensed firearms dealer, the law enforcement agency or federally licensed firearms dealer shall provide proof of transfer to the abusing party. The proof of transfer must specify whether the firearms were permanently or temporarily transferred and include the name of the abusing party, date of transfer, and the serial number, make, and model of all transferred firearms. The abusing party shall provide the court with a signed and notarized affidavit or proof of transfer as described in this section within two business days of the firearms transfer. The court shall seal affidavits and proofs of transfer filed pursuant to this paragraph.
(i) When a court issues an order containing a firearms restriction provided for in paragraph (g), the court shall determine by a preponderance of evidence if an abusing party poses an imminent risk of causing another person substantial bodily harm. Upon a finding of imminent risk, the court shall order that the local law enforcement agency take immediate possession of all firearms in the abusing party’s possession. The local law enforcement agency shall exercise due care to preserve the quality and function of the abusing party’s firearms and shall return the firearms to the person upon request after the expiration of the prohibiting time period, provided the person is not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. The local law enforcement agency shall, upon written notice from the abusing party, transfer the firearms to a federally licensed firearms dealer or a third party who may lawfully receive them. Before a local law enforcement agency transfers a firearm under this paragraph, the agency shall require the third party or federally licensed firearms dealer receiving the firearm to submit an affidavit or proof of transfer that complies with the requirements for affidavits or proofs of transfer established in paragraph (h). The agency shall file all affidavits or proofs of transfer received with the court within two business days of the transfer. The court shall seal all affidavits or proofs of transfer filed pursuant to this paragraph. A federally licensed firearms dealer or third party who accepts a firearm transfer pursuant to this paragraph shall comply with paragraphs (g) and (h) as if accepting transfer from the abusing party. If the law enforcement agency does not receive written notice from the abusing party within three business days, the agency may charge a reasonable fee to store the abusing party’s firearms. A law enforcement agency may establish policies for disposal of abandoned firearms, provided such policies require that the abusing party be notified via certified mail prior to disposal of abandoned firearms.
Subd. 6a. Subsequent orders and extensions. (a) Upon application, notice to all parties, notice to any custodian, and hearing, the court may extend the relief granted in an existing order for protection or, if a petitioner’s order for protection is no longer in effect when an application for subsequent relief is made, grant a new order. If the petitioner seeks only the relief under subdivision 7, paragraph (a), a hearing is not required unless the court declines to order the requested relief or the respondent requests a hearing. If a hearing is required, subdivisions 5 and 7 apply to service of the application, notice to the parties and any custodian, and time for the hearing.
(b) The court may extend the terms of an existing order or, if an order is no longer in effect, grant a new order upon a showing that:
(1) the respondent has violated a prior or existing order for protection;
(2) the petitioner is reasonably in fear of physical harm from the respondent;
(3) the respondent has engaged in the act of harassment within the meaning of section 609.749, subdivision 2; or
(4) the respondent is incarcerated and about to be released, or has recently been released from incarceration.
A petitioner does not need to show that physical harm is imminent to obtain an extension or a subsequent order under this subdivision.
(c) Relief granted by the order for protection may be for a period of up to 50 years, if the court finds:
(1) the respondent has violated a prior or existing order for protection on two or more occasions; or
(2) the petitioner has had two or more orders for protection in effect against the same respondent.
An order issued under this paragraph may restrain the abusing party from committing acts of domestic abuse; or prohibit the abusing party from having any contact with the petitioner, whether in person, by telephone, mail or electronic mail or messaging, through electronic devices, through a third party, or by any other means.
Subd. 7. Ex parte order. (a) Where an application under this section alleges an immediate and present danger of domestic abuse, the court may grant an ex parte order for protection and granting relief as the court deems proper, including an order:
(1) restraining the abusing party from committing acts of domestic abuse;
(2) excluding any party from the dwelling they share or from the residence of the other, including a reasonable area surrounding the dwelling or residence, which area shall be described specifically in the order, except by further order of the court;
(3) excluding the abusing party from the place of employment of the petitioner or otherwise limiting access to the petitioner by the abusing party at the petitioner’s place of employment;
(4) ordering the abusing party to have no contact with the petitioner whether in person, by telephone, mail, email, through electronic devices, or through a third party;
(5) continuing all currently available insurance coverage without change in coverage or beneficiary designation;
(6) directing the care, possession, or control of a pet or companion animal owned, possessed, or kept by a party or a child of a party; and
(7) directing the respondent to refrain from physically abusing or injuring any pet or companion animal, without legal justification, known to be owned, possessed, kept, or held by either party or a minor child residing in the residence or household of either party as an indirect means of intentionally threatening the safety of such person.
(b) A finding by the court that there is a basis for issuing an ex parte order for protection constitutes a finding that sufficient reasons exist not to require notice under applicable court rules governing applications for ex parte relief.
(c) Subject to paragraph (d), an ex parte order for protection shall be effective for a fixed period set by the court, as provided in subdivision 6, paragraph (b), or until modified or vacated by the court pursuant to a hearing. When signed by a referee, the ex parte order becomes effective upon the referee’s signature. Upon request, a hearing, as provided by this section, shall be set. Except as provided in paragraph (d), the respondent shall be personally served forthwith a copy of the ex parte order along with a copy of the petition and, if requested by the petitioner, notice of the date set for the hearing. Any custodian must be served with a copy of the ex parte order. Service on a custodian may be made by personal service or by certified mail. If the petitioner does not request a hearing, an order served on a respondent under this subdivision must include a notice advising the respondent of the right to request a hearing, must be accompanied by a form that can be used by the respondent to request a hearing and must include a conspicuous notice that a hearing will not be held unless requested by the respondent within five days of service of the order.
(d) Service of the ex parte order on the respondent may be made by published notice, as provided under subdivision 5, provided that the petitioner files the affidavit required under that subdivision. If personal service is not made or the affidavit is not filed within 14 days of issuance of the ex parte order, the order expires. If the petitioner does not request a hearing, the petition mailed to the respondent’s residence, if known, must be accompanied by the form for requesting a hearing and notice described in paragraph (c). Unless personal service is completed, if service by published notice is not completed within 28 days of issuance of the ex parte order, the order expires. Notice that an order has expired under this paragraph must be sent to any custodian.
(e) If the petitioner seeks relief under subdivision 6 other than the relief described in paragraph (a), the petitioner must request a hearing to obtain the additional relief.
(f) Nothing in this subdivision affects the right of a party to seek modification of an order under subdivision 11.
Subd. 8. Service; alternate service; publication; notice. (a) The petition and any order issued under this section other than orders for dismissal shall be served on the respondent personally, or if the respondent appears remotely for a hearing and is notified at the hearing by the judicial officer that an order for protection will be issued, the order may be served on the respondent electronically or by first class mail, as ordered by the court. Orders for dismissal may be served on the respondent personally or by certified mail. In lieu of personal service of an order for protection, a law enforcement officer may serve a respondent with a short-form notification as provided in subdivision 8a. The petition and any order issued under this section may be served on any custodian personally or by certified mail.
(b) When service is made out of this state and in the United States, it may be proved by the affidavit of the person making the service. When service is made outside the United States, it may be proved by the affidavit of the person making the service, taken before and certified by any United States minister, charge d’affaires, commissioner, consul, or commercial agent, or other consular or diplomatic officer of the United States appointed to reside in the other country, including all deputies or other representatives of the officer authorized to perform their duties; or before an office authorized to administer an oath with the certificate of an officer of a court of record of the country in which the affidavit is taken as to the identity and authority of the officer taking the affidavit.
(c) If personal service cannot be made on a respondent, the court may order service of the petition and any order issued under this section by alternate means, or by publication, which publication must be made as in other actions. The application for alternate service must include the last known location of the respondent; the petitioner’s most recent contacts with the respondent; the last known location of the respondent’s employment; the names and locations of the respondent’s parents, siblings, children, and other close relatives; the names and locations of other persons who are likely to know the respondent’s whereabouts; and a description of efforts to locate those persons.
The court shall consider the length of time the respondent’s location has been unknown, the likelihood that the respondent’s location will become known, the nature of the relief sought, and the nature of efforts made to locate the respondent. The court shall order service by first class mail, forwarding address requested, to any addresses where there is a reasonable possibility that mail or information will be forwarded or communicated to the respondent.
The court may also order publication, within or without the state, but only if it might reasonably succeed in notifying the respondent of the proceeding. Service shall be deemed complete 14 days after mailing or 14 days after court-ordered publication.
(d) A petition and any order issued under this section, including the short-form notification, must include a notice to the respondent that if an order for protection is issued to protect the petitioner or a child of the parties, upon request of the petitioner in any parenting time proceeding, the court shall consider the order for protection in making a decision regarding parenting time.
Subd. 8a. Short-form notification. (a) In lieu of personal service of an order for protection under subdivision 8, a law enforcement officer may serve a respondent with a short-form notification. The short-form notification must include the following clauses: the respondent’s name; the respondent’s date of birth, if known; the petitioner’s name; the names of other protected parties; the date and county in which the ex parte order for protection or order for protection was filed; the court file number; the hearing date and time, if known; the conditions that apply to the respondent, either in checklist form or handwritten; and the name of the judge who signed the order.
The short-form notification must be in bold print in the following form:
The order for protection is now enforceable. You must report to your nearest sheriff office or county court to obtain a copy of the order for protection. You are subject to arrest and may be charged with a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, or felony if you violate any of the terms of the order for protection or this short-form notification.
(b) Upon verification of the identity of the respondent and the existence of an unserved order for protection against the respondent, a law enforcement officer may detain the respondent for a reasonable time necessary to complete and serve the short-form notification.
(c) When service is made by short-form notification, it may be proved by the affidavit of the law enforcement officer making the service.
(d) For service under this section only, service upon an individual may occur at any time, including Sundays, and legal holidays.
(e) The superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension shall provide the short form to law enforcement agencies.
(f) This section does not apply to service of an order for protection on any custodian.
Subd. 9. Assistance of sheriff; possession of dwelling or residence. When an order is issued under this section upon request of the petitioner, the court shall order the sheriff to accompany the petitioner and assist in placing the petitioner in possession of the dwelling or residence.
Subd. 9a. Personal service; procedures; cost; reasonable efforts and cooperation required. (a) Where personal service is required under this section, service must comply with subdivision 8 and rule 4.03 of the Rules of Civil Procedure.
(b) Upon request of the petitioner or order of the court, the sheriff of any county in this state in which a respondent resides or is present must execute or serve any petition, ex parte order, notice of hearing, order for protection, and any other order of a court on the respondent. If the application for relief is brought in a county in which the respondent is not present, the sheriff of the county where the application for relief was brought shall forward the pleadings necessary for service upon the respondent to the sheriff of the county in which the respondent is present. This transmittal must be expedited to allow for timely service.
(c) Peace officers licensed by the state of Minnesota and corrections officers, including, but not limited to, probation officers, court services officers, parole officers, and employees of jails or correctional facilities, may serve an order for protection on a respondent or any custodian and must, to the extent possible, provide any sheriff, law enforcement officer, or other peace officer attempting to effectuate service with relevant information regarding where a respondent may be found, such as the respondent’s residence, the respondent’s place of employment or schooling, or other locations frequented by the respondent.
(d) The court administrator, the sheriff of any county in this state, and any other law enforcement officer, peace officer, or corrections officer shall perform the duties relating to service of process without charge to the petitioner. The court shall direct payment of the reasonable costs of service of process if served by a private process server when the sheriff or other law enforcement officer, peace officer, or corrections officer is unavailable or if service is made by publication, without requiring the petitioner to make application under section 563.01.
(e) A sheriff, law enforcement officer, or any other peace officer must make reasonable efforts to locate a respondent to effectuate service. Reasonable efforts may include:
(1) a search of any information that is publicly available;
(2) a search of any government data in a database to which the sheriff, law enforcement officer, or other peace officer has access, provided the data is classified as public data on individuals as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 15, or is otherwise available to criminal justice agencies, as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 3a; and
(3) communication with any court administrator, the sheriff of any county in this state, and any other law enforcement officer, peace officer, or corrections officer.
(f) A sheriff, law enforcement officer, or any other peace officer who serves a respondent who the sheriff or officer knows is on supervised probation or supervised release with an ex parte order, order for protection, or short-form notification must provide a copy of the served order or notification to the respondent’s probation officer, supervised release or conditional release agent, or parole officer.
Subd. 10. Right to apply for relief. (a) A person’s right to apply for relief shall not be affected by the person’s leaving the residence or household to avoid abuse.
(b) The court shall not require security or bond of any party unless it deems necessary in exceptional cases.
Subd. 11. Modifying or vacating order. (a) Upon application, notice to all parties, notice to any custodian, and hearing, the court may modify the terms of an existing order for protection.
(b) If the court orders relief under subdivision 6a, paragraph (c), the respondent named in the order for protection may request to have the order vacated or modified if the order has been in effect for at least five years and the respondent has not violated the order during that time. Application for relief under this subdivision must be made in the county in which the order for protection was issued. Upon receipt of the request, the court shall set a hearing date. Personal service must be made upon the petitioner named in the order for protection not less than 30 days before the date of the hearing. Notice of the request and hearing may be made on any custodian personally or by certified mail. At the hearing, the respondent named in the order for protection has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that there has been a material change in circumstances and that the reasons upon which the court relied in granting or extending the order for protection no longer apply and are unlikely to occur. If the court finds that the respondent named in the order for protection has met the burden of proof, the court may vacate or modify the order. If the court finds that the respondent named in the order for protection has not met the burden of proof, the court shall deny the request and no request may be made to vacate or modify the order for protection until five years have elapsed from the date of denial. An order vacated or modified under this paragraph must be personally served on the petitioner named in the order for protection and may be served on any custodian personally or by certified mail.
Subd. 11a. Notice to custodian; Safe at Home participants; failure not a bar to enforcement. (a) A custodian who is a program participant as defined in section 5B.02, paragraph (g), may direct the court to use the address designated by the secretary of state as the address of the program participant. Section 5B.03, subdivision 1, clause (3), applies to service of any notice, order, or other document required to be served under this section. The protections, limitations, and requirements in chapter 5B apply to any information regarding a custodian who is a program participant.
(b) Failure to serve a custodian with a petition, order for protection, dismissal, or any other order must not prevent any order from taking effect or otherwise invalidate any order issued pursuant to this section. In the event that service of a notice of a hearing is not completed on any custodian at least 24 hours prior to the time set for the hearing, the court may set a new hearing date no more than five days later.
Subd. 12. Real estate. Nothing in this section shall affect the title to real estate.
Subd. 13. Copy to law enforcement agency. (a) An order for protection and any continuance of an order for protection granted pursuant to this section shall be forwarded by the court administrator within 24 hours to the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the residence of the applicant.
Each appropriate law enforcement agency shall make available to other law enforcement officers through a system for verification, information as to the existence and status of any order for protection issued pursuant to this section.
(b) If the applicant notifies the court administrator of a change in the applicant’s residence so that a different local law enforcement agency has jurisdiction over the residence, the order for protection and any continuance of an order for protection must be forwarded by the court administrator to the new law enforcement agency within 24 hours of the notice. If the applicant notifies the new law enforcement agency that an order for protection has been issued under this section and the applicant has established a new residence within that agency’s jurisdiction, within 24 hours the local law enforcement agency shall request a copy of the order for protection from the court administrator in the county that issued the order.
(c) When an order for protection is granted, the applicant for an order for protection must be told by the court that:
(1) notification of a change in residence should be given immediately to the court administrator and to the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the new residence of the applicant;
(2) the reason for notification of a change in residence is to forward an order for protection to the proper law enforcement agency; and
(3) the order for protection must be forwarded to the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the new residence within 24 hours of notification of a change in residence, whether notification is given to the court administrator or to the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the applicant’s new residence.
An order for protection is enforceable even if the applicant does not notify the court administrator or the appropriate law enforcement agency of a change in residence.
Subd. 14. Violation of an order for protection. (a) A person who violates an order for protection issued by a judge or referee is subject to the penalties provided in paragraphs (b) to (d).
(b) Except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (c) and (d), whenever an order for protection is granted by a judge or referee or pursuant to a similar law of another state, the United States, the District of Columbia, tribal lands, United States territories, Canada, or a Canadian province, and the respondent or person to be restrained knows of the existence of the order, violation of the order for protection is a misdemeanor. Upon a misdemeanor conviction under this paragraph, the defendant must be sentenced to a minimum of three days imprisonment and must be ordered to participate in counseling or other appropriate programs selected by the court. If the court stays imposition or execution of the jail sentence and the defendant refuses or fails to comply with the court’s treatment order, the court must impose and execute the stayed jail sentence. A violation of an order for protection shall also constitute contempt of court and be subject to the penalties provided in chapter 588.
(c) A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who violates this subdivision within ten years of a previous qualified domestic violence-related offense conviction or adjudication of delinquency. Upon a gross misdemeanor conviction under this paragraph, the defendant must be sentenced to a minimum of ten days imprisonment and must be ordered to participate in counseling or other appropriate programs selected by the court. Notwithstanding section 609.135, the court must impose and execute the minimum sentence provided in this paragraph for gross misdemeanor convictions.
(d) A person is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both, if the person violates this subdivision:
(1) within ten years of the first of two or more previous qualified domestic violence-related offense convictions or adjudications of delinquency; or
(2) while possessing a dangerous weapon, as defined in section 609.02, subdivision 6.
Upon a felony conviction under this paragraph in which the court stays imposition or execution of sentence, the court shall impose at least a 30-day period of incarceration as a condition of probation. The court also shall order that the defendant participate in counseling or other appropriate programs selected by the court. Notwithstanding section 609.135, the court must impose and execute the minimum sentence provided in this paragraph for felony convictions.
(e) A peace officer shall arrest without a warrant and take into custody a person whom the peace officer has probable cause to believe has violated an order granted pursuant to this section or a similar law of another state, the United States, the District of Columbia, tribal lands, United States territories, Canada, or a Canadian province restraining the person or excluding the person from the residence or the petitioner’s place of employment, even if the violation of the order did not take place in the presence of the peace officer, if the existence of the order can be verified by the officer. The probable cause required under this paragraph includes probable cause that the person knows of the existence of the order. If the order has not been served, the officer shall immediately serve the order whenever reasonably safe and possible to do so. An order for purposes of this subdivision, includes the short-form order described in subdivision 8a. When the order is first served upon the person at a location at which, under the terms of the order, the person’s presence constitutes a violation, the person shall not be arrested for violation of the order without first being given a reasonable opportunity to leave the location in the presence of the peace officer. A person arrested under this paragraph shall be held in custody for at least 36 hours, excluding the day of arrest, Sundays, and holidays, unless the person is released earlier by a judge or judicial officer. A peace officer acting in good faith and exercising due care in making an arrest pursuant to this paragraph is immune from civil liability that might result from the officer’s actions.
(f) If the court finds that the respondent has violated an order for protection and that there is reason to believe that the respondent will commit a further violation of the provisions of the order restraining the respondent from committing acts of domestic abuse or excluding the respondent from the petitioner’s residence, the court may require the respondent to acknowledge an obligation to comply with the order on the record. The court may require a bond sufficient to deter the respondent from committing further violations of the order for protection, considering the financial resources of the respondent, and not to exceed $10,000. If the respondent refuses to comply with an order to acknowledge the obligation or post a bond under this paragraph, the court shall commit the respondent to the county jail during the term of the order for protection or until the respondent complies with the order under this paragraph. The warrant must state the cause of commitment, with the sum and time for which any bond is required. If an order is issued under this paragraph, the court may order the costs of the contempt action, or any part of them, to be paid by the respondent. An order under this paragraph is appealable.
(g) Upon the filing of an affidavit by the petitioner, any peace officer, or an interested party designated by the court, alleging that the respondent has violated any order for protection granted pursuant to this section or a similar law of another state, the United States, the District of Columbia, tribal lands, United States territories, Canada, or a Canadian province, the court may issue an order to the respondent, requiring the respondent to appear and show cause within 14 days why the respondent should not be found in contempt of court and punished therefor. The hearing may be held by the court in any county in which the petitioner or respondent temporarily or permanently resides at the time of the alleged violation, or in the county in which the alleged violation occurred, if the petitioner and respondent do not reside in this state. The court also shall refer the violation of the order for protection to the appropriate prosecuting authority for possible prosecution under paragraph (b), (c), or (d).
(h) If it is alleged that the respondent has violated an order for protection issued under subdivision 6 or a similar law of another state, the United States, the District of Columbia, tribal lands, United States territories, Canada, or a Canadian province, and the court finds that the order has expired between the time of the alleged violation and the court’s hearing on the violation, the court may grant a new order for protection under subdivision 6 based solely on the respondent’s alleged violation of the prior order, to be effective until the hearing on the alleged violation of the prior order. If the court finds that the respondent has violated the prior order, the relief granted in the new order for protection shall be extended for a fixed period, not to exceed one year, except when the court determines a longer fixed period is appropriate.
(i) The admittance into petitioner’s dwelling of an abusing party excluded from the dwelling under an order for protection is not a violation by the petitioner of the order for protection.
A peace officer is not liable under section 609.43, clause (1), for a failure to perform a duty required by paragraph (e).
(j) When a person is convicted under paragraph (b) or (c) of violating an order for protection and the court determines that the person used a firearm in any way during commission of the violation, the court may order that the person is prohibited from possessing any type of firearm for any period longer than three years or for the remainder of the person’s life. A person who violates this paragraph is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. At the time of the conviction, the court shall inform the defendant whether and for how long the defendant is prohibited from possessing a firearm and that it is a gross misdemeanor to violate this paragraph. The failure of the court to provide this information to a defendant does not affect the applicability of the firearm possession prohibition or the gross misdemeanor penalty to that defendant.
(k) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (j), when a person is convicted under paragraph (b) or (c) of violating an order for protection, the court shall inform the defendant that the defendant is prohibited from possessing a pistol for three years from the date of conviction and that it is a gross misdemeanor offense to violate this prohibition. The failure of the court to provide this information to a defendant does not affect the applicability of the pistol possession prohibition or the gross misdemeanor penalty to that defendant.
(l) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (j), a person is not entitled to possess a pistol if the person has been convicted under paragraph (b) or (c) after August 1, 1996, of violating an order for protection, unless three years have elapsed from the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of any other violation of this section. Property rights may not be abated but access may be restricted by the courts. A person who possesses a pistol in violation of this paragraph is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
(m) If the court determines that a person convicted under paragraph (b) or (c) of violating an order for protection owns or possesses a firearm and used it in any way during the commission of the violation, it shall order that the firearm be summarily forfeited under section 609.5316, subdivision 3.
Subd. 14a. Venue. A person may be prosecuted under subdivision 14 at the place where any call is made or received or, in the case of wireless or electronic communication or any communication made through any available technologies, where the actor or victim resides, or in the jurisdiction of the victim’s designated address if the victim participates in the address confidentiality program established under chapter 5B.
Subd. 15. Admissibility of testimony in criminal proceeding. Any testimony offered by a respondent in a hearing pursuant to this section is inadmissible in a criminal proceeding.
Subd. 16. Other remedies available. Any proceeding under this section shall be in addition to other civil or criminal remedies.
Subd. 17. Effect on custody proceedings. In a subsequent custody proceeding the court must consider a finding in a proceeding under this chapter or under a similar law of another state that domestic abuse has occurred between the parties.
Subd. 18. Notices. (a) Each order for protection granted under this chapter must contain a conspicuous notice to the respondent or person to be restrained that:
(1) violation of an order for protection is either (i) a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to 90 days or a fine of up to $1,000, or both, (ii) a gross misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment of up to 364 days or a fine of up to $3,000, or both, or (iii) a felony punishable by imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to $10,000, or both;
(2) the respondent is forbidden to enter or stay at the petitioner’s residence, even if invited to do so by the petitioner or any other person; in no event is the order for protection voided;
(3) a peace officer must arrest without warrant and take into custody a person whom the peace officer has probable cause to believe has violated an order for protection restraining the person or excluding the person from a residence; and
(4) pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, United States Code, title 18, section 2265, the order is enforceable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, tribal lands, and United States territories, that violation of the order may also subject the respondent to federal charges and punishment under United States Code, title 18, sections 2261 and 2262, and that if a final order is entered against the respondent after the hearing, the respondent may be prohibited from possessing, transporting, or accepting a firearm under the 1994 amendment to the Gun Control Act, United States Code, title 18, section 922(g)(8).
(b) If the court grants relief under subdivision 6a, paragraph (c), the order for protection must also contain a conspicuous notice to the respondent or person to be restrained that the respondent must wait five years to seek a modification of the order.
Subd. 19. Recording required. Proceedings under this section must be recorded.
Subd. 19a. Entry and enforcement of foreign protective orders. (a) As used in this subdivision, “foreign protective order” means an order for protection entered by a court of another state; an order by an Indian tribe or United States territory that would be a protective order entered under this chapter; a Canadian order for protection as defined in section 518F.02; a temporary or permanent order or protective order to exclude a respondent from a dwelling; or an order that establishes conditions of release or is a protective order or sentencing order in a criminal prosecution arising from a domestic abuse assault if it had been entered in Minnesota.
(b) A person for whom a foreign protection order has been issued or the issuing court or tribunal may provide a certified or authenticated copy of a foreign protective order to the court administrator in any county that would have venue if the original action was being commenced in this state or in which the person in whose favor the order was entered may be present, for filing and entering of the same into the state order for protection database.
(c) The court administrator shall file and enter foreign protective orders that are not certified or authenticated, if supported by an affidavit of a person with personal knowledge, subject to the penalties for perjury. The person protected by the order may provide this affidavit.
(d) The court administrator shall provide copies of the order as required by this section.
(e) A valid foreign protective order has the same effect and shall be enforced in the same manner as an order for protection issued in this state whether or not filed with a court administrator or otherwise entered in the state order for protection database.
(f) A foreign protective order is presumed valid if it meets all of the following:
(1) the order states the name of the protected individual and the individual against whom enforcement is sought;
(2) the order has not expired;
(3) the order was issued by a court or tribunal that had jurisdiction over the parties and subject matter under the law of the foreign jurisdiction; and
(4) the order was issued in accordance with the respondent’s due process rights, either after the respondent was provided with reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard before the court or tribunal that issued the order, or in the case of an ex parte order, the respondent was granted notice and an opportunity to be heard within a reasonable time after the order was issued.
(g) Proof that a foreign protective order failed to meet all of the factors listed in paragraph (f) is an affirmative defense in any action seeking enforcement of the order.
(h) A peace officer shall treat a foreign protective order as a valid legal document and shall make an arrest for a violation of the foreign protective order in the same manner that a peace officer would make an arrest for a violation of a protective order issued within this state.
(i) The fact that a foreign protective order has not been filed with the court administrator or otherwise entered into the state order for protection database shall not be grounds to refuse to enforce the terms of the order unless it is apparent to the officer that the order is invalid on its face.
(j) A peace officer acting reasonably and in good faith in connection with the enforcement of a foreign protective order is immune from civil and criminal liability in any action arising in connection with the enforcement.
(k) Filing and service costs in connection with foreign protective orders are waived.
Subd. 20. Statewide application. An order for protection granted under this section applies throughout this state.
Subd. 21. Order for protection forms. The state court administrator, in consultation with city and county attorneys and legal advocates who work with victims, shall update the uniform order for protection form that facilitates the consistent enforcement of orders for protection throughout the state.
Subd. 22. Repealed by Laws 2010, c. 299, eff. August 1, 2010.
Subd. 23. Prohibition against employer retaliation. (a) An employer shall not discharge, discipline, threaten, otherwise discriminate against, or penalize an employee regarding the employee’s compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges of employment, because the employee took reasonable time off from work to obtain or attempt to obtain relief under this chapter. Except in cases of imminent danger to the health or safety of the employee or the employee’s child, or unless impracticable, an employee who is absent from the workplace shall give 48 hours’ advance notice to the employer. Upon request of the employer, the employee shall provide verification that supports the employee’s reason for being absent from the workplace. All information related to the employee’s leave pursuant to this section shall be kept confidential by the employer.
(b) An employer who violates paragraph (a) is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be punished for contempt of court. In addition, the court shall order the employer to pay back wages and offer job reinstatement to any employee discharged from employment in violation of paragraph (a).
(c) In addition to any remedies otherwise provided by law, an employee injured by a violation of paragraph (a) may bring a civil action for recovery of damages, together with costs and disbursements, including reasonable attorneys fees, and may receive such injunctive and other equitable relief, including reinstatement, as determined by the court.
518B.02. Domestic abuse counseling program or educational program required
Subdivision 1. Court-ordered domestic abuse counseling program or educational program. If the court stays imposition or execution of a sentence for a domestic abuse offense and places the offender on probation, the court shall order that, as a condition of the stayed sentence, the offender participate in and successfully complete a domestic abuse counseling program or educational program.
Subd. 2. Standards for domestic abuse counseling programs and domestic abuse educational programs. (a) Domestic abuse counseling or educational programs that provide group or class sessions for court-ordered domestic abuse offenders must provide documentation to the probation department or the court on program policies and how the program meets the criteria contained in paragraphs (b) to (l).
(b) Programs shall require offenders and abusing parties to attend a minimum of 24 sessions or 36 hours of programming, unless a probation agent has recommended fewer sessions. The documentation provided to the probation department or the court must specify the length of the program that offenders are required to complete.
(c) Programs must have a written policy requiring that counselors and facilitators report to the court and to the offender’s probation or corrections officer any threats of violence made by the offender or abusing party, acts of violence by the offender or abusing party, violation of court orders by the offender or abusing party, and violation of program rules that resulted in the offender’s or abusing party’s termination from the program. Programs shall have written policies requiring that counselors and facilitators hold offenders and abusing parties solely responsible for their behavior.
Programs shall have written policies requiring that counselors and facilitators be violence free in their own lives.
(d) Each program shall conduct an intake process with each offender or abusing party. This intake process shall look for chemical dependency problems and possible risks the offender or abusing party might pose to self or others. The program must have policies regarding referral of a chemically dependent offender or abusing party to a chemical dependency treatment center. If the offender or abusing party poses a risk to self or others, the program shall report this information to the court, the probation or corrections officer, and the victim.
(e) If the offender or abusing party is reported back to the court or is terminated from the program, the program shall notify the victim of the circumstances unless the victim requests otherwise.
(f) Programs shall require court-ordered offenders and abusing parties to sign a release of information authorizing communication regarding the offender’s or abusing party’s progress in the program to the court, the offender’s probation or corrections officer, other providers, and the victim. The offender or abusing party may not enter the program if the offender does not sign a release.
(g) If a counselor or facilitator contacts the victim, the counselor or facilitator must not elicit any information that the victim does not want to provide. A counselor or facilitator who contacts a victim shall (1) notify the victim of the right not to provide any information, (2) notify the victim of how any information provided will be used and with whom it will be shared, and (3) obtain the victim’s permission before eliciting information from the victim or sharing information with anyone other than staff of the counseling program.
Programs shall have written policies requiring that counselors and facilitators inform victims of the confidentiality of information as provided by this subdivision. Programs must maintain separate files for information pertaining to the offender or abusing party and to the victim.
If a counselor or facilitator contacts a victim, the counselor or facilitator shall provide the victim with referral information for support services.
(h) Programs shall have written policies forbidding program staff from disclosing any confidential communication made by the offender or abusing party without the consent of the offender or abusing party, except that programs must warn a potential victim of imminent danger based upon information provided by an offender or abusing party.
(i) The counseling program or educational program must provide services in a group setting, unless the offender or abusing party would be inappropriate in a group setting.
Programs must provide separate sessions for male and female offenders and abusing parties.
(j) Programs shall have written policies forbidding program staff from offering or referring marriage or couples counseling until the offender or abusing party has completed a domestic abuse counseling program or educational program for the minimum number of court-ordered sessions and the counselor or facilitator reasonably believes that the violence, intimidation, and coercion has ceased and the victim feels safe to participate.
(k) Programs must have written policies requiring that the counselor or facilitator report when the court-ordered offender or abusing party has completed the program to the court and the offender’s probation or corrections officer.
(l) Programs must have written policies to coordinate with the court, probation and corrections officers, battered women’s and domestic abuse programs, child protection services, and other providers on promotion of victim safety and offender accountability.
Subd. 3. Repealed by Laws 2023, c. 52, art. 5, § 80, eff. July 1, 2023.
Chapter 548. Judgments
Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act
548.27. Filing and status of foreign judgments
A certified copy of any foreign judgment may be filed in the office of the court administrator of any district court of this state. The court administrator shall treat the foreign judgment in the same manner as a judgment of any district court or the Supreme Court of this state. The time period provided in section 548.09 for the continuation of the lien on real property, the rate of interest accrual provided in section 549.09, the time period provided in section 550.01 for the enforcement of the judgment, and the requirements of sections 508.63 and 508A.63 apply to foreign judgments filed pursuant to this section. For purposes of sections 548.09, 549.09, 550.01, 508.63, and 508A.63, the date of entry of a foreign judgment is the original date of entry in the foreign jurisdiction. Upon the filing of a certified copy of a foreign judgment in the office of the court administrator of district court of a county, it may not be filed in another district court in the state. A judgment so filed has the same effect and is subject to the same procedures, defenses and proceedings for reopening, vacating, or staying as a judgment of a district court or the Supreme Court of this state, and may be enforced or satisfied in like manner.
Chapter 588. Contempts of Court
588.10. Penalties for contempt of court
Upon the evidence so taken, the court or officer shall determine the guilt or innocence of the person proceeded against and, if the person is adjudged guilty of the contempt charged, the person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $250, or by imprisonment in the county jail, workhouse, or work farm for not more than six months, or by both. In case of the person’s inability to pay the fine or endure the imprisonment, the person may be relieved by the court or officer in such manner and upon such terms as may be just.
Chapter 595. Witnesses
595.02. Testimony of witnesses
Subdivision 1. Competency of witnesses. Every person of sufficient understanding, including a party, may testify in any action or proceeding, civil or criminal, in court or before any person who has authority to receive evidence, except as provided in this subdivision:
(a) A husband cannot be examined for or against his wife without her consent, nor a wife for or against her husband without his consent, nor can either, during the marriage or afterwards, without the consent of the other, be examined as to any communication made by one to the other during the marriage. This exception does not apply to a civil action or proceeding by one against the other, nor to a criminal action or proceeding for a crime committed by one against the other or against a child of either or against a child under the care of either spouse, nor to a criminal action or proceeding in which one is charged with homicide or an attempt to commit homicide and the date of the marriage of the defendant is subsequent to the date of the offense, nor to an action or proceeding for nonsupport, neglect, dependency, or termination of parental rights.
(b) An attorney cannot, without the consent of the attorney’s client, be examined as to any communication made by the client to the attorney or the attorney’s advice given thereon in the course of professional duty; nor can any employee of the attorney be examined as to the communication or advice, without the client’s consent.
(c) A member of the clergy or other minister of any religion shall not, without the consent of the party making the confession, be allowed to disclose a confession made to the member of the clergy or other minister in a professional character, in the course of discipline enjoined by the rules or practice of the religious body to which the member of the clergy or other minister belongs; nor shall a member of the clergy or other minister of any religion be examined as to any communication made to the member of the clergy or other minister by any person seeking religious or spiritual advice, aid, or comfort or advice given thereon in the course of the member of the clergy’s or other minister’s professional character, without the consent of the person.
(d) A licensed physician or surgeon, dentist, or chiropractor shall not, without the consent of the patient, be allowed to disclose any information or any opinion based thereon which the professional acquired in attending the patient in a professional capacity, and which was necessary to enable the professional to act in that capacity; after the decease of the patient, in an action to recover insurance benefits, where the insurance has been in existence two years or more, the beneficiaries shall be deemed to be the personal representatives of the deceased person for the purpose of waiving this privilege, and no oral or written waiver of the privilege shall have any binding force or effect except when made upon the trial or examination where the evidence is offered or received.
(e) A public officer shall not be allowed to disclose communications made to the officer in official confidence when the public interest would suffer by the disclosure.
(f) Persons of unsound mind and persons intoxicated at the time of their production for examination are not competent witnesses if they lack capacity to remember or to relate truthfully facts respecting which they are examined.
(g) A registered nurse, psychologist, consulting psychologist, or licensed social worker engaged in a psychological or social assessment or treatment of an individual at the individual’s request shall not, without the consent of the professional’s client, be allowed to disclose any information or opinion based thereon which the professional has acquired in attending the client in a professional capacity, and which was necessary to enable the professional to act in that capacity. Nothing in this clause exempts licensed social workers from compliance with the provisions of section 626.557 and chapter 260E.
(h) An interpreter for a person disabled in communication shall not, without the consent of the person, be allowed to disclose any communication if the communication would, if the interpreter were not present, be privileged. For purposes of this section, a “person disabled in communication” means a person who, because of a hearing, speech or other communication disorder, or because of the inability to speak or comprehend the English language, is unable to understand the proceedings in which the person is required to participate. The presence of an interpreter as an aid to communication does not destroy an otherwise existing privilege.
(i) Licensed chemical dependency counselors shall not disclose information or an opinion based on the information which they acquire from persons consulting them in their professional capacities, and which was necessary to enable them to act in that capacity, except that they may do so:
(1) when informed consent has been obtained in writing, except in those circumstances in which not to do so would violate the law or would result in clear and imminent danger to the client or others;
(2) when the communications reveal the contemplation or ongoing commission of a crime; or
(3) when the consulting person waives the privilege by bringing suit or filing charges against the licensed professional whom that person consulted.
(j) A parent or the parent’s minor child may not be examined as to any communication made in confidence by the minor to the minor’s parent. A communication is confidential if made out of the presence of persons not members of the child’s immediate family living in the same household. This exception may be waived by express consent to disclosure by a parent entitled to claim the privilege or by the child who made the communication or by failure of the child or parent to object when the contents of a communication are demanded. This exception does not apply to a civil action or proceeding by one spouse against the other or by a parent or child against the other, nor to a proceeding to commit either the child or parent to whom the communication was made or to place the person or property or either under the control of another because of an alleged mental or physical condition, nor to a criminal action or proceeding in which the parent is charged with a crime committed against the person or property of the communicating child, the parent’s spouse, or a child of either the parent or the parent’s spouse, or in which a child is charged with a crime or act of delinquency committed against the person or property of a parent or a child of a parent, nor to an action or proceeding for termination of parental rights, nor any other action or proceeding on a petition alleging child abuse, child neglect, abandonment or nonsupport by a parent.
(k) Sexual assault counselors may not be allowed to disclose any opinion or information received from or about the victim without the consent of the victim. However, a counselor may be compelled to identify or disclose information in investigations or proceedings related to neglect or termination of parental rights if the court determines good cause exists. In determining whether to compel disclosure, the court shall weigh the public interest and need for disclosure against the effect on the victim, the treatment relationship, and the treatment services if disclosure occurs. Nothing in this clause exempts sexual assault counselors from compliance with the provisions of section 626.557 and chapter 260E.
“Sexual assault counselor” for the purpose of this section means a person who has undergone at least 40 hours of crisis counseling training and works under the direction of a supervisor in a crisis center, whose primary purpose is to render advice, counseling, or assistance to victims of sexual assault.
(l) A domestic abuse advocate may not be compelled to disclose any opinion or information received from or about the victim without the consent of the victim unless ordered by the court. In determining whether to compel disclosure, the court shall weigh the public interest and need for disclosure against the effect on the victim, the relationship between the victim and domestic abuse advocate, and the services if disclosure occurs. Nothing in this paragraph exempts domestic abuse advocates from compliance with the provisions of section 626.557 and chapter 260E.
For the purposes of this section, “domestic abuse advocate” means an employee or supervised volunteer from a community-based battered women’s shelter and domestic abuse program eligible to receive grants under section 611A.32; that provides information, advocacy, crisis intervention, emergency shelter, or support to victims of domestic abuse and who is not employed by or under the direct supervision of a law enforcement agency, a prosecutor’s office, or by a city, county, or state agency.
(m) A person cannot be examined as to any communication or document, including work notes, made or used in the course of or because of mediation pursuant to an agreement to mediate or a collaborative law process pursuant to an agreement to participate in collaborative law. This does not apply to the parties in the dispute in an application to a court by a party to have a mediated settlement agreement or a stipulated agreement resulting from the collaborative law process set aside or reformed. A communication or document otherwise not privileged does not become privileged because of this paragraph. This paragraph is not intended to limit the privilege accorded to communication during mediation or collaborative law by the common law.
(n) A child under ten years of age is a competent witness unless the court finds that the child lacks the capacity to remember or to relate truthfully facts respecting which the child is examined. A child describing any act or event may use language appropriate for a child of that age.
(o) A communication assistant for a telecommunications relay system for persons who have communication disabilities shall not, without the consent of the person making the communication, be allowed to disclose communications made to the communication assistant for the purpose of relaying.
Subd. 1a. Alternative dispute resolution privilege. No person presiding at any alternative dispute resolution proceeding established pursuant to law, court rule, or by an agreement to mediate, shall be competent to testify, in any subsequent civil proceeding or administrative hearing, as to any statement, conduct, decision, or ruling, occurring at or in conjunction with the prior proceeding, except as to any statement or conduct that could:
(1) constitute a crime;
(2) give rise to disqualification proceedings under the Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys; or
(3) constitute professional misconduct.
Subd. 2. Exceptions. (a) The exception provided by paragraphs (d) and (g) of subdivision 1 shall not apply to any testimony, records, or other evidence relating to the abuse or neglect of a minor in any proceeding under chapter 260 or any proceeding under section 245A.08, to revoke a day care or foster care license, arising out of the neglect or physical or sexual abuse of a minor, as defined in section 260E.03.
(b) The exception provided by paragraphs (d) and (g) of subdivision 1 shall not apply to criminal proceedings arising out of the neglect or physical or sexual abuse of a minor, as defined in section 260E.03, if the court finds that:
(1) there is a reasonable likelihood that the records in question will disclose material information or evidence of substantial value in connection with the investigation or prosecution; and
(2) there is no other practicable way of obtaining the information or evidence. This clause shall not be construed to prohibit disclosure of the patient record when it supports the otherwise uncorroborated statements of any material fact by a minor alleged to have been abused or neglected by the patient; and
(3) the actual or potential injury to the patient-health professional relationship in the treatment program affected, and the actual or potential harm to the ability of the program to attract and retain patients, is outweighed by the public interest in authorizing the disclosure sought.
No records may be disclosed under this paragraph other than the records of the specific patient suspected of the neglect or abuse of a minor. Disclosure and dissemination of any information from a patient record shall be limited under the terms of the order to assure that no information will be disclosed unnecessarily and that dissemination will be no wider than necessary for purposes of the investigation or prosecution.
Subd. 3. Certain out-of-court statements admissible. An out-of-court statement made by a child under the age of ten years or a person who is mentally impaired as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 6, alleging, explaining, denying, or describing any act of sexual contact or penetration performed with or on the child or any act of physical abuse of the child or the person who is mentally impaired by another, not otherwise admissible by statute or rule of evidence, is admissible as substantive evidence if:
(a) the court or person authorized to receive evidence finds, in a hearing conducted outside of the presence of the jury, that the time, content, and circumstances of the statement and the reliability of the person to whom the statement is made provide sufficient indicia of reliability; and
(b) the child or person mentally impaired as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 6, either:
(i) testifies at the proceedings; or
(ii) is unavailable as a witness and there is corroborative evidence of the act; and
(c) the proponent of the statement notifies the adverse party of the proponent’s intention to offer the statement and the particulars of the statement sufficiently in advance of the proceeding at which the proponent intends to offer the statement into evidence to provide the adverse party with a fair opportunity to prepare to meet the statement.
For purposes of this subdivision, an out-of-court statement includes video, audio, or other recorded statements. An unavailable witness includes an incompetent witness.
Subd. 4. Court order. (a) In a proceeding in which a child less than 12 years of age is alleging, denying, or describing:
(1) an act of physical abuse or an act of sexual contact or penetration performed with or on the child or any other person by another; or
(2) an act that constitutes a crime of violence committed against the child or any other person,
the court may, upon its own motion or upon the motion of any party, order that the testimony of the child be taken in a room other than the courtroom or in the courtroom and televised at the same time by closed-circuit equipment, or recorded for later showing to be viewed by the jury in the proceeding, to minimize the trauma to the child of testifying in the courtroom setting and, where necessary, to provide a setting more amenable to securing the child witness’s uninhibited, truthful testimony.
(b) At the taking of testimony under this subdivision, only the judge, the attorneys for the defendant and for the state, any person whose presence would contribute to the welfare and well-being of the child, persons necessary to operate the recording or closed-circuit equipment and, in a child protection proceeding under chapter 260 or a dissolution or custody proceeding under chapter 518, the attorneys for those parties with a right to participate may be present with the child during the child’s testimony.
(c) The court shall permit the defendant in a criminal or delinquency matter to observe and hear the testimony of the child in person. If the court, upon its own motion or the motion of any party, finds in a hearing conducted outside the presence of the jury, that the presence of the defendant during testimony taken pursuant to this subdivision would psychologically traumatize the witness so as to render the witness unavailable to testify, the court may order that the testimony be taken in a manner that:
(1) the defendant can see and hear the testimony of the child in person and communicate with counsel, but the child cannot see or hear the defendant; or
(2) the defendant can see and hear the testimony of the child by video or television monitor from a separate room and communicate with counsel, but the child cannot see or hear the defendant.
(d) As used in this subdivision, “crime of violence” has the meaning given it in section 624.712, subdivision 5, and includes violations of section 609.26.
Subd. 5. Waiver of privilege for health care providers. A party who commences an action for malpractice, error, mistake, or failure to cure, whether based on contract or tort, against a health care provider on the person’s own behalf or in a representative capacity, waives in that action any privilege existing under subdivision 1, paragraphs (d) and (g), as to any information or opinion in the possession of a health care provider who has examined or cared for the party or other person whose health or medical condition has been placed in controversy in the action. This waiver must permit all parties to the action, and their attorneys or authorized representatives, to informally discuss the information or opinion with the health care provider if the provider consents. Prior to an informal discussion with a health care provider, the defendant must mail written notice to the other party at least 15 days before the discussion. The plaintiff’s attorney or authorized representative must have the opportunity to be present at any informal discussion. Appropriate medical authorizations permitting discussion must be provided by the party commencing the action upon request from any other party.
A health care provider may refuse to consent to the discussion but, in that event, the party seeking the information or opinion may take the deposition of the health care provider with respect to that information and opinion, without obtaining a prior court order.
For purposes of this subdivision, “health care provider” means a physician, surgeon, dentist, or other health care professional or hospital, including all persons or entities providing health care as defined in section 145.61, subdivisions 2 and 4, or a certified health care professional employed by or providing services as an independent contractor in a hospital.
Chapter 604. Civil Liability
604.30. Definitions
(a) For the purposes of sections 604.30 and 604.31, the following terms have the meanings given.
(b) “Dissemination” means distribution to one or more persons, other than the person who is depicted in the image, or publication by any publicly available medium.
(c) “Image” means a photograph, film, video recording, or digital photograph or recording.
(d) “Intimate parts” means genitals, pubic area, or anus of an individual, or if the individual is female, a partially or fully exposed nipple.
(e) “Personal information” includes any identifier that permits communication or in-person contact with the person depicted in the image, including:
(1) the person’s first and last name, first initial and last name, first name and last initial, or nickname;
(2) the person’s home, school, or work address;
(3) the person’s telephone number, e-mail address, or social media account information; or
(4) the person’s geolocation data.
(f) “Sexual act” means either sexual contact or sexual penetration.
(g) “Sexual contact” means the intentional touching of intimate parts or intentional touching with seminal fluid or sperm onto another person’s body.
(h) “Social media” means any electronic medium, including an interactive computer service, telephone network, or data network, that allows users to create, share, and view user-generated content.
(i) “Sexual penetration” means any of the following acts:
(1) sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, or anal intercourse; or
(2) any intrusion, however slight, into the genital or anal openings of an individual by another’s body part or an object used by another for this purpose.
604.31. Cause of action for nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images; sexual solicitation
Subdivision 1. Nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images. (a) A cause of action against a person for the nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images exists when:
(1) a person disseminated an image without the consent of the person depicted in the image;
(2) the image is of an individual depicted in a sexual act or whose intimate parts are exposed in whole or in part;
(3) the person is identifiable:
(i) from the image itself, by the person depicted in the image or by another person; or
(ii) from the personal information displayed in connection with the image; and
(4) the image was obtained or created under circumstances in which the person depicted had a reasonable expectation of privacy.
(b) The fact that the individual depicted in the image consented to the creation of the image or to the voluntary private transmission of the image is not a defense to liability for a person who has disseminated the image without consent.
Subd. 2. Nonconsensual sexual solicitation. A person who uses the personal information of another to invite, encourage, or solicit sexual acts without the individual’s consent and knows or has reason to know it will cause the person whose personal information is used to feel harassed, frightened, threatened, oppressed, persecuted, or intimidated, is liable for damages to the individual whose personal information was published or disseminated publicly.
Subd. 3. Damages. The court may award the following damages to a prevailing plaintiff from a person found liable under subdivision 1 or 2:
(1) general and special damages, including all finance losses due to the dissemination of the image and damages for mental anguish;
(2) an amount equal to any profit made from the dissemination of the image by the person who intentionally disclosed the image;
(3) a civil penalty awarded to the plaintiff of an amount up to $10,000; and
(4) court costs, fees, and reasonable attorney fees.
Subd. 4. Injunction; temporary relief. (a) A court may issue a temporary or permanent injunction or restraining order to prevent further harm to the plaintiff.
(b) The court may issue a civil fine for the violation of a court order in an amount up to $1,000 per day for failure to comply with an order granted under this section.
Subd. 5. Confidentiality. The court shall allow confidential filings to protect the privacy of the plaintiff in cases filed under this section.
Subd. 6. Liability; exceptions. (a) No person shall be found liable under this section when:
(1) the dissemination is made for the purpose of a criminal investigation or prosecution that is otherwise lawful;
(2) the dissemination is for the purpose of, or in connection with, the reporting of unlawful conduct;
(3) the dissemination is made in the course of seeking or receiving medical or mental health treatment, and the image is protected from further dissemination;
(4) the image involves exposure in public or was obtained in a commercial setting for the purpose of the legal sale of goods or services, including the creation of artistic products for sale or display;
(5) the image relates to a matter of public interest and dissemination serves a lawful public purpose;
(6) the dissemination is for legitimate scientific research or educational purposes; or
(7) the dissemination is made for legal proceedings and is consistent with common practice in civil proceedings necessary for the proper functioning of the criminal justice system, or protected by court order which prohibits any further dissemination.
(b) This section does not alter or amend the liabilities and protections granted by United States Code, title 47, section 230, and shall be construed in a manner consistent with federal law.
(c) A cause of action arising under this section does not prevent the use of any other cause of action or remedy available under the law.
Subd. 7. Jurisdiction. A court has jurisdiction over a cause of action filed pursuant to this section if the plaintiff or defendant resides in this state.
Subd. 8. Venue. A cause of action arising under this section may be filed in either:
(1) the county of residence of the defendant or plaintiff or in the jurisdiction of the plaintiff’s designated address if the plaintiff participates in the address confidentiality program established by chapter 5B; or
(2) the county where any image is produced, reproduced, or stored in violation of this section.
Subd. 9. Discovery of dissemination. In a civil action brought under subdivision 1, the statute of limitations is tolled until the plaintiff discovers the image has been disseminated.
Chapter 609. Criminal Code
General Principles
609.02. Definitions
Subdivision 1. Crime. “Crime” means conduct which is prohibited by statute and for which the actor may be sentenced to imprisonment, with or without a fine.
Subd. 2. Felony. “Felony” means a crime for which a sentence of imprisonment for one year or more may be imposed.
Subd. 2a. Repealed by Laws 1999, c. 194, § 11.
Subd. 3. Misdemeanor. “Misdemeanor” means a crime for which a sentence of not more than 90 days or a fine of not more than $1,000, or both, may be imposed.
Subd. 4. Gross misdemeanor. “Gross misdemeanor” means any crime which is not a felony or misdemeanor. The maximum fine which may be imposed for a gross misdemeanor is $3,000.
Subd. 4a. Petty misdemeanor. “Petty misdemeanor” means a petty offense which is prohibited by statute, which does not constitute a crime and for which a sentence of a fine of not more than $300 may be imposed.
Subd. 5. Conviction. “Conviction” means any of the following accepted and recorded by the court:
(1) a plea of guilty; or
(2) a verdict of guilty by a jury or a finding of guilty by the court.
Subd. 6. Dangerous weapon. “Dangerous weapon” means any firearm, whether loaded or unloaded, or any device designed as a weapon and capable of producing death or great bodily harm, any combustible or flammable liquid or other device or instrumentality that, in the manner it is used or intended to be used, is calculated or likely to produce death or great bodily harm, or any fire that is used to produce death or great bodily harm.
As used in this subdivision, “flammable liquid” means any liquid having a flash point below 100 degrees Fahrenheit and having a vapor pressure not exceeding 40 pounds per square inch (absolute) at 100 degrees Fahrenheit but does not include intoxicating liquor as defined in section 340A.101. As used in this subdivision, “combustible liquid” is a liquid having a flash point at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Subd. 7. Bodily harm. “Bodily harm” means physical pain or injury, illness, or any impairment of physical condition.
Subd. 7a. Substantial bodily harm. “Substantial bodily harm” means bodily injury which involves a temporary but substantial disfigurement, or which causes a temporary but substantial loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ, or which causes a fracture of any bodily member.
Subd. 8. Great bodily harm. “Great bodily harm” means bodily injury which creates a high probability of death, or which causes serious permanent disfigurement, or which causes a permanent or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ or other serious bodily harm.
Subd. 9. Mental state. (1) When criminal intent is an element of a crime in this chapter, such intent is indicated by the term “intentionally,” the phrase “with intent to,” the phrase “with intent that,” or some form of the verbs “know” or “believe.”
(2) “Know” requires only that the actor believes that the specified fact exists.
(3) “Intentionally” means that the actor either has a purpose to do the thing or cause the result specified or believes that the act performed by the actor, if successful, will cause that result. In addition, except as provided in clause (6), the actor must have knowledge of those facts which are necessary to make the actor’s conduct criminal and which are set forth after the word “intentionally.”
(4) “With intent to” or “with intent that” means that the actor either has a purpose to do the thing or cause the result specified or believes that the act, if successful, will cause that result.
(5) Criminal intent does not require proof of knowledge of the existence or constitutionality of the statute under which the actor is prosecuted or the scope or meaning of the terms used in that statute.
(6) Criminal intent does not require proof of knowledge of the age of a minor even though age is a material element in the crime in question.
Subd. 10. Assault. “Assault” is:
(1) an act done with intent to cause fear in another of immediate bodily harm or death; or
(2) the intentional infliction of or attempt to inflict bodily harm upon another.
Subd. 11. Second or subsequent violation or offense. “Second or subsequent violation” or “second or subsequent offense” means that prior to the commission of the violation or offense, the actor has been adjudicated guilty of a specified similar violation or offense.
Subds. 12, 13. Repealed by Laws 1993, c. 326, art. 2, § 34.
Subd. 14. Repealed by Laws 2014, c. 263, § 4, eff. May 17, 2014.
Subd. 15. Probation. “Probation” means a court-ordered sanction imposed upon an offender for a period of supervision no greater than that set by statute. It is imposed as an alternative to confinement or in conjunction with confinement or intermediate sanctions. The purpose of probation is to deter further criminal behavior, punish the offender, help provide reparation to crime victims and their communities, and provide offenders with opportunities for rehabilitation.
Subd. 16. Qualified domestic violence-related offense. “Qualified domestic violence-related offense” includes a violation of or an attempt to violate sections 518B.01, subdivision 14 (violation of domestic abuse order for protection); 609.185 (first-degree murder); 609.19 (second-degree murder); 609.195, paragraph (a) (third-degree murder); 609.20, clauses (1), (2), and (5) (first-degree manslaughter); 609.205, clauses (1) and (5) (second-degree manslaughter); 609.221 (first-degree assault); 609.222 (second-degree assault); 609.223 (third-degree assault); 609.2231 (fourth-degree assault); 609.224 (fifth-degree assault); 609.2242 (domestic assault); 609.2245 (female genital mutilation); 609.2247 (domestic assault by strangulation); 609.25 (kidnapping); 609.255 (false imprisonment); 609.342 (first-degree criminal sexual conduct); 609.343 (second-degree criminal sexual conduct); 609.344 (third-degree criminal sexual conduct); 609.345 (fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct); 609.3458 (sexual extortion); 609.377 (malicious punishment of a child); 609.582, subdivision 1, clause (c) (burglary in the first degree); 609.713 (terroristic threats); 609.748, subdivision 6 (violation of harassment restraining order); 609.749 (harassment or stalking); 609.78, subdivision 2 (interference with an emergency call); 617.261 (nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images); and 629.75 (violation of domestic abuse no contact order); and similar laws of other states, the United States, the District of Columbia, tribal lands, and United States territories.
Subd. 17. Ammunition. “Ammunition” means ammunition or cartridge cases, primers, bullets, or propellent powder designed for use in any firearm. Ammunition does not include ornaments, curiosities, or souvenirs constructed from or resembling ammunition or ammunition components that are not operable as ammunition.
Subd. 18. Conditional release. “Conditional release” means a court-ordered mandatory term of community supervision as prescribed by sections 169A.276, subdivision 1, paragraph (d) (first-degree DWI); 243.166, subdivision 5a (violating predatory offender registration requirements); 609.2231, subdivision 3a, paragraph (d) (assault on secure treatment facility staff); 609.3455, subdivisions 6 and 7 (criminal sexual conduct); 617.246, subdivision 7 (use of minors in sexual performances); and 617.247, subdivision 9 (possession of child pornography). Conditional release is in addition to any applicable supervised release term.
609.0341. Maximum fines for gross misdemeanors; felonies
Subdivision 1. Gross misdemeanors. Any law of this state which provides for a maximum fine of $1,000 or for a maximum sentence of imprisonment of one year or which is defined as a gross misdemeanor shall, on or after August 1, 1983, be deemed to provide for a maximum fine of $3,000 and for a maximum sentence of imprisonment of one year.
Subd. 2. Felonies. (a) Any law of this state which provides for a maximum fine of $2,000 shall, on or after August 1, 1983, be deemed to provide for a maximum fine of $4,000.
(b) Any law of this state which provides for a maximum fine of $3,000 shall, on or after August 1, 1983, be deemed to provide for a maximum fine of $5,000.
(c) Any law of this state which provides for a maximum fine of $5,000 shall, on or after August 1, 1983, be deemed to provide for a maximum fine of $10,000.
(d) Any law of this state which provides for a maximum fine of $7,000 shall, on or after August 1, 1983, be deemed to provide for a maximum fine of $14,000.
(e) Any law of this state which provides for a maximum fine of $10,000 shall, on or after August 1, 1983, be deemed to provide for a maximum fine of $20,000.
(f) Any law of this state which provides for a maximum fine of $15,000 shall, on or after August 1, 1983, be deemed to provide for a maximum fine of $30,000.
(g) Any law of this state which provides for a maximum fine of $20,000 shall, on or after August 1, 1983, be deemed to provide for a maximum fine of $35,000.
(h) Any law of this state which provides for a maximum fine of $25,000 shall, on or after August 1, 1983, be deemed to provide for a maximum fine of $40,000.
(i) Any law of this state which provides for a maximum fine of $30,000 shall, on or after August 1, 1983, be deemed to provide for a maximum fine of $45,000.
(j) Any law of this state which provides for a maximum fine of $40,000 shall, on or after August 1, 1983, be deemed to provide for a maximum fine of $50,000.
Subd. 3. Repealed by Laws 1984, c. 628, art. 3, § 10.
Crimes Against the Person
609.26. Depriving another of custodial or parental rights
Subdivision 1. Prohibited acts. Whoever intentionally does any of the following acts may be charged with a felony and, upon conviction, may be sentenced as provided in subdivision 6:
(1) conceals a minor child from the child’s parent where the action manifests an intent substantially to deprive that parent of parental rights or conceals a minor child from another person having the right to parenting time or custody where the action manifests an intent to substantially deprive that person of rights to parenting time or custody;
(2) takes, obtains, retains, or fails to return a minor child in violation of a court order which has transferred legal custody under chapter 260, 260B, or 260C to the commissioner of human services, a child-placing agency, or the local social services agency;
(3) takes, obtains, retains, or fails to return a minor child from or to the parent in violation of a court order, where the action manifests an intent substantially to deprive that parent of rights to parenting time or custody;
(4) takes, obtains, retains, or fails to return a minor child from or to a parent after commencement of an action relating to child parenting time or custody but prior to the issuance of an order determining custody or parenting time rights, where the action manifests an intent substantially to deprive that parent of parental rights;
(5) retains a child in this state with the knowledge that the child was removed from another state in violation of any of the above provisions;
(6) refuses to return a minor child to a parent or lawful custodian and is at least 18 years old and more than 24 months older than the child;
(7) causes or contributes to a child being a habitual truant as defined in section 260C.007, subdivision 19, and is at least 18 years old and more than 24 months older than the child;
(8) causes or contributes to a child being a runaway as defined in section 260C.007, subdivision 28, and is at least 18 years old and more than 24 months older than the child; or
(9) is at least 18 years old and resides with a minor under the age of 16 without the consent of the minor’s parent or lawful custodian.
Subd. 2. Defenses. It is an affirmative defense if a person charged under subdivision 1 proves that:
(1) the person reasonably believed the action taken was necessary to protect the child from physical or sexual assault or substantial emotional harm;
(2) the person reasonably believed the action taken was necessary to protect the person taking the action from physical or sexual assault;
(3) the action taken is consented to by the parent, stepparent, or legal custodian seeking prosecution, but consent to custody or specific parenting time is not consent to the action of failing to return or concealing a minor child; or
(4) the action taken is otherwise authorized by a court order issued prior to the violation of subdivision 1.
The defenses provided in this subdivision are in addition to and do not limit other defenses available under this chapter or chapter 611.
Subd. 2a. Original intent clarified. To the extent that it states that subdivision 2 creates affirmative defenses to a charge under this section, subdivision 2 clarifies the original intent of the legislature in enacting Laws 1984, chapter 484, section 2, and does not change the substance of this section. Subdivision 2 does not modify or alter any convictions entered under this section before August 1, 1988.
Subd. 3. Venue. A person who violates this section may be prosecuted and tried either in the county in which the child was taken, concealed, or detained or in the county of lawful residence of the child.
Subd. 4. Return of child; costs. A child who has been concealed, obtained, or retained in violation of this section shall be returned to the person having lawful custody of the child or shall be taken into custody pursuant to section 260C.175, subdivision 1, clause (2), item (ii). In addition to any sentence imposed, the court may assess any expense incurred in returning the child against any person convicted of violating this section. The court may direct the appropriate county welfare agency to provide counseling services to a child who has been returned pursuant to this subdivision.
Subd. 5. Dismissal of charge. A felony charge brought under this section shall be dismissed if:
(a) the person voluntarily returns the child within 48 hours after taking, detaining, or failing to return the child in violation of this section; or
(b) (1) the person taking the action and the child have not left the state of Minnesota; and (2) within a period of seven days after taking the action, (i) a motion or proceeding under chapter 518, 518A, 518B, 518C, or 518D is commenced by the person taking the action, or (ii) the attorney representing the person taking the action has consented to service of process by the party whose rights are being deprived, for any motion or action pursuant to chapter 518, 518A, 518B, 518C, or 518D.
Clause (a) does not apply if the person returns the child as a result of being located by law enforcement authorities.
This subdivision does not prohibit the filing of felony charges or an offense report before the expiration of the 48 hours.
Subd. 6. Penalty. (a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) and subdivision 5, whoever violates this section may be sentenced as follows:
(1) to imprisonment for not more than two years or to payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both; or
(2) to imprisonment for not more than four years or to payment of a fine of not more than $8,000, or both, if the court finds that:
(i) the defendant committed the violation while possessing a dangerous weapon or caused substantial bodily harm to effect the taking;
(ii) the defendant abused or neglected the child during the concealment, detention, or removal of the child;
(iii) the defendant inflicted or threatened to inflict physical harm on a parent or lawful custodian of the child or on the child with intent to cause the parent or lawful custodian to discontinue criminal prosecution;
(iv) the defendant demanded payment in exchange for return of the child or demanded to be relieved of the financial or legal obligation to support the child in exchange for return of the child; or
(v) the defendant has previously been convicted under this section or a similar statute of another jurisdiction.
(b) A violation of subdivision 1, clause (7), is a gross misdemeanor. The county attorney shall prosecute violations of subdivision 1, clause (7).
Subd. 7. Reporting of deprivation of parental rights. Any violation of this section shall be reported pursuant to section 260E.11, subdivision 2.
609.221. Assault in the first degree
Subdivision 1. Great bodily harm. Whoever assaults another and inflicts great bodily harm may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 20 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $30,000, or both.
Subd. 2. Use of deadly force against peace officer, prosecuting attorney, judge, or correctional employee. Whoever assaults a peace officer, prosecuting attorney, judge, or correctional employee by using or attempting to use deadly force against the officer, attorney, judge, or employee while the person is engaged in the performance of a duty imposed by law, policy, or rule may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 20 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $30,000, or both.
Subd. 3. Great bodily harm; peace officer, prosecuting attorney, judge, or correctional employee. Whoever assaults a peace officer, prosecuting attorney, judge, or correctional employee and inflicts great bodily harm on the officer, attorney, judge, or employee while the person is engaged in the performance of a duty imposed by law, policy, or rule may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 25 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $35,000, or both.
Subd. 4. Use of dangerous weapon or deadly force resulting in great bodily harm against peace officer, prosecuting attorney, judge, or correctional employee. Whoever assaults and inflicts great bodily harm upon a peace officer, prosecuting attorney, judge, or correctional employee with a dangerous weapon or by using or attempting to use deadly force against the officer, attorney, judge, or employee while the person is engaged in the performance of a duty imposed by law, policy, or rule may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 30 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $40,000, or both.
Subd. 5. Mandatory sentences for assaults against a peace officer, prosecuting attorney, judge, or correctional employee. (a) A person convicted of assaulting a peace officer, prosecuting attorney, judge, or correctional employee shall be committed to the custody of the commissioner of corrections for not less than:
(1) ten years, nor more than 20 years, for a violation of subdivision 2;
(2) 15 years, nor more than 25 years, for a violation of subdivision 3; or
(3) 25 years, nor more than 30 years, for a violation of subdivision 4.
(b) A defendant convicted and sentenced as required by this subdivision is not eligible for probation, parole, discharge, work release, or supervised release, until that person has served the full term of imprisonment as provided by law, notwithstanding the provisions of sections 241.26, 242.19, 243.05, 244.04, 609.12, and 609.135. Notwithstanding section 609.135, the court may not stay the imposition or execution of this sentence.
Subd. 6. Definitions. As used in this section:
(1) “correctional employee” means an employee of a public or private prison, jail, or workhouse;
(2) “deadly force” has the meaning given in section 609.066, subdivision 1;
(3) “peace officer” has the meaning given in section 626.84, subdivision 1;
(4) “prosecuting attorney” means an attorney, with criminal prosecution or civil responsibilities, who is the attorney general, a political subdivision’s elected or appointed county or city attorney, or a deputy, assistant, or special assistant of any of these; and
(5) “judge” means a judge or justice of any court of this state that is established by the Minnesota Constitution.
609.222. Assault in the second degree
Subdivision 1. Dangerous weapon. Whoever assaults another with a dangerous weapon may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than seven years or to payment of a fine of not more than $14,000, or both.
Subd. 2. Dangerous weapon; substantial bodily harm. Whoever assaults another with a dangerous weapon and inflicts substantial bodily harm may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both.
609.223. Assault in the third degree
Subdivision 1. Substantial bodily harm. Whoever assaults another and inflicts substantial bodily harm may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
Subd. 2. Past pattern of child abuse. Whoever assaults a minor may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both, if the perpetrator has engaged in a past pattern of child abuse against the minor. As used in this subdivision, “child abuse” has the meaning given it in section 609.185, paragraph (a), clause (5).
Subd. 3. Felony; victim under four. Whoever assaults a victim under the age of four, and causes bodily harm to the child’s head, eyes, or neck, or otherwise causes multiple bruises to the body, is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
609.2231. Assault in the fourth degree
Subdivision 1. Peace officers. (a) As used in this subdivision, “peace officer” means a person who is licensed under section 626.845, subdivision 1, and effecting a lawful arrest or executing any other duty imposed by law.
(b) Whoever physically assaults a peace officer is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
(c) Whoever commits either of the following acts against a peace officer is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than three years or to payment of a fine of not more than $6,000, or both: (1) physically assaults the officer if the assault inflicts demonstrable bodily harm; or (2) intentionally throws or otherwise transfers bodily fluids or feces at or onto the officer.
Subd. 2. Firefighters and emergency medical personnel. Whoever assaults any of the following persons and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two years or to payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both:
(1) a member of a municipal or volunteer fire department or emergency medical services personnel unit in the performance of the member’s duties; or
(2) a physician, nurse, or other person providing health care services in a hospital emergency department.
Subd. 2a. Certain Department of Natural Resources employees. Whoever assaults and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm on an employee of the Department of Natural Resources who is engaged in forest fire activities is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
Subd. 3. Correctional employees; prosecuting attorneys; judges; probation officers. Whoever commits either of the following acts against an employee of a correctional facility as defined in section 241.021, subdivision 1 subdivision 1i, against a prosecuting attorney as defined in section 609.221, subdivision 2 subdivision 6, clause (4), against a judge as defined in section 609.221, subdivision 2 subdivision 6, clause (5), or against a probation officer or other qualified person employed in supervising offenders while the person is engaged in the performance of a duty imposed by law, policy, or rule is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two years or to payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both:
(1) assaults the person and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm; or
(2) intentionally throws or otherwise transfers bodily fluids or feces at or onto the person.
Subd. 3a. Secure treatment facility personnel. (a) As used in this subdivision, “secure treatment facility” includes facilities listed in sections 253B.02, subdivision 18a, and 253D.02, subdivision 13.
(b) Whoever, while committed under chapter 253D, Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 253B.185, or Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 526.10, commits either of the following acts against an employee or other individual who provides care or treatment at a secure treatment facility while the person is engaged in the performance of a duty imposed by law, policy, or rule is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two years or to payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both:
(1) assaults the person and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm; or
(2) intentionally throws or otherwise transfers bodily fluids or feces at or onto the person.
(c) Whoever, while committed under section 253B.18, or admitted under the provision of section 253B.10, subdivision 1, commits either of the following acts against an employee or other individual who supervises and works directly with patients at a secure treatment facility while the person is engaged in the performance of a duty imposed by law, policy, or rule, is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two years or to payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both:
(1) assaults the person and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm; or
(2) intentionally throws or otherwise transfers urine, blood, semen, or feces onto the person.
(d) The court shall commit a person convicted of violating paragraph (b) to the custody of the commissioner of corrections for not less than one year and one day. The court may not, on its own motion or the prosecutor’s motion, sentence a person without regard to this paragraph. A person convicted and sentenced as required by this paragraph is not eligible for probation, parole, discharge, work release, or supervised release, until that person has served the full term of imprisonment as provided by law, notwithstanding the provisions of sections 241.26, 242.19, 243.05, 244.04, 609.12, and 609.135.
(e) Notwithstanding the statutory maximum sentence provided in paragraph (b), when a court sentences a person to the custody of the commissioner of corrections for a violation of paragraph (b), the court shall provide that after the person has been released from prison, the commissioner shall place the person on conditional release for five years. The terms of conditional release are governed by sections 244.05 and 609.3455, subdivision 6, 7, or 8; and Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.109.
Subd. 4. Assaults motivated by bias. (a) Whoever assaults another in whole or in substantial part because of the victim’s or another’s actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03, or because of the victim’s actual or perceived association with another person or group of a certain actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03, may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 364 days or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
(b) Whoever violates the provisions of paragraph (a) within five years of a previous conviction under paragraph (a) is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year and a day or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
Subd. 5. School official. Whoever assaults a school official while the official is engaged in the performance of the official’s duties, and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm, is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. As used in this subdivision, “school official” includes teachers, school administrators, and other employees of a public or private school.
Subd. 6. Public employees with mandated duties. A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who:
(1) assaults an agricultural inspector, occupational safety and health investigator, child protection worker, public health nurse, animal control officer, or probation or parole officer while the employee is engaged in the performance of a duty mandated by law, court order, or ordinance;
(2) knows that the victim is a public employee engaged in the performance of the official public duties of the office; and
(3) inflicts demonstrable bodily harm.
Subd. 7. Community crime prevention group members. (a) A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who:
(1) assaults a community crime prevention group member while the member is engaged in neighborhood patrol;
(2) should reasonably know that the victim is a community crime prevention group member engaged in neighborhood patrol; and
(3) inflicts demonstrable bodily harm.
(b) As used in this subdivision, “community crime prevention group” means a community group focused on community safety and crime prevention that:
(1) is organized for the purpose of discussing community safety and patrolling community neighborhoods for criminal activity;
(2) is designated and trained by the local law enforcement agency as a community crime prevention group; or
(3) interacts with local law enforcement regarding community safety issues.
Subd. 8. Vulnerable adults. (a) As used in this subdivision, “vulnerable adult” has the meaning given in section 609.232, subdivision 11.
(b) Whoever assaults and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm on a vulnerable adult, knowing or having reason to know that the person is a vulnerable adult, is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
Subd. 9. Reserve officer. A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who:
(1) assaults a reserve officer as defined in section 626.84, subdivision 1, paragraph (e), who is engaged in the performance of official public duties at the direction of, under the control of, or on behalf of a peace officer or supervising law enforcement officer or agency; and
(2) should reasonably know that the victim is a reserve officer engaged in the performance of official public duties of the peace officer, or supervising law enforcement officer or agency.
Subd. 10. Utility and postal service employees and contractors. (a) A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who:
(1) assaults an employee or contractor of a utility or the United States Postal Service while the employee or contractor is engaged in the performance of the employee’s or contractor’s duties;
(2) should reasonably know that the victim is an employee or contractor of a utility or the postal service who is:
(i) performing duties of the victim’s employment; or
(ii) fulfilling the victim’s contractual obligations; and
(3) inflicts demonstrable bodily harm.
(b) As used in this subdivision, “utility” has the meaning given it in section 609.594, subdivision 1, clause (3).
Subd. 11. Transit operators. (a) A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor if (1) the person assaults a transit operator, or intentionally throws or otherwise transfers bodily fluids onto a transit operator; and (2) the transit operator is acting in the course of the operator’s duties and is operating a transit vehicle, aboard a transit vehicle, or otherwise responsible for a transit vehicle. A person convicted under this paragraph may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 364 days or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
(b) For the purposes of this subdivision, “transit operator” means a driver or operator of a transit vehicle that is used to provide any of the following services:
(1) public transit, as defined in section 174.22, subdivision 7;
(2) light rail transit service;
(3) special transportation service under section 473.386, whether provided by the Metropolitan Council or by other providers under contract with the council; or
(4) commuter rail service.
609.224. Assault in the fifth degree
Subdivision 1. Misdemeanor. Whoever does any of the following commits an assault and is guilty of a misdemeanor:
(1) commits an act with intent to cause fear in another of immediate bodily harm or death; or
(2) intentionally inflicts or attempts to inflict bodily harm upon another.
Subd. 2. Gross misdemeanor. (a) Whoever violates the provisions of subdivision 1 against the same victim within ten years of a previous qualified domestic violence-related offense conviction or adjudication of delinquency is guilty of a gross misdemeanor and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
(b) Whoever violates the provisions of subdivision 1 within three years of a previous qualified domestic violence-related offense conviction or adjudication of delinquency is guilty of a gross misdemeanor and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
Subd. 3. Firearms. (a) When a person is convicted of a violation of this section or section 609.221, 609.222, or 609.223, the court shall determine and make written findings on the record as to whether:
(1) the defendant owns or possesses a firearm; and
(2) the firearm was used in any way during the commission of the assault.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in section 609.2242, subdivision 3, paragraph (c), a person is not entitled to possess a pistol if the person has been convicted after August 1, 1992, of assault in the fifth degree if the offense was committed within three years of a previous conviction under sections 609.221 to 609.224, unless three years have elapsed from the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of any other violation of section 609.224. Property rights may not be abated but access may be restricted by the courts. A person who possesses a pistol in violation of this paragraph is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
Subd. 4. Felony. (a) Whoever violates the provisions of subdivision 1 against the same victim within ten years of the first of any combination of two or more previous qualified domestic violence-related offense convictions or adjudications of delinquency is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
(b) Whoever violates the provisions of subdivision 1 within three years of the first of any combination of two or more previous qualified domestic violence-related offense convictions or adjudications of delinquency is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
609.2242. Domestic assault
Subdivision 1. Misdemeanor. Whoever does any of the following against a family or household member as defined in section 518B.01, subdivision 2, commits an assault and is guilty of a misdemeanor:
(1) commits an act with intent to cause fear in another of immediate bodily harm or death; or
(2) intentionally inflicts or attempts to inflict bodily harm upon another.
Subd. 2. Gross misdemeanor. Whoever violates subdivision 1 within ten years of a previous qualified domestic violence-related offense conviction or an adjudication of delinquency is guilty of a gross misdemeanor and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
Subd. 3. Domestic assaults; firearms. (a) When a person is convicted of a violation of this section or section 609.221, 609.222, 609.223, 609.224, or 609.2247, the court shall determine and make written findings on the record as to whether:
(1) the assault was committed against a family or household member, as defined in section 518B.01, subdivision 2;
(2) the defendant owns or possesses a firearm; and
(3) the firearm was used in any way during the commission of the assault.
(b) If the court determines that the assault was of a family or household member, and that the offender owns or possesses a firearm and used it in any way during the commission of the assault, it shall order that the firearm be summarily forfeited under section 609.5316, subdivision 3.
(c) When a person is convicted of assaulting a family or household member and is determined by the court to have used a firearm in any way during commission of the assault, the court may order that the person is prohibited from possessing any type of firearm for any period longer than three years or for the remainder of the person’s life. A person who violates this paragraph is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. At the time of the conviction, the court shall inform the defendant for how long the defendant is prohibited from possessing a firearm and that it is a gross misdemeanor to violate this paragraph. The failure of the court to provide this information to a defendant does not affect the applicability of the firearm possession prohibition or the gross misdemeanor penalty to that defendant.
(d) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c), when a person is convicted of a violation of this section or section 609.224 and the court determines that the victim was a family or household member, the court shall inform the defendant that the defendant is prohibited from possessing a firearm for three years from the date of conviction and that it is a gross misdemeanor offense to violate this prohibition. The failure of the court to provide this information to a defendant does not affect the applicability of the firearm possession prohibition or the gross misdemeanor penalty to that defendant.
(e) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c), a person is not entitled to possess a pistol if the person has been convicted after August 1, 1992, or a firearm if a person has been convicted on or after August 1, 2014, of domestic assault under this section or assault in the fifth degree under section 609.224 and the assault victim was a family or household member as defined in section 518B.01, subdivision 2, unless three years have elapsed from the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of any other violation of this section or section 609.224. Property rights may not be abated but access may be restricted by the courts. A person who possesses a firearm in violation of this paragraph is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
(f) Except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (b) and (h), when a person is convicted of a violation of this section or section 609.221, 609.222, 609.223, 609.224, or 609.2247 and the court determines that the assault was against a family or household member, the court shall order the defendant to transfer any firearms that the person possesses, within three business days, to a federally licensed firearms dealer, a law enforcement agency, or a third party who may lawfully receive them. The transfer may be permanent or temporary, unless the court prohibits the person from possessing a firearm for the remainder of the person’s life under paragraph (c). A temporary firearm transfer only entitles the receiving party to possess the firearm. A temporary transfer does not transfer ownership or title. A defendant may not transfer firearms to a third party who resides with the defendant. If a defendant makes a temporary transfer, a federally licensed firearms dealer or law enforcement agency may charge the defendant a reasonable fee to store the person’s firearms and may establish policies for disposal of abandoned firearms, provided such policies require that the person be notified by certified mail prior to disposal of abandoned firearms. For temporary firearms transfers under this paragraph, a law enforcement agency, federally licensed firearms dealer, or third party shall exercise due care to preserve the quality and function of the transferred firearms and shall return the transferred firearms to the person upon request after the expiration of the prohibiting time period imposed under this subdivision, provided the person is not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. The return of temporarily transferred firearms to a person shall comply with state and federal law. If a defendant permanently transfers the defendant’s firearms to a law enforcement agency, the agency is not required to compensate the defendant and may charge the defendant a reasonable processing fee. A law enforcement agency is not required to accept a person’s firearm under this paragraph. The court shall order that the person surrender all permits to carry and purchase firearms to the sheriff.
(g) A defendant who is ordered to transfer firearms under paragraph (f) must file proof of transfer as provided for in this paragraph. If the transfer is made to a third party, the third party must sign an affidavit under oath before a notary public either acknowledging that the defendant permanently transferred the defendant’s firearms to the third party or agreeing to temporarily store the defendant’s firearms until such time as the defendant is legally permitted to possess firearms. The affidavit shall indicate the serial number, make, and model of all firearms transferred by the defendant to the third party. The third party shall acknowledge in the affidavit that the third party may be held criminally and civilly responsible under section 624.7144 if the defendant gains access to a transferred firearm while the firearm is in the custody of the third party. If the transfer is to a law enforcement agency or federally licensed firearms dealer, the law enforcement agency or federally licensed firearms dealer shall provide proof of transfer to the defendant. The proof of transfer must specify whether the firearms were permanently or temporarily transferred and include the name of the defendant, date of transfer, and the serial number, make, and model of all transferred firearms. The defendant shall provide the court with a signed and notarized affidavit or proof of transfer as described in this section within two business days of the firearms transfer. The court shall seal affidavits and proofs of transfer filed pursuant to this paragraph.
(h) When a person is convicted of a violation of this section or section 609.221, 609.222, 609.223, 609.224, or 609.2247, and the court determines that the assault was against a family or household member, the court shall determine by a preponderance of the evidence if the person poses an imminent risk of causing another person substantial bodily harm. Upon a finding of imminent risk, the court shall order that the local law enforcement agency take immediate possession of all firearms in the person’s possession. The local law enforcement agency shall exercise due care to preserve the quality and function of the defendant’s firearms and shall return the firearms to the person upon request after the expiration of the prohibiting time period, provided the person is not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. The local law enforcement agency shall, upon written notice from the person, transfer the firearms to a federally licensed firearms dealer or a third party who may lawfully receive them. Before a local law enforcement agency transfers a firearm under this paragraph, the agency shall require the third party or federally licensed firearms dealer receiving the firearm to submit an affidavit or proof of transfer that complies with the requirements for affidavits or proofs of transfer established in paragraph (g). The agency shall file all affidavits or proofs of transfer received with the court within two business days of the transfer. The court shall seal all affidavits or proofs of transfer filed pursuant to this paragraph. A federally licensed firearms dealer or third party who accepts a firearm transfer pursuant to this paragraph shall comply with paragraphs (f) and (g) as if accepting transfer from the defendant. If the law enforcement agency does not receive written notice from the defendant within three business days, the agency may charge a reasonable fee to store the defendant’s firearms. A law enforcement agency may establish policies for disposal of abandoned firearms, provided such policies require that the person be notified via certified mail prior to disposal of abandoned firearms.
Subd. 4. Felony. Whoever violates the provisions of this section or section 609.224, subdivision 1, within ten years of the first of any combination of two or more previous qualified domestic violence-related offense convictions or adjudications of delinquency is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
609.2244. Presentence domestic abuse investigations
Subdivision 1. Investigation. A presentence domestic abuse investigation must be conducted and a report submitted to the court by the corrections agency responsible for conducting the investigation when:
(1) a defendant is convicted of an offense described in section 518B.01, subdivision 2;
(2) a defendant is arrested for committing an offense described in section 518B.01, subdivision 2, but is convicted of another offense arising out of the same circumstances surrounding the arrest; or
(3) a defendant is convicted of a violation against a family or household member of: (a) an order for protection under section 518B.01; (b) a harassment restraining order under section 609.748; (c) section 609.79, subdivision 1; or (d) section 609.713, subdivision 1.
Subd. 2. Report. (a) The Department of Corrections shall establish minimum standards for the report, including the circumstances of the offense, impact on the victim, the defendant’s prior record, characteristics and history of alcohol and chemical use problems, and amenability to domestic abuse programs. The report is classified as private data on individuals as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 12. Victim impact statements are confidential.
(b) The report must include:
(1) a recommendation on any limitations on contact with the victim and other measures to ensure the victim’s safety;
(2) a recommendation for the defendant to enter and successfully complete domestic abuse programming and any aftercare found necessary by the investigation, including a specific recommendation for the defendant to complete a domestic abuse counseling program or domestic abuse educational program under section 518B.02;
(3) a recommendation for chemical dependency evaluation and treatment as determined by the evaluation whenever alcohol or drugs were found to be a contributing factor to the offense;
(4) recommendations for other appropriate remedial action or care or a specific explanation why no level of care or action is recommended; and
(5) consequences for failure to abide by conditions set up by the court.
Subd. 3. Corrections agents standards; rules; investigation time limits. A domestic abuse investigation required by this section must be conducted by the local Corrections Department or the commissioner of corrections. The corrections agent shall have access to any police reports or other law enforcement data relating to the current offense or previous offenses that are necessary to complete the evaluation. A corrections agent conducting an investigation under this section may not have any direct or shared financial interest or referral relationship resulting in shared financial gain with a treatment provider. An appointment for the defendant to undergo the investigation must be made by the court, a court services probation officer, or court administrator as soon as possible.
609.229. Crime committed for benefit of gang
Subdivision 1. Definition. As used in this section, “criminal gang” means any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, that:
(1) has, as one of its primary activities, the commission of one or more of the offenses listed in section 609.11, subdivision 9;
(2) has a common name or common identifying sign or symbol; and
(3) includes members who individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal activity.
Subd. 2. Crimes. A person who commits a crime for the benefit of, at the direction of, in association with, or motivated by involvement with a criminal gang, with the intent to promote, further, or assist in criminal conduct by gang members is guilty of a crime and may be sentenced as provided in subdivision 3.
Subd. 3. Penalty. (a) If the crime committed in violation of subdivision 2 is a felony, the statutory maximum for the crime is five years longer than the statutory maximum for the underlying crime. If the crime committed in violation of subdivision 2 is a felony, and the victim of the crime is a child under the age of 18 years, the statutory maximum for the crime is ten years longer than the statutory maximum for the underlying crime.
(b) If the crime committed in violation of subdivision 2 is a misdemeanor, the person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
(c) If the crime committed in violation of subdivision 2 is a gross misdemeanor, the person is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than three years or to payment of a fine of not more than $15,000, or both.
Subd. 4. Mandatory minimum sentence. (a) Unless a longer mandatory minimum sentence is otherwise required by law, or the court imposes a longer aggravated durational departure, or a longer prison sentence is presumed under the Sentencing Guidelines and imposed by the court, a person convicted of a crime described in subdivision 3, paragraph (a), shall be committed to the custody of the commissioner of corrections for not less than one year plus one day.
(b) Any person convicted and sentenced as required by paragraph (a) is not eligible for probation, parole, discharge, work release, or supervised release until that person has served the full term of imprisonment as provided by law, notwithstanding the provisions of sections 242.19, 243.05, 244.04, 609.12, and 609.135.
609.255. False imprisonment
Subdivision 1. Definition. As used in this section, the following term has the meaning given it unless specific content indicates otherwise.
“Caretaker” means an individual who has responsibility for the care of a child as a result of a family relationship, or who has assumed responsibility for all or a portion of the care of a child.
Subd. 2. Intentional restraint. Whoever, knowingly lacking lawful authority to do so, intentionally confines or restrains someone else’s child under the age of 18 years without consent of the child’s parent or legal custodian, or any other person without the person’s consent, is guilty of false imprisonment and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than three years or to payment of a fine of not more than $5,000, or both.
Subd. 3. Unreasonable restraint of children. (a) A parent, legal guardian, or caretaker who intentionally subjects a child under the age of 18 years to unreasonable physical confinement or restraint by means including but not limited to, tying, locking, caging, or chaining for a prolonged period of time and in a cruel manner which is excessive under the circumstances, is guilty of unreasonable restraint of a child and, except as provided in paragraph (b) or (c), may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
(b) If the confinement or restraint results in demonstrable bodily harm, the person may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two years or to payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both.
(c) If the confinement or restraint results in substantial bodily harm, the person may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
Sex Crimes
609.341. Definitions
Subdivision 1. Scope. For the purposes of sections 609.341 to 609.351, the terms in this section have the meanings given them.
Subd. 2. Actor. “Actor” means a person accused of criminal sexual conduct.
Subd. 3. Force. “Force” means either: (1) the infliction by the actor of bodily harm; or (2) the attempted infliction, or threatened infliction by the actor of bodily harm or commission or threat of any other crime by the actor against the complainant or another, which causes the complainant to reasonably believe that the actor has the present ability to execute the threat.
Subd. 4. Consent. (a) “Consent” means words or overt actions by a person indicating a freely given present agreement to perform a particular sexual act with the actor. Consent does not mean the existence of a prior or current social relationship between the actor and the complainant or that the complainant failed to resist a particular sexual act.
(b) A person who is mentally incapacitated or physically helpless as defined by this section cannot consent to a sexual act.
(c) Corroboration of the victim’s testimony is not required to show lack of consent.
Subd. 5. Intimate parts. “Intimate parts” includes the primary genital area, groin, inner thigh, buttocks, or breast of a human being.
Subd. 6. Mentally impaired. “Mentally impaired” means that a person, as a result of inadequately developed or impaired intelligence or a substantial psychiatric disorder of thought or mood, lacks the judgment to give a reasoned consent to sexual contact or to sexual penetration.
Subd. 7. Mentally incapacitated. “Mentally incapacitated” means:
(1) that a person under the influence of alcohol, a narcotic, anesthetic, or any other substance, administered to that person without the person’s agreement, lacks the judgment to give a reasoned consent to sexual contact or sexual penetration; or
(2) that a person is under the influence of any substance or substances to a degree that renders them incapable of consenting or incapable of appreciating, understanding, or controlling the person’s conduct.
Subd. 8. Personal injury. “Personal injury” means bodily harm as defined in section 609.02, subdivision 7, or severe mental anguish or pregnancy.
Subd. 9. Physically helpless. “Physically helpless” means that a person is (a) asleep or not conscious, (b) unable to withhold consent or to withdraw consent because of a physical condition, or (c) unable to communicate nonconsent and the condition is known or reasonably should have been known to the actor.
Subd. 10. Current or recent position of authority. “Current or recent position of authority” includes but is not limited to any person who is a parent or acting in the place of a parent and charged with or assumes any of a parent’s rights, duties or responsibilities to a child, or a person who is charged with or assumes any duty or responsibility for the health, welfare, or supervision of a child, either independently or through another, no matter how brief, at the time of or within 120 days immediately preceding the act. For the purposes of subdivision 11, “current or recent position of authority” includes a psychotherapist.
Subd. 11. Sexual contact. (a) “Sexual contact,” for the purposes of sections 609.343, subdivision 1, clauses (a) to (e), and subdivision 1a, clauses (a) to (f) and (i), and 609.345, subdivision 1, clauses (a) to (d) and (i), and subdivision 1a, clauses (a) to (e), (h), and (i), includes any of the following acts committed without the complainant’s consent, except in those cases where consent is not a defense, and committed with sexual or aggressive intent:
(i) the intentional touching by the actor of the complainant’s intimate parts, or
(ii) the touching by the complainant of the actor’s, the complainant’s, or another’s intimate parts effected by a person in a current or recent position of authority, or by coercion, or by inducement if the complainant is under 14 years of age or mentally impaired, or
(iii) the touching by another of the complainant’s intimate parts effected by coercion or by a person in a current or recent position of authority, or
(iv) in any of the cases above, the touching of the clothing covering the immediate area of the intimate parts, or
(v) the intentional touching with seminal fluid or sperm by the actor of the complainant’s body or the clothing covering the complainant’s body.
(b) “Sexual contact,” for the purposes of sections 609.343, subdivision 1a, clauses (g) and (h), 609.345, subdivision 1a, clauses (f) and (g), and 609.3458, includes any of the following acts committed with sexual or aggressive intent:
(i) the intentional touching by the actor of the complainant’s intimate parts;
(ii) the touching by the complainant of the actor’s, the complainant’s, or another’s intimate parts;
(iii) the touching by another of the complainant’s intimate parts;
(iv) in any of the cases listed above, touching of the clothing covering the immediate area of the intimate parts; or
(v) the intentional touching with seminal fluid or sperm by the actor of the complainant’s body or the clothing covering the complainant’s body.
(c) “Sexual contact with a person under 14” means the intentional touching of the complainant’s bare genitals or anal opening by the actor’s bare genitals or anal opening with sexual or aggressive intent or the touching by the complainant’s bare genitals or anal opening of the actor’s or another’s bare genitals or anal opening with sexual or aggressive intent.
Subd. 12. Sexual penetration. “Sexual penetration” means any of the following acts committed without the complainant’s consent, except in those cases where consent is not a defense, whether or not emission of semen occurs:
(1) sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, or anal intercourse; or
(2) any intrusion however slight into the genital or anal openings:
(i) of the complainant’s body by any part of the actor’s body or any object used by the actor for this purpose;
(ii) of the complainant’s body by any part of the body of the complainant, by any part of the body of another person, or by any object used by the complainant or another person for this purpose, when effected by a person in a current or recent position of authority, or by coercion, or by inducement if the child is under 14 years of age or mentally impaired; or
(iii) of the body of the actor or another person by any part of the body of the complainant or by any object used by the complainant for this purpose, when effected by a person in a current or recent position of authority, or by coercion, or by inducement if the child is under 14 years of age or mentally impaired.
Subd. 13. Complainant. “Complainant” means a person alleged to have been subjected to criminal sexual conduct, but need not be the person who signs the complaint.
Subd. 14. Coercion. “Coercion” means the use by the actor of words or circumstances that cause the complainant reasonably to fear the infliction of bodily harm upon the complainant or another, or the use by the actor of confinement, or superior size or strength, against the complainant to accomplish the act. Proof of coercion does not require proof of a specific act or threat.
Subd. 15. Significant relationship. “Significant relationship” means a situation in which the actor is:
(1) the complainant’s parent, stepparent, or guardian;
(2) any of the following persons related to the complainant by blood, marriage, or adoption: brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, first cousin, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, grandparent, great-grandparent, great-uncle, great-aunt;
(3) an adult who jointly resides intermittently or regularly in the same dwelling as the complainant and who is not the complainant’s spouse; or
(4) an adult who is or was involved in a significant romantic or sexual relationship with the parent of a complainant.
Subd. 16. Patient. “Patient” means a person who seeks or obtains psychotherapeutic services.
Subd. 17. Psychotherapist. “Psychotherapist” means a person who is or purports to be a physician, psychologist, nurse, physician assistant, chemical dependency counselor, social worker, marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor, or other mental health service provider; or any other person, whether or not licensed by the state, who performs or purports to perform psychotherapy.
Subd. 18. Psychotherapy. “Psychotherapy” means the professional treatment, assessment, or counseling of a mental or emotional illness, symptom, or condition.
Subd. 19. Emotionally dependent. “Emotionally dependent” means that the nature of the former patient’s emotional condition and the nature of the treatment provided by the psychotherapist are such that the psychotherapist knows or has reason to know that the former patient is unable to withhold consent to sexual contact or sexual penetration by the psychotherapist.
Subd. 20. Therapeutic deception. “Therapeutic deception” means a representation by a psychotherapist that sexual contact or sexual penetration by the psychotherapist is consistent with or part of the patient’s treatment.
Subd. 21. Special transportation. “Special transportation service” means motor vehicle transportation provided on a regular basis by a public or private entity or person that is intended exclusively or primarily to serve individuals who are vulnerable adults or disabled. Special transportation service includes, but is not limited to, service provided by buses, vans, taxis, and volunteers driving private automobiles.
Subd. 22. Predatory crime. “Predatory crime” means a felony violation of section 609.185 (first-degree murder), 609.19 (second-degree murder), 609.195 (third-degree murder), 609.20 (first-degree manslaughter), 609.205 (second-degree manslaughter), 609.221 (first-degree assault), 609.222 (second-degree assault), 609.223 (third-degree assault), 609.24 (simple robbery), 609.245 (aggravated robbery), 609.247 (carjacking), 609.25 (kidnapping), 609.255 (false imprisonment), 609.498 (tampering with a witness), 609.561 (first-degree arson), or 609.582, subdivision 1 (first-degree burglary).
Subd. 23. Secure treatment facility. “Secure treatment facility” has the meaning given in sections 253B.02, subdivision 18a, and 253D.02, subdivision 13.
Subd. 24. Prohibited occupational relationship. A “prohibited occupational relationship” exists when the actor is in one of the following occupations and the act takes place under the specified circumstances:
(1) the actor performed massage or other bodywork for hire, the sexual penetration or sexual contact occurred during or immediately before or after the actor performed or was hired to perform one of those services for the complainant, and the sexual penetration or sexual contact was nonconsensual; or
(2) the actor and the complainant were in one of the following occupational relationships at the time of the act. Consent by the complainant is not a defense:
(i) the actor was a psychotherapist, the complainant was the actor’s patient, and the sexual penetration or sexual contact occurred during a psychotherapy session or during a period of time when the psychotherapist-patient relationship was ongoing;
(ii) the actor was a psychotherapist and the complainant was the actor’s former patient who was emotionally dependent on the actor;
(iii) the actor was or falsely impersonated a psychotherapist, the complainant was the actor’s patient or former patient, and the sexual penetration or sexual contact occurred by means of therapeutic deception;
(iv) the actor was or falsely impersonated a provider of medical services to the complainant and the sexual penetration or sexual contact occurred by means of deception or false representation that the sexual penetration or sexual contact was for a bona fide medical purpose;
(v) the actor was or falsely impersonated a member of the clergy, the complainant was not married to the actor, the complainant met with the actor in private seeking or receiving religious or spiritual advice, aid, or comfort from the actor, and the sexual penetration or sexual contact occurred during the course of the meeting or during a period of time when the meetings were ongoing;
(vi) the actor provided special transportation service to the complainant and the sexual penetration or sexual contact occurred during or immediately before or after the actor transported the complainant;
(vii) the actor was or falsely impersonated a peace officer, as defined in section 626.84, the actor physically or constructively restrained the complainant or the complainant did not reasonably feel free to leave the actor’s presence, and the sexual penetration or sexual contact was not pursuant to a lawful search or lawful use of force;
(viii) the actor was an employee, independent contractor, or volunteer of a state, county, city, or privately operated adult or juvenile correctional system, or secure treatment facility, or treatment facility providing services to clients civilly committed as mentally ill and dangerous, sexually dangerous persons, or sexual psychopathic personalities, including but not limited to jails, prisons, detention centers, or work release facilities, and the complainant was a resident of a facility or under supervision of the correctional system;
(ix) the complainant was enrolled in a secondary school and:
(A) the actor was a licensed educator employed or contracted to provide service for the school at which the complainant was a student;
(B) the actor was age 18 or older and at least 48 months older than the complainant and was employed or contracted to provide service for the secondary school at which the complainant was a student; or
(C) the actor was age 18 or older and at least 48 months older than the complainant, and was a licensed educator employed or contracted to provide services for an elementary, middle, or secondary school;
(x) the actor was a caregiver, facility staff person, or person providing services in a facility, and the complainant was a vulnerable adult who was a resident, patient, or client of the facility who was impaired in judgment or capacity by mental or emotional dysfunction or undue influence; or
(xi) the actor was a caregiver, facility staff person, or person providing services in a facility, and the complainant was a resident, patient, or client of the facility. This clause does not apply if a consensual sexual personal relationship existed prior to the caregiving relationship or if the actor was a personal care attendant.
Subd. 25. Caregiver. “Caregiver” has the meaning given in section 609.232, subdivision 2.
Subd. 26. Facility. “Facility” has the meaning given in section 609.232, subdivision 3.
Subd. 27. Vulnerable adult. “Vulnerable adult” has the meaning given in section 609.232, subdivision 11.
609.342. Criminal sexual conduct in the first degree
Subdivision 1. Adult victim; crime defined. A person who engages in sexual penetration with another person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
(a) circumstances existing at the time of the act cause the complainant to have a reasonable fear of imminent great bodily harm to the complainant or another;
(b) the actor is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit;
(c) the actor causes personal injury to the complainant, and any of the following circumstances exist:
(i) the actor uses coercion to accomplish the act;
(ii) the actor uses force, as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (2); or
(iii) the actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
(d) the actor uses force as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (1); or
(e) the actor is aided or abetted by one or more accomplices within the meaning of section 609.05, and either of the following circumstances exists:
(i) the actor or an accomplice uses force or coercion to cause the complainant to submit; or
(ii) the actor or an accomplice is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant reasonably to believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit .
Subd. 1a. Victim under the age of 18; crime defined. A person who engages in penetration with anyone under 18 years of age or sexual contact with a person under 14 years of age as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 11, paragraph (c), is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
(a) circumstances existing at the time of the act cause the complainant to have a reasonable fear of imminent great bodily harm to the complainant or another;
(b) the actor is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit;
(c) the actor causes personal injury to the complainant, and any of the following circumstances exist:
(i) the actor uses coercion to accomplish the act;
(ii) the actor uses force, as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (2); or
(iii) the actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
(d) the actor is aided or abetted by one or more accomplices within the meaning of section 609.05, and either of the following circumstances exists:
(i) the actor or an accomplice uses force or coercion to cause the complainant to submit; or
(ii) the actor or an accomplice is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit;
(e) the complainant is under 14 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense;
(f) the complainant is at least 14 years of age but less than 16 years of age and:
(i) the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant; and
(ii) the actor is in a current or recent position of authority over the complainant.
Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense;
(g) the complainant was under 16 years of age at the time of the act and the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense;
(h) the complainant was under 16 years of age at the time of the act, and the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and any of the following circumstances exist:
(i) the actor or an accomplice used force or coercion to accomplish the act;
(ii) the complainant suffered personal injury; or
(iii) the sexual abuse involved multiple acts committed over an extended period of time.
Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense; or
(i) the actor uses force, as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (1).
Subd. 2. Penalty. (a) Except as otherwise provided in section 609.3455; or Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.109, a person convicted under subdivision 1 or subdivision 1a may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 30 years or to a payment of a fine of not more than $40,000, or both.
(b) Unless a longer mandatory minimum sentence is otherwise required by law or the Sentencing Guidelines provide for a longer presumptive executed sentence, the court shall presume that an executed sentence of 144 months must be imposed on an offender convicted of violating this section. Sentencing a person in a manner other than that described in this paragraph is a departure from the Sentencing Guidelines.
(c) A person convicted under this section is also subject to conditional release under section 609.3455.
Subd. 3. Stay. Except when imprisonment is required under section 609.3455; or Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.109, if a person is convicted under subdivision 1a, clause (g), the court may stay imposition or execution of the sentence if it finds that:
(a) a stay is in the best interest of the complainant or the family unit; and
(b) a professional assessment indicates that the offender has been accepted by and can respond to a treatment program.
If the court stays imposition or execution of sentence, it shall include the following as conditions of probation:
(1) incarceration in a local jail or workhouse;
(2) a requirement that the offender complete a treatment program; and(3) a requirement that the offender have no unsupervised contact with the complainant until the offender has successfully completed the treatment program unless approved by the treatment program and the supervising correctional agent.
609.343. Criminal sexual conduct in the second degree
Subdivision 1. Adult victim; crime defined. A person who engages in sexual contact with another person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
(a) circumstances existing at the time of the act cause the complainant to have a reasonable fear of imminent great bodily harm to the complainant or another;
(b) the actor is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the dangerous weapon to cause the complainant to submit;
(c) the actor causes personal injury to the complainant, and any of the following circumstances exist:
(i) the actor uses coercion to accomplish the sexual contact;
(ii) the actor uses force, as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (2); or
(iii) the actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
(d) the actor uses force as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (1); or
(e) the actor is aided or abetted by one or more accomplices within the meaning of section 609.05, and either of the following circumstances exists:
(i) the actor or an accomplice uses force or coercion to cause the complainant to submit; or
(ii) the actor or an accomplice is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit .
Subd. 1a. Victim under the age of 18; crime defined. A person who engages in sexual contact with anyone under 18 years of age is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
(a) circumstances existing at the time of the act cause the complainant to have a reasonable fear of imminent great bodily harm to the complainant or another;
(b) the actor is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the dangerous weapon to cause the complainant to submit;
(c) the actor causes personal injury to the complainant, and any of the following circumstances exist:
(i) the actor uses coercion to accomplish the sexual contact;
(ii) the actor uses force, as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (2); or
(iii) the actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
(d) the actor is aided or abetted by one or more accomplices within the meaning of section 609.05, and either of the following circumstances exists:
(i) the actor or an accomplice uses force or coercion to cause the complainant to submit; or
(ii) the actor or an accomplice is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit;
(e) the complainant is under 14 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense. In a prosecution under this clause, the state is not required to prove that the sexual contact was coerced;
(f) the complainant is at least 14 but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant and in a current or recent position of authority over the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense;
(g) the complainant was under 16 years of age at the time of the sexual contact and the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense;
(h) the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant, the complainant was under 16 years of age at the time of the sexual contact, and:
(i) the actor or an accomplice used force or coercion to accomplish the contact;
(ii) the complainant suffered personal injury; or
(iii) the sexual abuse involved multiple acts committed over an extended period of time.
Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense; or
(i) the actor uses force, as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (1).
Subd. 2. Penalty. (a) Except as otherwise provided in section 609.3455; or Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.109, a person convicted under subdivision 1 or subdivision 1a may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 25 years or to a payment of a fine of not more than $35,000, or both.
(b) Unless a longer mandatory minimum sentence is otherwise required by law or the Sentencing Guidelines provide for a longer presumptive executed sentence, the court shall presume that an executed sentence of 90 months must be imposed on an offender convicted of violating subdivision 1, clause (a), (b), (c), (d), or (e) or subdivision 1a, clause (a), (b), (c), (d), (h), or (i). Sentencing a person in a manner other than that described in this paragraph is a departure from the Sentencing Guidelines.
(c) A person convicted under this section is also subject to conditional release under section 609.3455.
Subd. 3. Stay. Except when imprisonment is required under section 609.3455; or Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.109, if a person is convicted under subdivision 1a, clause (g), the court may stay imposition or execution of the sentence if it finds that:
(a) a stay is in the best interest of the complainant or the family unit; and
(b) a professional assessment indicates that the offender has been accepted by and can respond to a treatment program.
If the court stays imposition or execution of sentence, it shall include the following as conditions of probation:
(1) incarceration in a local jail or workhouse;
(2) a requirement that the offender complete a treatment program; and
(3) a requirement that the offender have no unsupervised contact with the complainant until the offender has successfully completed the treatment program unless approved by the treatment program and the supervising correctional agent.
609.344. Criminal sexual conduct in the third degree
Subdivision 1. Adult victim; crime defined. A person who engages in sexual penetration with another person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
(a) the actor uses coercion to accomplish the penetration;
(b) the actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
(c) the actor uses force, as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (2); or
(d) at the time of the act, the actor is in a prohibited occupational relationship with the complainant.
Subd. 1a. Victim under the age of 18; crime defined. A person who engages in sexual penetration with anyone under 18 years of age is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
(a) the complainant is under 14 years of age and the actor is no more than 36 months older than the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant shall be a defense;
(b) the complainant is at least 14 but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 24 months older than the complainant. In any such case if the actor is no more than 60 months older than the complainant, it shall be an affirmative defense, which must be proved by a preponderance of the evidence, that the actor reasonably believes the complainant to be 16 years of age or older. In all other cases, mistake as to the complainant’s age shall not be a defense. Consent by the complainant is not a defense;
(c) the actor uses coercion to accomplish the penetration;
(d) the actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
(e) the complainant is at least 16 but less than 18 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant and in a current or recent position of authority over the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense;
(f) the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and the complainant was at least 16 but under 18 years of age at the time of the sexual penetration. Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense;
(g) the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant, the complainant was at least 16 but under 18 years of age at the time of the sexual penetration, and:
(i) the actor or an accomplice used force or coercion to accomplish the penetration;
(ii) the complainant suffered personal injury; or
(iii) the sexual abuse involved multiple acts committed over an extended period of time.
Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense;
(h) the actor uses force, as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (2); or
(i) at the time of the act, the actor is in a prohibited occupational relationship with the complainant.
Subd. 2. Penalty. Except as otherwise provided in section 609.3455, a person convicted under subdivision 1 or subdivision 1a may be sentenced:
(1) to imprisonment for not more than 15 years or to a payment of a fine of not more than $30,000, or both; or
(2) if the person was convicted under subdivision 1a, paragraph (b), and if the actor was no more than 36 months but more than 24 months older than the complainant, to imprisonment for not more than five years or a fine of not more than $30,000, or both.
A person convicted under this section is also subject to conditional release under section 609.3455.
Subd. 3. Stay. Except when imprisonment is required under section 609.3455; or Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.109, if a person is convicted under subdivision 1a, clause (f), the court may stay imposition or execution of the sentence if it finds that:
(a) a stay is in the best interest of the complainant or the family unit; and
(b) a professional assessment indicates that the offender has been accepted by and can respond to a treatment program.
If the court stays imposition or execution of sentence, it shall include the following as conditions of probation:
(1) incarceration in a local jail or workhouse;
(2) a requirement that the offender complete a treatment program; and
(3) a requirement that the offender have no unsupervised contact with the complainant until the offender has successfully completed the treatment program unless approved by the treatment program and the supervising correctional agent.
609.345. Criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree
Subdivision 1. Adult victim; crime defined. A person who engages in sexual contact with another person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
(a) the actor uses coercion to accomplish the sexual contact;
(b) the actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
(c) the actor uses force, as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (2); or
(d) at the time of the act, the actor is in a prohibited occupational relationship with the complainant.
Subd. 1a. Victim under the age of 18; crime defined. A person who engages in sexual contact with anyone under 18 years of age is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
(a) the complainant is under 14 years of age and the actor is no more than 36 months older than the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age or consent to the act by the complainant is a defense. In a prosecution under this clause, the state is not required to prove that the sexual contact was coerced;
(b) the complainant is at least 14 but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant or in a current or recent position of authority over the complainant. Consent by the complainant to the act is not a defense.
Mistake of age is not a defense unless actor is less than 60 months older. In any such case, if the actor is no more than 60 months older than the complainant, it shall be an affirmative defense which must be proved by a preponderance of the evidence that the actor reasonably believes the complainant to be 16 years of age or older. In all other cases, mistake as to the complainant’s age shall not be a defense;
(c) the actor uses coercion to accomplish the sexual contact;
(d) The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
(e) the complainant is at least 16 but less than 18 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant and in a current or recent position of authority over the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense;
(f) the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and the complainant was at least 16 but under 18 years of age at the time of the sexual contact. Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense;
(g) the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant, the complainant was at least 16 but under 18 years of age at the time of the sexual contact, and:
(i) the actor or an accomplice used force or coercion to accomplish the contact;
(ii) the complainant suffered personal injury; or
(iii) the sexual abuse involved multiple acts committed over an extended period of time.
Neither mistake as to the complainant’s age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense;
(h) the actor uses force, as defined in section 609.341, subdivision 3, clause (2); or
(i) at the time of the act, the actor is in a prohibited occupational relationship with the complainant.
Subd. 2. Penalty. Except as otherwise provided in section 609.3455, a person convicted under subdivision 1 or subdivision 1a may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to a payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both. A person convicted under this section is also subject to conditional release under section 609.3455.
Subd. 3. Stay. Except when imprisonment is required under section 609.3455; or Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.109, if a person is convicted under subdivision 1a, clause (f), the court may stay imposition or execution of the sentence if it finds that:
(a) a stay is in the best interest of the complainant or the family unit; and
(b) a professional assessment indicates that the offender has been accepted by and can respond to a treatment program.
If the court stays imposition or execution of sentence, it shall include the following as conditions of probation:
(1) incarceration in a local jail or workhouse;
(2) a requirement that the offender complete a treatment program; and(3) a requirement that the offender have no unsupervised contact with the complainant until the offender has successfully completed the treatment program unless approved by the treatment program and the supervising correctional agent.
609.3451. Criminal sexual conduct in the fifth degree
Subdivision 1. Sexual penetration; crime defined. A person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the fifth degree if the person engages in nonconsensual sexual penetration.
Subd. 1a. Sexual contact; child present; crime defined. A person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the fifth degree if:
(1) the person engages in nonconsensual sexual contact; or
(2) the person engages in masturbation or lewd exhibition of the genitals in the presence of a minor under the age of 16, knowing or having reason to know the minor is present.
For purposes of this section, “sexual contact” has the meaning given in section 609.341, subdivision 11, paragraph (a), clauses (i), (iv), and (v). Sexual contact also includes the intentional removal or attempted removal of clothing covering the complainant’s intimate parts or undergarments, and the nonconsensual touching by the complainant of the actor’s intimate parts, effected by the actor, if the action is performed with sexual or aggressive intent.
Subd. 2. Gross misdemeanor. A person convicted under subdivision 1a may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to a payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
Subd. 3. Felony. (a) A person is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both, if the person violates subdivision 1.
(b) A person is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than seven years or to payment of a fine of not more than $14,000, or both, if the person violates subdivision 1 or 1a within ten years of:
(1) a conviction under subdivision 1;
(2) a previous conviction for violating subdivision 1a, clause (2), a crime described in paragraph (c), or a statute from another state in conformity with any of these offenses; or
(3) the first of two or more previous convictions for violating subdivision 1a, clause (1), or a statute from another state in conformity with this offense.(c) A previous conviction for violating section 609.342; 609.343; 609.344; 609.345; 609.3453; 617.23, subdivision 2, clause (2), or subdivision 3; or 617.247 may be used to enhance a criminal penalty as provided in paragraph (b).
609.3458. Sexual extortion
Subdivision 1. Crime defined. (a) A person who engages in sexual contact with another person and compels the other person to submit to the contact by making any of the following threats, directly or indirectly, is guilty of sexual extortion:
(1) a threat to withhold or harm the complainant’s trade, business, profession, position, employment, or calling;
(2) a threat to make or cause to be made a criminal charge against the complainant, whether true or false;
(3) a threat to report the complainant’s immigration status to immigration or law enforcement authorities;
(4) a threat to disseminate private sexual images of the complainant as specified in section 617.261, nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images;
(5) a threat to expose information that the actor knows the complainant wishes to keep confidential; or
(6) a threat to withhold complainant’s housing, or to cause complainant a loss or disadvantage in the complainant’s housing, or a change in the cost of complainant’s housing.
(b) A person who engages in sexual penetration with another person and compels the other person to submit to such penetration by making any of the following threats, directly or indirectly, is guilty of sexual extortion:
(1) a threat to withhold or harm the complainant’s trade, business, profession, position, employment, or calling;
(2) a threat to make or cause to be made a criminal charge against the complainant, whether true or false;
(3) a threat to report the complainant’s immigration status to immigration or law enforcement authorities;
(4) a threat to disseminate private sexual images of the complainant as specified in section 617.261, nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images;
(5) a threat to expose information that the actor knows the complainant wishes to keep confidential; or
(6) a threat to withhold complainant’s housing, or to cause complainant a loss or disadvantage in the complainant’s housing, or a change in the cost of complainant’s housing.
Subd. 2. Penalty. (a) A person is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both, if the person violates subdivision 1, paragraph (a).
(b) A person is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 15 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $30,000, or both, if the person violates subdivision 1, paragraph (b).
(c) A person convicted under this section is also subject to conditional release under section 609.3455.Subd. 3. No attempt charge. Notwithstanding section 609.17, no person may be charged with or convicted of an attempt to commit a violation of this section.
Crimes Against the Family
609.378. Neglect or endangerment of child
Subdivision 1. Persons guilty of neglect or endangerment. (a)(1) A parent, legal guardian, or caretaker who willfully deprives a child of necessary food, clothing, shelter, health care, or supervision appropriate to the child’s age, when the parent, guardian, or caretaker is reasonably able to make the necessary provisions and the deprivation harms or is likely to substantially harm the child’s physical, mental, or emotional health is guilty of neglect of a child and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both. If the deprivation results in substantial harm to the child’s physical, mental, or emotional health, the person may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both. If a parent, guardian, or caretaker responsible for the child’s care in good faith selects and depends upon spiritual means or prayer for treatment or care of disease or remedial care of the child, this treatment or care is “health care,” for purposes of this clause.
(2) A parent, legal guardian, or caretaker who knowingly permits the continuing physical or sexual abuse of a child is guilty of neglect of a child and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
(b) A parent, legal guardian, or caretaker who endangers the child’s person or health by:
(1) intentionally or recklessly causing or permitting a child to be placed in a situation likely to substantially harm the child’s physical, mental, or emotional health or cause the child’s death; or
(2) knowingly causing or permitting the child to be present where any person is selling, manufacturing, possessing immediate precursors or chemical substances with intent to manufacture, or possessing a controlled substance, as defined in section 152.01, subdivision 4, in violation of section 152.021, 152.022, 152.023, 152.024, or 152.0262; is guilty of child endangerment and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
If the endangerment results in substantial harm to the child’s physical, mental, or emotional health, the person may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
This paragraph does not prevent a parent, legal guardian, or caretaker from causing or permitting a child to engage in activities that are appropriate to the child’s age, stage of development, and experience, or from selecting health care as defined in subdivision 1, paragraph (a).
(c) A person who intentionally or recklessly causes a child under 14 years of age to be placed in a situation likely to substantially harm the child’s physical health or cause the child’s death as a result of the child’s access to a loaded firearm is guilty of child endangerment and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
If the endangerment results in substantial harm to the child’s physical health, the person may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
Subd. 2. Defenses. It is a defense to a prosecution under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), or paragraph (b), that at the time of the neglect or endangerment there was a reasonable apprehension in the mind of the defendant that acting to stop or prevent the neglect or endangerment would result in substantial bodily harm to the defendant or the child in retaliation.
Crimes Against the Administration of Justice
609.507. Falsely reporting child abuse
A person is guilty of a misdemeanor who:
(1) informs another person that a person has committed sexual abuse, physical abuse, or neglect of a child, as defined in section 260E.03;
(2) knows that the allegation is false or is without reason to believe that the alleged abuser committed the abuse or neglect; and
(3) has the intent that the information influence a child custody hearing.
Theft and Related Crimes
609.527 Identity theft
Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) As used in this section, the following terms have the meanings given them in this subdivision.
(b) “Direct victim” means any person or entity described in section 611A.01, paragraph (b), whose identity has been transferred, used, or possessed in violation of this section.
(c) “False pretense” means any false, fictitious, misleading, or fraudulent information or pretense or pretext depicting or including or deceptively similar to the name, logo, website address, email address, postal address, telephone number, or any other identifying information of a for-profit or not-for-profit business or organization or of a government agency, to which the user has no legitimate claim of right.
(d) “Financial institution” has the meaning given in section 13A.01, subdivision 2.
(e) “Identity” means any name, number, or data transmission that may be used, alone or in conjunction with any other information, to identify a specific individual or entity, including any of the following:
(1) a name, Social Security number, date of birth, official government-issued driver’s license or identification number, government passport number, or employer or taxpayer identification number;
(2) unique electronic identification number, address, account number, or routing code; or
(3) telecommunication identification information or access device.
(f) “Indirect victim” means any person or entity described in section 611A.01, paragraph (b), other than a direct victim.
(g) “Loss” means value obtained, as defined in section 609.52, subdivision 1, clause (3), and expenses incurred by a direct or indirect victim as a result of a violation of this section.
(h) “Unlawful activity” means:
(1) any felony violation of the laws of this state or any felony violation of a similar law of another state or the United States; and
(2) any nonfelony violation of the laws of this state involving theft, theft by swindle, forgery, fraud, or giving false information to a public official, or any nonfelony violation of a similar law of another state or the United States.
(i) “Scanning device” means a scanner, reader, or any other electronic device that is used to access, read, scan, obtain, memorize, or store, temporarily or permanently, information encoded on a computer chip or magnetic strip or stripe of a payment card, driver’s license, or state-issued identification card.
(j) “Reencoder” means an electronic device that places encoded information from the computer chip or magnetic strip or stripe of a payment card, driver’s license, or state-issued identification card, onto the computer chip or magnetic strip or stripe of a different payment card, driver’s license, or state-issued identification card, or any electronic medium that allows an authorized transaction to occur.
(k) “Payment card” means a credit card, charge card, debit card, or any other card that:
(1) is issued to an authorized card user; and
(2) allows the user to obtain, purchase, or receive credit, money, a good, a service, or anything of value.
Subd. 2. Crime. A person who transfers, possesses, or uses an identity that is not the person’s own, with the intent to commit, aid, or abet any unlawful activity is guilty of identity theft and may be punished as provided in subdivision 3.
Subd. 3. Penalties. A person who violates subdivision 2 may be sentenced as follows:
(1) if the offense involves a single direct victim and the total, combined loss to the direct victim and any indirect victims is $250 or less, the person may be sentenced as provided in section 609.52, subdivision 3, clause (5);
(2) if the offense involves a single direct victim and the total, combined loss to the direct victim and any indirect victims is more than $250 but not more than $500, the person may be sentenced as provided in section 609.52, subdivision 3, clause (4);
(3) if the offense involves two or three direct victims or the total, combined loss to the direct and indirect victims is more than $500 but not more than $2,500, the person may be sentenced as provided in section 609.52, subdivision 3, clause (3);
(4) if the offense involves more than three but not more than seven direct victims, or if the total combined loss to the direct and indirect victims is more than $2,500, the person may be sentenced as provided in section 609.52, subdivision 3, clause (2);
(5) if the offense involves eight or more direct victims, or if the total, combined loss to the direct and indirect victims is more than $35,000, the person may be sentenced as provided in section 609.52, subdivision 3, clause (1); and
(6) if the offense is related to possession or distribution of pornographic work in violation of section 617.246 or 617.247, the person may be sentenced as provided in section 609.52, subdivision 3, clause (1).
Subd. 4. Restitution; items provided to victim. (a) A direct or indirect victim of an identity theft crime shall be considered a victim for all purposes, including any rights that accrue under chapter 611A and rights to court-ordered restitution.
(b) The court shall order a person convicted of violating subdivision 2 to pay restitution of not less than $1,000 to each direct victim of the offense.
(c) Upon the written request of a direct victim or the prosecutor setting forth with specificity the facts and circumstances of the offense in a proposed order, the court shall provide to the victim, without cost, a certified copy of the complaint filed in the matter, the judgment of conviction, and an order setting forth the facts and circumstances of the offense.
Subd. 5. Reporting. (a) A person who has learned or reasonably suspects that a person is a direct victim of a crime under subdivision 2 may initiate a law enforcement investigation by contacting the local law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction where the person resides, regardless of where the crime may have occurred. The agency must prepare a police report of the matter, provide the complainant with a copy of that report, and may begin an investigation of the facts, or, if the suspected crime was committed in a different jurisdiction, refer the matter to the law enforcement agency where the suspected crime was committed for an investigation of the facts.
(b) If a law enforcement agency refers a report to the law enforcement agency where the crime was committed, it need not include the report as a crime committed in its jurisdiction for purposes of information that the agency is required to provide to the commissioner of public safety pursuant to section 299C.06.
Subd. 5a. Crime of electronic use of false pretense to obtain identity. (a) A person who, with intent to obtain the identity of another, uses a false pretense in an email to another person or in a web page, electronic communication, advertisement, or any other communication on the Internet, is guilty of a crime.
(b) Whoever commits such offense may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
(c) In a prosecution under this subdivision, it is not a defense that:
(1) the person committing the offense did not obtain the identity of another;
(2) the person committing the offense did not use the identity; or
(3) the offense did not result in financial loss or any other loss to any person.
Subd. 5b. Unlawful possession or use of scanning device or reencoder. (a) A person who uses a scanning device or reencoder without permission of the cardholder of the card from which the information is being scanned or reencoded, with the intent to commit, aid, or abet any unlawful activity, is guilty of a crime.
(b) A person who possesses, with the intent to commit, aid, or abet any unlawful activity, any device, apparatus, equipment, software, material, good, property, or supply that is designed or adapted for use as a scanning device or a reencoder is guilty of a crime.
(c) Whoever commits an offense under paragraph (a) or (b) may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
Subd. 6. Venue. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 627.01, an offense committed under subdivision 2, 5a, or 5b may be prosecuted in:
(1) the county where the offense occurred;
(2) the county of residence or place of business of the direct victim or indirect victim; or
(3) in the case of a violation of subdivision 5a or 5b, the county of residence of the person whose identity was obtained or sought.
Subd. 7. Aggregation. In any prosecution under subdivision 2, the value of the money or property or services the defendant receives or the number of direct or indirect victims within any six-month period may be aggregated and the defendant charged accordingly in applying the provisions of subdivision 3; provided that when two or more offenses are committed by the same person in two or more counties, the accused may be prosecuted in any county in which one of the offenses was committed for all of the offenses aggregated under this subdivision.
Subd. 8. Release of limited account information to law enforcement authorities. (a) A financial institution may release the information described in paragraph (b) to a law enforcement or prosecuting authority that certifies in writing that it is investigating or prosecuting a crime of identity theft under this section. The certification must describe with reasonable specificity the nature of the suspected identity theft that is being investigated or prosecuted, including the dates of the suspected criminal activity.
(b) This subdivision applies to requests for the following information relating to a potential victim’s account:
(1) the name of the account holder or holders; and
(2) the last known home address and telephone numbers of the account holder or holders.
(c) A financial institution may release the information requested under this subdivision that it possesses within a reasonable time after the request. The financial institution may not impose a fee for furnishing the information.
(d) A financial institution is not liable in a criminal or civil proceeding for releasing information in accordance with this subdivision.
(e) Release of limited account information to a law enforcement agency under this subdivision is criminal investigative data under section 13.82, subdivision 7, except that when the investigation becomes inactive the account information remains confidential data on individuals or protected nonpublic data.
Damage or Trespass to Property
609.582. Burglary
Subdivision 1. Burglary in the first degree. Whoever enters a building without consent and with intent to commit a crime, or enters a building without consent and commits a crime while in the building, either directly or as an accomplice, commits burglary in the first degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 20 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $35,000, or both, if:
(a) the building is a dwelling and another person, not an accomplice, is present in it when the burglar enters or at any time while the burglar is in the building;
(b) the burglar possesses, when entering or at any time while in the building, any of the following: a dangerous weapon, any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the victim to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon, or an explosive; or
(c) the burglar assaults a person within the building or on the building’s appurtenant property.
Subd. 1a. Mandatory minimum sentence for burglary of occupied dwelling. A person convicted of committing burglary of an occupied dwelling, as defined in subdivision 1, clause (a), must be committed to the commissioner of corrections or county workhouse for not less than six months.
Subd. 2. Burglary in the second degree. (a) Whoever enters a building without consent and with intent to commit a crime, or enters a building without consent and commits a crime while in the building, either directly or as an accomplice, commits burglary in the second degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both, if:
(1) the building is a dwelling;
(2) the portion of the building entered contains a banking business or other business of receiving securities or other valuable papers for deposit or safekeeping and the entry is with force or threat of force;
(3) the portion of the building entered contains a pharmacy or other lawful business or practice in which controlled substances are routinely held or stored, and the entry is forcible; or
(4) when entering or while in the building, the burglar possesses a tool to gain access to money or property.
(b) Whoever enters a government building, religious establishment, historic property, or school building without consent and with intent to commit a crime under section 609.52 or 609.595, or enters a government building, religious establishment, historic property, or school building without consent and commits a crime under section 609.52 or 609.595 while in the building, either directly or as an accomplice, commits burglary in the second degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both.
Subd. 3. Burglary in the third degree. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, whoever enters a building without consent and with intent to steal or commit any felony or gross misdemeanor while in the building, or enters a building without consent and steals or commits a felony or gross misdemeanor while in the building, either directly or as an accomplice, commits burglary in the third degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
(b) Whoever enters a building that is open to the public, other than a building identified in subdivision 2, paragraph (b), with intent to steal while in the building, or enters a building that is open to the public, other than a building identified in subdivision 2, paragraph (b), and steals while in the building, either directly or as an accomplice, commits burglary in the third degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both, if:
(1) the person enters the building within one year after being told to leave the building and not return; and
(2) the person has been convicted within the preceding five years for an offense under this section, section 256.98, 268.182, 609.24, 609.245, 609.52, 609.522, 609.53, 609.625, 609.63, 609.631, or 609.821, or a statute from another state, the United States, or a foreign jurisdiction, in conformity with any of those sections, and the person received a felony sentence for the offense or a sentence that was stayed under section 609.135 if the offense to which a plea was entered would allow imposition of a felony sentence.
Subd. 4. Burglary in the fourth degree. (a) Whoever enters a building without consent and with intent to commit a misdemeanor other than to steal, or enters a building without consent and commits a misdemeanor other than to steal while in the building, either directly or as an accomplice, commits burglary in the fourth degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
(b) Whoever enters a building that is open to the public, other than a building identified in subdivision 2, paragraph (b), with intent to steal while in the building, or enters a building that is open to the public, other than a building identified in subdivision 2, paragraph (b), and steals while in the building, either directly or as an accomplice, commits burglary in the fourth degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both, if the person enters the building within one year after being told to leave the building and not return.
Crimes Against Public Safety and Health
609.665. Spring guns
Whoever sets a spring gun, pitfall, deadfall, snare, or other like dangerous weapon or device may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than six months or to payment of a fine of not more than $1,000, or both.
Public Misconduct or Nuisance
609.748. Harassment; restraining order
Subdivision 1. Definition. For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given them in this subdivision.
(a) “Harassment” includes:
(1) a single incident of physical or sexual assault, a single incident of harassment under section 609.749, subdivision 2, paragraph (c), clause (8), a single incident of nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images under section 617.261, or repeated incidents of intrusive or unwanted acts, words, or gestures that have a substantial adverse effect or are intended to have a substantial adverse effect on the safety, security, or privacy of another, regardless of the relationship between the actor and the intended target;
(2) targeted residential picketing; and
(3) a pattern of attending public events after being notified that the actor’s presence at the event is harassing to another.
(b) “Respondent” includes any adults or juveniles alleged to have engaged in harassment or organizations alleged to have sponsored or promoted harassment.
(c) “Targeted residential picketing” includes the following acts when committed on more than one occasion:
(1) marching, standing, or patrolling by one or more persons directed solely at a particular residential building in a manner that adversely affects the safety, security, or privacy of an occupant of the building; or
(2) marching, standing, or patrolling by one or more persons which prevents an occupant of a residential building from gaining access to or exiting from the property on which the residential building is located.
Subd. 2. Restraining order; court jurisdiction. (a) A person who is a victim of harassment or the victim’s guardian or conservator may seek a restraining order from the district court in the manner provided in this section.
(b) The parent, guardian or conservator, or stepparent of a minor who is a victim of harassment may seek a restraining order from the district court on behalf of the minor.
(c) A minor may seek a restraining order if the minor demonstrates that the minor is emancipated and the court finds that the order is in the best interests of the emancipated minor. A minor demonstrates the minor is emancipated by a showing that the minor is living separate and apart from parents and managing the minor’s own financial affairs, and shows, through an instrument in writing or other agreement, or by the conduct of the parties that all parents who have a legal parent and child relationship with the minor have relinquished control and authority over the minor.
(d) An application for relief under this section may be filed in the county of residence of either party or in the county in which the alleged harassment occurred. There are no residency requirements that apply to a petition for a harassment restraining order.
Subd. 3. Contents of petition; hearing; notice. (a) A petition for relief must allege facts sufficient to show the following:
(1) the name of the alleged harassment victim;
(2) the name of the respondent; and
(3) that the respondent has engaged in harassment.
A petition for relief must state whether the petitioner has had a previous restraining order in effect against the respondent. The petition shall be accompanied by an affidavit made under oath stating the specific facts and circumstances from which relief is sought. The court shall provide simplified forms and clerical assistance to help with the writing and filing of a petition under this section and shall advise the petitioner of the right to sue in forma pauperis under section 563.01. The court shall advise the petitioner of the right to request a hearing. If the petitioner does not request a hearing, the court shall advise the petitioner that the respondent may request a hearing and that notice of the hearing date and time will be provided to the petitioner by mail at least five days before the hearing. Upon receipt of the petition and a request for a hearing by the petitioner, the court shall order a hearing. Personal service must be made upon the respondent not less than five days before the hearing. If personal service cannot be completed in time to give the respondent the minimum notice required under this paragraph, the court may set a new hearing date. Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a hearing on a matter that has no merit.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the order for a hearing and a temporary order issued under subdivision 4 may be served on the respondent by means of a one-week published notice under section 645.11, if:
(1) the petitioner files an affidavit with the court stating that an attempt at personal service made by a peace officer was unsuccessful because the respondent is avoiding service by concealment or otherwise; and
(2) a copy of the petition and order for hearing and any temporary restraining order has been mailed to the respondent at the respondent’s residence or place of business, if the respondent is an organization, or the respondent’s residence or place of business is not known to the petitioner.
(c) Regardless of the method of service, if the respondent is a juvenile, whenever possible, the court also shall have notice of the pendency of the case and of the time and place of the hearing served by mail at the last known address upon any parent or guardian of the juvenile respondent who is not the petitioner.
(d) A request for a hearing under this subdivision must be made within 20 days of service of the petition.
Subd. 3a. Filing fee. The filing fees for a restraining order under this section are waived for the petitioner and the respondent if the petition alleges acts that would constitute a violation of section 609.749, subdivision 2, 3, 4, or 5, or sections 609.342 to 609.3451.
Subd. 4. Temporary restraining order; relief by court. (a) The court may issue a temporary restraining order that provides any or all of the following:
(1) orders the respondent to cease or avoid the harassment of another person; or
(2) orders the respondent to have no contact with another person.
(b) The court may issue an order under paragraph (a) if the petitioner files a petition in compliance with subdivision 3 and if the court finds reasonable grounds to believe that the respondent has engaged in harassment. When a petition alleges harassment as defined by subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (1), the petition must further allege an immediate and present danger of harassment before the court may issue a temporary restraining order under this section. When signed by a referee, the temporary order becomes effective upon the referee’s signature.
(c) Notice need not be given to the respondent before the court issues a temporary restraining order under this subdivision. A copy of the restraining order must be served on the respondent along with the order for hearing and petition, as provided in subdivision 3. If the respondent is a juvenile, whenever possible, a copy of the restraining order, along with notice of the pendency of the case and the time and place of the hearing, shall also be served by mail at the last known address upon any parent or guardian of the juvenile respondent who is not the petitioner. A temporary restraining order may be entered only against the respondent named in the petition.
(d) The temporary restraining order is in effect until a hearing is held on the issuance of a restraining order under subdivision 5. The court shall hold the hearing on the issuance of a restraining order if the petitioner requests a hearing. The hearing may be continued by the court upon a showing that the respondent has not been served with a copy of the temporary restraining order despite the exercise of due diligence or if service is made by published notice under subdivision 3 and the petitioner files the affidavit required under that subdivision.
(e) If the temporary restraining order has been issued and the respondent requests a hearing, the hearing shall be scheduled by the court upon receipt of the respondent’s request. Service of the notice of hearing must be made upon the petitioner not less than five days prior to the hearing. The court shall serve the notice of the hearing upon the petitioner by mail in the manner provided in the Rules of Civil Procedure for pleadings subsequent to a complaint and motions and shall also mail notice of the date and time of the hearing to the respondent. In the event that service cannot be completed in time to give the respondent or petitioner the minimum notice required under this subdivision, the court may set a new hearing date.
(f) A request for a hearing under this subdivision must be made within 20 days of the date of completed service of the petition.
Subd. 5. Restraining order. (a) The court may issue a restraining order that provides any or all of the following:
(1) orders the respondent to cease or avoid the harassment of another person; or
(2) orders the respondent to have no contact with another person.
(b) The court may issue an order under paragraph (a) if all of the following occur:
(1) the petitioner has filed a petition under subdivision 3;
(2) a peace officer has served respondent with a copy of the temporary restraining order obtained under subdivision 4, and with notice of the right to request a hearing, or service has been made by publication under subdivision 3, paragraph (b); and
(3) the court finds at the hearing that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the respondent has engaged in harassment.
A restraining order may be issued only against the respondent named in the petition; except that if the respondent is an organization, the order may be issued against and apply to all of the members of the organization. If the court finds that the petitioner has had two or more previous restraining orders in effect against the same respondent or the respondent has violated a prior or existing restraining order on two or more occasions, relief granted by the restraining order may be for a period of up to 50 years. In all other cases, relief granted by the restraining order must be for a fixed period of not more than two years. When a referee presides at the hearing on the petition, the restraining order becomes effective upon the referee’s signature.
(c) An order issued under this subdivision must be personally served upon the respondent, or if the respondent appears remotely for a hearing and is notified at the hearing by the judicial officer that a restraining order will be issued, the order may be served on the respondent electronically or by first class mail, as ordered by the court.
(d) If the court orders relief for a period of up to 50 years under paragraph (a), the respondent named in the restraining order may request to have the restraining order vacated or modified if the order has been in effect for at least five years and the respondent has not violated the order. Application for relief under this paragraph must be made in the county in which the restraining order was issued. Upon receipt of the request, the court shall set a hearing date. Personal service must be made upon the petitioner named in the restraining order not less than 30 days before the date of the hearing. At the hearing, the respondent named in the restraining order has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that there has been a material change in circumstances and that the reasons upon which the court relied in granting the restraining order no longer apply and are unlikely to occur. If the court finds that the respondent named in the restraining order has met the burden of proof, the court may vacate or modify the order. If the court finds that the respondent named in the restraining order has not met the burden of proof, the court shall deny the request and no request may be made to vacate or modify the restraining order until five years have elapsed from the date of denial. An order vacated or modified under this paragraph must be personally served on the petitioner named in the restraining order.
Subd. 5a. Short-form notification. (a) In lieu of personal service of a harassment restraining order, a peace officer may serve a person with a short-form notification. The short-form notification must include the following clauses: the respondent’s name; the respondent’s date of birth, if known; the petitioner’s name; the names of other protected parties; the date and county in which the temporary restraining order or restraining order was filed; the court file number; the hearing date and time, if known; the conditions that apply to the respondent, either in checklist form or handwritten; and the name of the judge who signed the order.
The short-form notification must be in bold print in the following form:
“The restraining order is now enforceable. You must report to your nearest sheriff’s office or county court to obtain a copy of the restraining order. You are subject to arrest and may be charged with a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, or felony if you violate any of the terms of the restraining order or this short-form notification.”
(b) Upon verification of the identity of the respondent and the existence of an unserved harassment restraining order against the respondent, a law enforcement officer may detain the respondent for a reasonable time necessary to complete and serve the short-form notification.
(c) When service is made by short-form notification, it may be proved by the affidavit of the law enforcement officer making the service.
(d) For service under this section only, service upon an individual may occur at any time, including Sundays and legal holidays.
(e) The superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension shall provide the short form to law enforcement agencies.
Subd. 5b. Personal service ; procedures; cost; reasonable efforts and cooperation required. (a) Where personal service is required under this section, service must comply with rule 4.03 of the Rules of Civil Procedure.
(b) In addition to peace officers, corrections officers, including but not limited to probation officers, court services officers, parole officers, and employees of jails or correctional facilities, may serve a temporary restraining order or restraining order and must, to the extent possible, provide any sheriff, law enforcement officer, or other peace officer attempting to effectuate service with relevant information regarding where a respondent may be found, such as the respondent’s residence, the respondent’s place of employment or schooling, or other locations frequented by the respondent.
(c) The court administrator and any peace officer in this state shall perform their duties relating to service of process without charge to the petitioner. The court shall direct payment of the reasonable costs of service of process if served by a private process server when a peace officer is unavailable or if service is made by publication.
(d) A sheriff, law enforcement officer, or any other peace officer must make reasonable efforts to locate a respondent to effectuate service. Reasonable efforts may include:
(1) a search of any information that is publicly available;
(2) a search of any government data in a database to which the sheriff, law enforcement officer, or other peace officer has access, provided the data is classified as public data on individuals as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 15, or is otherwise available to criminal justice agencies, as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 3a; and
(3) communication with any court administrator, the sheriff of any county in this state, and any other law enforcement officer, peace officer, or corrections officer.
(e) A sheriff, law enforcement officer, or any other peace officer who serves a respondent who the sheriff or officer knows is on supervised probation or supervised release with a temporary restraining order, restraining order, or short-form notification must provide a copy of the served order or notification to the respondent’s probation officer, supervised release or conditional release agent, or parole officer.
Subd. 5c. Dismissals. Orders for dismissal of a temporary restraining order or a restraining order may be served personally or by certified mail.
Subd. 6. Violation of restraining order. (a) A person who violates a restraining order issued under this section is subject to the penalties provided in paragraphs (b) to (d).
(b) Except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (c) and (d), when a temporary restraining order or a restraining order is granted under this section and the respondent knows of the order, violation of the order is a misdemeanor.
(c) A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who violates the order within ten years of a previous qualified domestic violence-related offense conviction or adjudication of delinquency.
(d) A person is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both, if the person violates the order:
(1) within ten years of the first of two or more previous qualified domestic violence-related offense convictions or adjudications of delinquency;
(2) because of the victim’s or another’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability as defined in section 363A.03, age, or national origin;
(3) by falsely impersonating another;
(4) while possessing a dangerous weapon;
(5) with an intent to influence or otherwise tamper with a juror or a judicial proceeding or with intent to retaliate against a judicial officer, as defined in section 609.415, or a prosecutor, defense attorney, or officer of the court, because of that person’s performance of official duties in connection with a judicial proceeding; or
(6) against a victim under the age of 18, if the respondent is more than 36 months older than the victim.
(e) A person who commits violations in two or more counties may be prosecuted in any county in which one of the acts was committed for all acts in violation of this section.
(f) A person may be prosecuted at the place where any call is made or received or, in the case of wireless or electronic communication or any communication made through any available technologies, where the actor or victim resides, or in the jurisdiction of the victim’s designated address if the victim participates in the address confidentiality program established under chapter 5B.
(g) A peace officer shall arrest without a warrant and take into custody a person whom the peace officer has probable cause to believe has violated an order issued under subdivision 4 or 5 if the existence of the order can be verified by the officer.
(h) A violation of a temporary restraining order or restraining order shall also constitute contempt of court.
(i) Upon the filing of an affidavit by the petitioner, any peace officer, or an interested party designated by the court, alleging that the respondent has violated an order issued under subdivision 4 or 5, the court may issue an order to the respondent requiring the respondent to appear within 14 days and show cause why the respondent should not be held in contempt of court. The court also shall refer the violation of the order to the appropriate prosecuting authority for possible prosecution under paragraph (b), (c), or (d).
Subd. 7. Copy to law enforcement agency. An order granted under this section shall be forwarded by the court administrator within 24 hours to the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the residence of the applicant. Each appropriate law enforcement agency shall make available to other law enforcement officers through a system for verification, information as to the existence and status of any order issued under this section.
Subd. 8. Notice. (a) An order granted under this section must contain a conspicuous notice to the respondent:
(1) of the specific conduct that will constitute a violation of the order;
(2) that violation of an order is either (i) a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to 90 days or a fine of up to $1,000, or both, (ii) a gross misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to 364 days or a fine of up to $3,000, or both, or (iii) a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to $10,000, or both; and
(3) that a peace officer must arrest without warrant and take into custody a person if the peace officer has probable cause to believe the person has violated a restraining order.
(b) If the court grants relief for a period of up to 50 years under subdivision 5, the order must also contain a conspicuous notice to the respondent that the respondent must wait five years to seek a modification of the order.
Subd. 9. Effect on local ordinances. Nothing in this section shall supersede or preclude the continuation or adoption of any local ordinance which applies to a broader scope of targeted residential picketing conduct than that described in subdivision 1.
Subd. 10. Prohibition against employer retaliation. (a) An employer shall not discharge, discipline, threaten, otherwise discriminate against, or penalize an employee regarding the employee’s compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges of employment, because the employee took reasonable time off from work to obtain or attempt to obtain relief under this section. Except in cases of imminent danger to the health or safety of the employee or the employee’s child, or unless impracticable, an employee who is absent from the workplace shall give 48 hours’ advance notice to the employer. Upon request of the employer, the employee shall provide verification that supports the employee’s reason for being absent from the workplace. All information related to the employee’s leave pursuant to this section shall be kept confidential by the employer.
(b) An employer who violates paragraph (a) is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be punished for contempt of court. In addition, the court shall order the employer to pay back wages and offer job reinstatement to any employee discharged from employment in violation of paragraph (a).
(c) In addition to any remedies otherwise provided by law, an employee injured by a violation of paragraph (a) may bring a civil action for recovery of damages, together with costs and disbursements, including reasonable attorneys fees, and may receive such injunctive and other equitable relief, including reinstatement, as determined by the court.
609.749. Harassment; stalking; penalties
Subd. 1. Repealed by Laws 2020, c. 96, § 6, eff. Aug. 1, 2020.
Subd. 1a. Repealed by Laws 2020, c. 96, § 6, eff. Aug. 1, 2020.
Subd. 1b. Venue. (a) When acts constituting a violation of this section are committed in two or more counties, the accused may be prosecuted in any county in which one of the acts was committed for all acts in violation of this section.
(b) The conduct described in subdivision 2, clauses (4) and (5), may be prosecuted at the place where any call is made or received or, in the case of wireless or electronic communication or any communication made through any available technologies, where the actor or victim resides or in the jurisdiction of the victim’s designated address if the victim participates in the address confidentiality program established by chapter 5B. The conduct described in subdivision 2, clause (2), may be prosecuted where the actor or victim resides. The conduct described in subdivision 2, clause (6), may be prosecuted where any letter, telegram, message, package, or other object is sent or received or, in the case of wireless or electronic communication or communication made through other available technologies, where the actor or victim resides or in the jurisdiction of the victim’s designated address if the victim participates in the address confidentiality program established by chapter 5B.
Subd. 1c. Arrest. For all violations under this section, except a violation of subdivision 2, clause (7), a peace officer may make an arrest under the provisions of section 629.34. A peace officer may not make a warrantless, custodial arrest of any person for a violation of subdivision 2, clause (7).
Subd. 2. Harassment crimes. (a) As used in this subdivision, the following terms have the meanings given:
(1) “family or household members” has the meaning given in section 518B.01, subdivision 2, paragraph (b);
(2) “personal information” has the meaning given in section 617.261, subdivision 7, paragraph (f);
(3) “sexual act” has the meaning given in section 617.261, subdivision 7, paragraph (g); and
(4) “substantial emotional distress” means mental distress, mental suffering, or mental anguish as demonstrated by a victim’s response to an act including but not limited to seeking psychotherapy as defined in section 604.20, losing sleep or appetite, being diagnosed with a mental-health condition, experiencing suicidal ideation, or having difficulty concentrating on tasks resulting in a loss of productivity.
(b) A person who commits any of the acts listed in paragraph (c) is guilty of a gross misdemeanor if the person, with the intent to kill, injure, harass, or intimidate another person:
(1) places the other person in reasonable fear of substantial bodily harm;
(2) places the person in reasonable fear that the person’s family or household members will be subject to substantial bodily harm; or
(3) causes or would reasonably be expected to cause substantial emotional distress to the other person.
(c) A person commits harassment under this section if the person:
(1) directly or indirectly, or through third parties, manifests a purpose or intent to injure the person, property, or rights of another by the commission of an unlawful act;
(2) follows, monitors, or pursues another, whether in person or through any available technological or other means;
(3) returns to the property of another if the actor is without claim of right to the property or consent of one with authority to consent;
(4) repeatedly makes telephone calls, sends text messages, or induces a victim to make telephone calls to the actor, whether or not conversation ensues;
(5) makes or causes the telephone of another repeatedly or continuously to ring;
(6) repeatedly mails or delivers or causes the delivery by any means, including electronically, of letters, telegrams, messages, packages, through assistive devices for people with vision impairments or hearing loss, or any communication made through any available technologies or other objects;
(7) knowingly makes false allegations against a peace officer concerning the officer’s performance of official duties with intent to influence or tamper with the officer’s performance of official duties; or
(8) uses another’s personal information, without consent, to invite, encourage, or solicit a third party to engage in a sexual act with the person.
Subd. 3. Aggravated violations. (a) A person who commits any of the following acts is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both:
(1) commits any offense described in subdivision 2 in whole or in substantial part because of the victim’s or another’s actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03, or because of the victim’s actual or perceived association with another person or group of a certain actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03;
(2) commits any offense described in subdivision 2 by falsely impersonating another;
(3) commits any offense described in subdivision 2 and a dangerous weapon was used in any way in the commission of the offense;
(4) commits any offense described in subdivision 2 with intent to influence or otherwise tamper with a juror or a judicial proceeding or with intent to retaliate against a judicial officer, as defined in section 609.415, or a prosecutor, defense attorney, or officer of the court, because of that person’s performance of official duties in connection with a judicial proceeding; or
(5) commits any offense described in subdivision 2 against a victim under the age of 18, if the actor is more than 36 months older than the victim.
(b) A person who commits any offense described in subdivision 2 against a victim under the age of 18, if the actor is more than 36 months older than the victim, and the act is committed with sexual or aggressive intent, is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both.
Subd. 4. Second or subsequent violations; felony. (a) A person is guilty of a felony who violates any provision of subdivision 2 within ten years of a previous qualified domestic violence-related offense conviction or adjudication of delinquency, and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
(b) A person is guilty of a felony who violates any provision of subdivision 2 within ten years of the first of two or more previous qualified domestic violence-related offense convictions or adjudications of delinquency, and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both.
Subd. 5. Stalking. (a) A person who engages in stalking with respect to a single victim or one or more members of a single household which the actor knows or has reason to know would cause the victim under the circumstances to feel terrorized or to fear bodily harm and which does cause this reaction on the part of the victim, is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both.
(b) For purposes of this subdivision, “stalking” means two or more acts within a five-year period that violate or attempt to violate the provisions of any of the following or a similar law of another state, the United States, the District of Columbia, tribe, or United States territories:
(1) this section;
(2) sections 609.185 to 609.205 (first- to third-degree murder and first- and second-degree manslaughter);
(3) section 609.713 (terroristic threats);
(4) section 609.224 (fifth-degree assault);
(5) section 609.2242 (domestic assault);
(6) section 518B.01, subdivision 14 (violations of domestic abuse orders for protection);
(7) section 609.748, subdivision 6 (violations of harassment restraining orders);
(8) section 609.605, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), clauses (3), (4), and (7) (certain trespass offenses);
(9) section 609.78, subdivision 2 (interference with an emergency call);
(10) section 609.79 (obscene or harassing telephone calls);
(11) section 609.795 (letter, telegram, or package; opening; harassment);
(12) section 609.582 (burglary);
(13) section 609.595 (damage to property);
(14) section 609.765 (criminal defamation);
(15) sections 609.342 to 609.3451 (first- to fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct);
(16) section 609.3458 (sexual extortion); or
(17) section 629.75, subdivision 2 (violations of domestic abuse no contact orders).
(c) Words set forth in parentheses after references to statutory sections in paragraph (b) are mere catchwords included solely for convenience in reference. They are not substantive and may not be used to construe or limit the meaning of the cited statutory provision.
Subd. 6. Mental health assessment and treatment. (a) When a person is convicted of a felony offense under this section, or another felony offense arising out of a charge based on this section, the court shall order an independent professional mental health assessment of the offender’s need for mental health treatment. The court may waive the assessment if an adequate assessment was conducted prior to the conviction.
(b) Notwithstanding sections 13.384, 13.85, 144.291 to 144.298, 260B.171, or 260C.171, the assessor has access to the following private or confidential data on the person if access is relevant and necessary for the assessment:
(1) medical data under section 13.384;
(2) welfare data under section 13.46;
(3) corrections and detention data under section 13.85;
(4) health records under sections 144.291 to 144.298; and
(5) juvenile court records under sections 260B.171 and 260C.171.
Data disclosed under this section may be used only for purposes of the assessment and may not be further disclosed to any other person, except as authorized by law.
(c) If the assessment indicates that the offender is in need of and amenable to mental health treatment, the court shall include in the sentence a requirement that the offender undergo treatment.
(d) The court shall order the offender to pay the costs of assessment under this subdivision unless the offender is indigent under section 563.01.
Subd. 7. Exception. Conduct is not a crime under this section if it is performed under terms of a valid license, to ensure compliance with a court order, or to carry out a specific lawful commercial purpose or employment duty, is authorized or required by a valid contract, or is authorized, required, or protected by state, federal, or tribal law or the state, federal, or tribal constitutions. Subdivision 2, clause (2), does not impair the right of any individual or group to engage in speech protected by the federal, state, or tribal constitutions, or federal, state, or tribal law, including peaceful and lawful handbilling and picketing.
Subd. 8. Harassment; stalking; firearms. (a) When a person is convicted of harassment or stalking under this section and the court determines that the person used a firearm in any way during commission of the crime, the court may order that the person is prohibited from possessing any type of firearm for any period longer than three years or for the remainder of the person’s life. A person who violates this paragraph is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. At the time of the conviction, the court shall inform the defendant for how long the defendant is prohibited from possessing a firearm and that it is a gross misdemeanor to violate this paragraph. The failure of the court to provide this information to a defendant does not affect the applicability of the firearm possession prohibition or the gross misdemeanor penalty to that defendant.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (a), when a person is convicted of harassment or stalking under this section, the court shall inform the defendant that the defendant is prohibited from possessing a firearm for three years from the date of conviction and that it is a gross misdemeanor offense to violate this prohibition. The failure of the court to provide this information to a defendant does not affect the applicability of the firearm possession prohibition or the gross misdemeanor penalty to that defendant.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (a), a person is not entitled to possess a pistol if the person has been convicted after August 1, 1996, of harassment or stalking under this section, or to possess a firearm if the person has been convicted on or after August 1, 2014, of harassment or stalking under this section, unless three years have elapsed from the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of any other violation of this section. Property rights may not be abated but access may be restricted by the courts. A person who possesses a firearm in violation of this paragraph is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
(d) If the court determines that a person convicted of harassment or stalking under this section owns or possesses a firearm and used it in any way during the commission of the crime, it shall order that the firearm be summarily forfeited under section 609.5316, subdivision 3.
(e) Except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (d) and (g), when a person is convicted of harassment or stalking under this section, the court shall order the defendant to transfer any firearms that the person possesses, within three business days, to a federally licensed firearms dealer, a law enforcement agency, or a third party who may lawfully receive them. The transfer may be permanent or temporary. A temporary firearm transfer only entitles the receiving party to possess the firearm. A temporary transfer does not transfer ownership or title. A defendant may not transfer firearms to a third party who resides with the defendant. If a defendant makes a temporary transfer, a federally licensed firearms dealer or law enforcement agency may charge the defendant a reasonable fee to store the person’s firearms and may establish policies for disposal of abandoned firearms, provided such policies require that the person be notified via certified mail prior to disposal of abandoned firearms. For temporary firearms transfers under this paragraph, a law enforcement agency, federally licensed firearms dealer, or third party shall exercise due care to preserve the quality and function of the transferred firearms and shall return the transferred firearms to the person upon request after the expiration of the prohibiting time period imposed under this subdivision, provided the person is not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. The return of temporarily transferred firearms to a defendant shall comply with state and federal law. If a defendant permanently transfers the defendant’s firearms to a law enforcement agency, the agency is not required to compensate the defendant and may charge the defendant a reasonable processing fee. A law enforcement agency is not required to accept a person’s firearm under this paragraph. The court shall order that the person surrender all permits to carry and purchase firearms to the sheriff.
(f) A defendant who is ordered to transfer firearms under paragraph (e) must file proof of transfer as provided for in this paragraph. If the transfer is made to a third party, the third party must sign an affidavit under oath before a notary public either acknowledging that the defendant permanently transferred the defendant’s firearms to the third party or agreeing to temporarily store the defendant’s firearms until such time as the defendant is legally permitted to possess firearms. The affidavit shall indicate the serial number, make, and model of all firearms transferred by the defendant to the third party. The third party shall acknowledge in the affidavit that the third party may be held criminally and civilly responsible under section 624.7144 if the defendant gains access to a transferred firearm while the firearm is in the custody of the third party. If the transfer is to a law enforcement agency or federally licensed firearms dealer, the law enforcement agency or federally licensed firearms dealer shall provide proof of transfer to the defendant. The proof of transfer must specify whether the firearms were permanently or temporarily transferred and include the name of the defendant, date of transfer, and the serial number, make, and model of all transferred firearms. The defendant shall provide the court with a signed and notarized affidavit or proof of transfer as described in this section within two business days of the firearms transfer. The court shall seal affidavits and proofs of transfer filed pursuant to this paragraph.
(g) When a person is convicted of harassment or stalking under this section, the court shall determine by a preponderance of the evidence if the person poses an imminent risk of causing another person substantial bodily harm. Upon a finding of imminent risk, the court shall order that the local law enforcement agency take immediate possession of all firearms in the person’s possession. The local law enforcement agency shall exercise due care to preserve the quality and function of the defendant’s firearms and shall return the firearms to the person upon request after the expiration of the prohibiting time period, provided the person is not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. The local law enforcement agency shall, upon written notice from the person, transfer the firearms to a federally licensed firearms dealer or a third party who may lawfully receive them. Before a local law enforcement agency transfers a firearm under this paragraph, the agency shall require the third party or federally licensed firearms dealer receiving the firearm to submit an affidavit or proof of transfer that complies with the requirements for affidavits or proofs of transfer established in paragraph (f). The agency shall file all affidavits or proofs of transfer received with the court within two business days of the transfer. The court shall seal all affidavits or proofs of transfer filed pursuant to this paragraph. A federally licensed firearms dealer or third party who accepts a firearm transfer pursuant to this paragraph shall comply with paragraphs (e) and (f) as if accepting transfer from the defendant. If the law enforcement agency does not receive written notice from the defendant within three business days, the agency may charge a reasonable fee to store the defendant’s firearms. A law enforcement agency may establish policies for disposal of abandoned firearms, provided such policies require that the person be notified via certified mail prior to disposal of abandoned firearms.
609.71. Riot
Subdivision 1. Riot first degree. When three or more persons assembled disturb the public peace by an intentional act or threat of unlawful force or violence to person or property and a death results, and one of the persons is armed with a dangerous weapon, that person is guilty of riot first degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 20 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $35,000, or both.
Subd. 2. Riot second degree. When three or more persons assembled disturb the public peace by an intentional act or threat of unlawful force or violence to person or property, each participant who is armed with a dangerous weapon or knows that any other participant is armed with a dangerous weapon is guilty of riot second degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
Subd. 3. Riot third degree. When three or more persons assembled disturb the public peace by an intentional act or threat of unlawful force or violence to person or property, each participant therein is guilty of riot third degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $1,000, or both.
Crimes Against Reputation
609.765. Criminal defamation
Subdivision 1. Definition. Defamatory matter is anything which exposes a person or a group, class or association to hatred, contempt, ridicule, degradation or disgrace in society, or injury to business or occupation.
Subd. 2. Acts constituting. Whoever with knowledge of its false and defamatory character orally, in writing or by any other means, communicates any false and defamatory matter to a third person without the consent of the person defamed is guilty of criminal defamation and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
Subd. 3. Justification. Violation of subdivision 2 is justified if:
(1) the communication is absolutely privileged; or
(2) the communication consists of fair comment made in good faith with respect to persons participating in matters of public concern; or
(3) the communication consists of a fair and true report or a fair summary of any judicial, legislative or other public or official proceedings; or
(4) the communication is between persons each having an interest or duty with respect to the subject matter of the communication and is made with intent to further such interest or duty.
Subd. 4. Testimony required. No person shall be convicted on the basis of an oral communication of defamatory matter except upon the testimony of at least two other persons that they heard and understood the oral statement as defamatory or upon a plea of guilty.
Crimes Relating to Communications
609.79. Obscene or harassing telephone calls
Subdivision 1. Crime defined; obscene call. Whoever,
(1) by means of a telephone,
(i) makes any comment, request, suggestion or proposal which is obscene, lewd, or lascivious,
(ii) with the intent to harass or intimidate another person, repeatedly makes telephone calls, whether or not conversation ensues, and thereby places the other person in reasonable fear of substantial bodily harm; places the person in reasonable fear that the person’s family or household members will be subject to substantial bodily harm; or causes or would reasonably be expected to cause substantial emotional distress to the other person, or
(iii) with the intent to harass or intimidate any person at the called or notified number, makes or causes the telephone of another to repeatedly or continuously ring or receive electronic notifications and thereby places the other person in reasonable fear of substantial bodily harm; places the person in reasonable fear that the person’s family or household members will be subject to substantial bodily harm; or causes or would reasonably be expected to cause substantial emotional distress as defined in section 609.749, subdivision 2, paragraph (a), clause (4), to the other person, or
(2) having control of a telephone, knowingly permits it to be used for any purpose prohibited by this section,
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Subd. 1a. Repealed by Laws 1993, c. 326, art. 2, § 34.Subd. 2. Venue. The offense may be prosecuted either at the place where the call is made or where it is received or, additionally in the case of wireless or electronic communication, where the sender or receiver resides.
Chapter 617. Abortion; Obscenity; Nuisance
Obscenity
617.261. Nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images
Subdivision 1. Crime. It is a crime to intentionally disseminate an image of another person who is depicted in a sexual act or whose intimate parts are exposed, in whole or in part, when:
(1) the person is identifiable:
(i) from the image itself, by the person depicted in the image or by another person; or
(ii) from personal information displayed in connection with the image;
(2) the actor knows or reasonably should know that the person depicted in the image does not consent to the dissemination; and
(3) the image was obtained or created under circumstances in which the actor knew or reasonably should have known the person depicted had a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Subd. 2. Penalties. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), whoever violates subdivision 1 is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
(b) Whoever violates subdivision 1 may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than three years or to payment of a fine of $5,000, or both, if one of the following factors is present:
(1) the person depicted in the image suffers financial loss due to the dissemination of the image;
(2) the actor disseminates the image with intent to profit from the dissemination;
(3) the actor maintains an Internet Web site, online service, online application, or mobile application for the purpose of disseminating the image;
(4) the actor posts the image on a Web site;
(5) the actor disseminates the image with intent to harass the person depicted in the image;
(6) the actor obtained the image by committing a violation of section 609.52, 609.746, 609.89, or 609.891; or
(7) the actor has previously been convicted under this chapter.
Subd. 3. No defense. It is not a defense to a prosecution under this section that the person consented to the capture or possession of the image.
Subd. 4. Venue. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 627.01, an offense committed under this section may be prosecuted in:
(1) the county where the offense occurred;
(2) the county of residence of the actor or victim or in the jurisdiction of the victim’s designated address if the victim participates in the address confidentiality program established by chapter 5B; or
(3) only if venue cannot be located in the counties specified under clause (1) or (2), the county where any image is produced, reproduced, found, stored, received, or possessed in violation of this section.
Subd. 5. Exemptions. Subdivision 1 does not apply when:
(1) the dissemination is made for the purpose of a criminal investigation or prosecution that is otherwise lawful;
(2) the dissemination is for the purpose of, or in connection with, the reporting of unlawful conduct;
(3) the dissemination is made in the course of seeking or receiving medical or mental health treatment and the image is protected from further dissemination;
(4) the image involves exposure in public or was obtained in a commercial setting for the purpose of the legal sale of goods or services, including the creation of artistic products for sale or display;
(5) the image relates to a matter of public interest and dissemination serves a lawful public purpose;
(6) the dissemination is for legitimate scientific research or educational purposes; or
(7) the dissemination is made for legal proceedings and is consistent with common practice in civil proceedings necessary for the proper functioning of the criminal justice system, or protected by court order which prohibits any further dissemination.
Subd. 6. Immunity. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose liability upon the following entities solely as a result of content or information provided by another person:
(1) an interactive computer service as defined in United States Code, title 47, section 230, paragraph (f), clause (2);
(2) a provider of public mobile services or private radio services; or
(3) a telecommunications network or broadband provider.
Subd. 7. Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given.
(b) “Dissemination” means distribution to one or more persons, other than the person depicted in the image, or publication by any publicly available medium.
(c) “Harass” means an act that would cause a substantial adverse effect on the safety, security, or privacy of a reasonable person.
(d) “Image” means a photograph, film, video recording, or digital photograph or recording.
(e) “Intimate parts” means the genitals, pubic area, or anus of an individual, or if the individual is female, a partially or fully exposed nipple.
(f) “Personal information” means any identifier that permits communication or in-person contact with a person, including:
(1) a person’s first and last name, first initial and last name, first name and last initial, or nickname;
(2) a person’s home, school, or work address;
(3) a person’s telephone number, e-mail address, or social media account information; or
(4) a person’s geolocation data.
(g) “Sexual act” means either sexual contact or sexual penetration.
(h) “Sexual contact” means the intentional touching of intimate parts or intentional touching with seminal fluid or sperm onto another person’s body.
(i) “Sexual penetration” means any of the following acts:
(1) sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, or anal intercourse; or
(2) any intrusion, however slight, into the genital or anal openings of an individual by another’s body part or an object used by another for this purpose.
(j) “Social media” means any electronic medium, including an interactive computer service, telephone network, or data network, that allows users to create, share, and view user-generated content.
Subd. 8. Other crimes. Nothing in this section shall limit the power of the state to prosecute or punish a person for conduct that constitutes any other crime under any other law of this state.
Chapter 624. Crimes, Other Provisions
Firearms
624.712. Definitions
Subdivision 1. Scope. As used in sections 624.711 to 624.717, the terms defined in this section shall have the meanings given them.
Subd. 2. Pistol. “Pistol” includes a weapon designed to be fired by the use of a single hand and with an overall length less than 26 inches, or having a barrel or barrels of a length less than 18 inches in the case of a shotgun or having a barrel of a length less than 16 inches in the case of a rifle (1) from which may be fired or ejected one or more solid projectiles by means of a cartridge or shell or by the action of an explosive or the igniting of flammable or explosive substances; or (2) for which the propelling force is a spring, elastic band, carbon dioxide, air or other gas, or vapor.
“Pistol” does not include a device firing or ejecting a shot measuring .18 of an inch, or less, in diameter and commonly known as a “BB gun,” a scuba gun, a stud gun or nail gun used in the construction industry or children’s pop guns or toys.
Subd. 3. Antique firearm. “Antique firearm” means any firearm, including any pistol, with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system, manufactured before 1899 and any replica of any firearm described herein if such replica is not designed or redesigned, made or remade, or intended to fire conventional rimfire or conventional centerfire ammunition, or uses conventional rimfire or conventional centerfire ammunition which is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade.
Subd. 4. Saturday night special pistol. “Saturday night special pistol” means a pistol other than an antique firearm or a pistol for which the propelling force is carbon dioxide, air or other vapor, or children’s pop guns or toys, having a frame, barrel, cylinder, slide or breechblock:
(1) of any material having a melting point (liquidus) of less than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or
(2) of any material having an ultimate tensile strength of less than 55,000 pounds per square inch, or
(3) of any powdered metal having a density of less than 7.5 grams per cubic centimeter.
Subd. 5. Crime of violence. “Crime of violence” means: felony convictions of the following offenses: sections 609.185 (murder in the first degree); 609.19 (murder in the second degree); 609.195 (murder in the third degree); 609.20 (manslaughter in the first degree); 609.205 (manslaughter in the second degree); 609.215 (aiding suicide and aiding attempted suicide); 609.221 (assault in the first degree); 609.222 (assault in the second degree); 609.223 (assault in the third degree); 609.2231 (assault in the fourth degree); 609.224 (assault in the fifth degree); 609.2242 (domestic assault); 609.2247 (domestic assault by strangulation); 609.229 (crimes committed for the benefit of a gang); 609.235 (use of drugs to injure or facilitate crime); 609.24 (simple robbery); 609.245 (aggravated robbery); 609.247 (carjacking); 609.25 (kidnapping); 609.255 (false imprisonment); 609.322 (solicitation, inducement, and promotion of prostitution; sex trafficking); 609.342 (criminal sexual conduct in the first degree); 609.343 (criminal sexual conduct in the second degree); 609.344 (criminal sexual conduct in the third degree); 609.345 (criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree); 609.377 (malicious punishment of a child); 609.378 (neglect or endangerment of a child); 609.486 (commission of crime while wearing or possessing a bullet-resistant vest); 609.52 (involving theft of a firearm and theft involving the theft of a controlled substance, an explosive, or an incendiary device); 609.561 (arson in the first degree); 609.562 (arson in the second degree); 609.582, subdivision 1 or 2 (burglary in the first and second degrees); 609.66, subdivision 1e (drive-by shooting); 609.67 (unlawfully owning, possessing, operating a machine gun or short-barreled shotgun); 609.71 (riot); 609.713 (terroristic threats); 609.749 (harassment); 609.855, subdivision 5 (shooting at a public transit vehicle or facility); and chapter 152 (drugs, controlled substances); and an attempt to commit any of these offenses.
Subd. 6. Transfer. “Transfer” means a sale, gift, loan, assignment or other delivery to another, whether or not for consideration, of a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon or the frame or receiver of a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon.
Subd. 7. Semiautomatic military-style assault weapon. “Semiautomatic military-style assault weapon” means:
(1) any of the following firearms:
(i) Avtomat Kalashnikov (AK-47) semiautomatic rifle type;
(ii) Beretta AR-70 and BM-59 semiautomatic rifle types;
(iii) Colt AR-15 semiautomatic rifle type;
(iv) Daewoo Max-1 and Max-2 semiautomatic rifle types;
(v) Famas MAS semiautomatic rifle type;
(vi) Fabrique Nationale FN-LAR and FN-FNC semiautomatic rifle types;
(vii) Galil semiautomatic rifle type;
(viii) Heckler & Koch HK-91, HK-93, and HK-94 semiautomatic rifle types;
(ix) Ingram MAC-10 and MAC-11 semiautomatic pistol and carbine types;
(x) Intratec TEC-9 semiautomatic pistol type;
(xi) Sigarms SIG 550SP and SIG 551SP semiautomatic rifle types;
(xii) SKS with detachable magazine semiautomatic rifle type;
(xiii) Steyr AUG semiautomatic rifle type;
(xiv) Street Sweeper and Striker-12 revolving-cylinder shotgun types;
(xv) USAS-12 semiautomatic shotgun type;
(xvi) Uzi semiautomatic pistol and carbine types; or
(xvii) Valmet M76 and M78 semiautomatic rifle types;
(2) any firearm that is another model made by the same manufacturer as one of the firearms listed in clause (1), and has the same action design as one of the listed firearms, and is a redesigned, renamed, or renumbered version of one of the firearms listed in clause (1), or has a slight modification or enhancement, including but not limited to a folding or retractable stock; adjustable sight; case deflector for left-handed shooters; shorter barrel; wooden, plastic, or metal stock; larger clip size; different caliber; or a bayonet mount; and
(3) any firearm that has been manufactured or sold by another company under a licensing agreement with a manufacturer of one of the firearms listed in clause (1) entered into after the effective date of Laws 1993, chapter 326, to manufacture or sell firearms that are identical or nearly identical to those listed in clause (1), or described in clause (2), regardless of the company of production or country of origin.
The weapons listed in clause (1), except those listed in items (iii), (ix), (x), (xiv), and (xv), are the weapons the importation of which was barred by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms of the United States Department of the Treasury in July 1989.
Except as otherwise specifically provided in paragraph (d), a firearm is not a “semiautomatic military-style assault weapon” if it is generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes under United States Code, title 18, section 925, paragraph (d)(3), or any regulations adopted pursuant to that law.
Subd. 8. Included weapons. By August 1, 1993, and annually thereafter, the superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension shall publish a current authoritative list of the firearms included within the definition of “semiautomatic military-style assault weapon” under this section. Dealers, purchasers, and other persons may rely on the list in complying with this chapter.
Subd. 9. Business day. “Business day” means a day on which state offices are open for normal business and excludes weekends and legal holidays.
Subd. 10. Crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. “Crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year” does not include:
(1) any federal or state offense pertaining to antitrust violations, unfair trade practices, restraints of trade, or other similar offenses relating to the regulation of business practices; or
(2) any state offense classified by the laws of this state or any other state as a misdemeanor and punishable by a term of imprisonment of two years or less.
What constitutes a conviction of a crime shall be determined in accordance with the law of the jurisdiction in which the proceedings were held. Any conviction which has been expunged, or set aside, or for which a person has been pardoned or has had civil rights restored shall not be considered a conviction for purposes of this definition, unless such pardon, expungement, or restoration of civil rights expressly provides that the person may not ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms.
Subd. 11. Commissioner. “Commissioner” means the commissioner of public safety unless otherwise indicated.
Subd. 12. Ammunition. “Ammunition” has the meaning given in section 609.02, subdivision 17.
Subd. 13. Adult-use cannabis flower. “Adult-use cannabis flower” has the meaning given in section 342.01, subdivision 3.
Subd. 14. Adult-use cannabis product. “Adult-use cannabis product” has the meaning given in section 342.01, subdivision 4.
Subd. 15. Medical cannabis flower. “Medical cannabis flower” has the meaning given in section 342.01, subdivision 54.
Subd. 16. Medical cannabinoid product. “Medical cannabinoid product” has the meaning given in section 342.01, subdivision 52.
Subd. 17. Patient. “Patient” has the meaning given in section 342.01, subdivision 59.
Subd. 18. Qualifying medical condition. “Qualifying medical condition” has the meaning given in section 342.01, subdivision 63.
Subd. 19. Registry or registry program. “Registry” or “registry program” has the meaning given in section 342.01, subdivision 65.
Subd. 20. Hemp-derived consumer product. “Hemp-derived consumer product” has the meaning given in section 342.01, subdivision 37.
Subd. 21. Lower-potency hemp edible. “Lower-potency hemp edible” has the meaning given in section 342.01, subdivision 50.
624.713. Certain persons not to possess firearms
Subdivision 1. Ineligible persons. The following persons shall not be entitled to possess ammunition or a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon or, except for clause (1), any other firearm:
(1) a person under the age of 18 years except that a person under 18 may possess ammunition designed for use in a firearm that the person may lawfully possess and may carry or possess a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon (i) in the actual presence or under the direct supervision of the person’s parent or guardian, (ii) for the purpose of military drill under the auspices of a legally recognized military organization and under competent supervision, (iii) for the purpose of instruction, competition, or target practice on a firing range approved by the chief of police or county sheriff in whose jurisdiction the range is located and under direct supervision; or (iv) if the person has successfully completed a course designed to teach marksmanship and safety with a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon and approved by the commissioner of natural resources;
(2) except as otherwise provided in clause (9), a person who has been convicted of, or adjudicated delinquent or convicted as an extended jurisdiction juvenile for committing, in this state or elsewhere, a crime of violence. For purposes of this section, crime of violence includes crimes in other states or jurisdictions which would have been crimes of violence as herein defined if they had been committed in this state;
(3) a person who is or has ever been committed in Minnesota or elsewhere by a judicial determination that the person is mentally ill, developmentally disabled, or mentally ill and dangerous to the public, as defined in section 253B.02, to a treatment facility, or who has ever been found incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of mental illness, unless the person’s ability to possess a firearm and ammunition has been restored under subdivision 4;
(4) a person who has been convicted in Minnesota or elsewhere of a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor violation of chapter 152, unless three years have elapsed since the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of any other such violation of chapter 152 or a similar law of another state; or a person who is or has ever been committed by a judicial determination for treatment for the habitual use of a controlled substance or marijuana, as defined in sections 152.01 and 152.02, unless the person’s ability to possess a firearm and ammunition has been restored under subdivision 4;
(5) a person who has been committed to a treatment facility in Minnesota or elsewhere by a judicial determination that the person is chemically dependent as defined in section 253B.02, unless the person has completed treatment or the person’s ability to possess a firearm and ammunition has been restored under subdivision 4. Property rights may not be abated but access may be restricted by the courts;
(6) a peace officer who is informally admitted to a treatment facility pursuant to section 253B.04 for chemical dependency, unless the officer possesses a certificate from the head of the treatment facility discharging or provisionally discharging the officer from the treatment facility. Property rights may not be abated but access may be restricted by the courts;
(7) a person, including a person under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, who has been charged with committing a crime of violence and has been placed in a pretrial diversion program by the court before disposition, until the person has completed the diversion program and the charge of committing the crime of violence has been dismissed;
(8) except as otherwise provided in clause (9), a person who has been convicted in another state of committing an offense similar to the offense described in section 609.224, subdivision 3, against a family or household member or section 609.2242, subdivision 3, unless three years have elapsed since the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of any other violation of section 609.224, subdivision 3, or 609.2242, subdivision 3, or a similar law of another state;
(9) a person who has been convicted in this state or elsewhere of assaulting a family or household member and who was found by the court to have used a firearm in any way during commission of the assault is prohibited from possessing any type of firearm or ammunition for the period determined by the sentencing court;
(10) a person who:
(i) has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year;
(ii) is a fugitive from justice as a result of having fled from any state to avoid prosecution for a crime or to avoid giving testimony in any criminal proceeding;
(iii) is an unlawful user of any controlled substance as defined in chapter 152. The use of medical cannabis flower or medical cannabinoid products by a patient enrolled in the registry program or the use of adult-use cannabis flower, adult-use cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, or hemp-derived consumer products by a person 21 years of age or older does not constitute the unlawful use of a controlled substance under this item;
(iv) has been judicially committed to a treatment facility in Minnesota or elsewhere as a person who is mentally ill, developmentally disabled, or mentally ill and dangerous to the public, as defined in section 253B.02;
(v) is an alien who is illegally or unlawfully in the United States;
(vi) has been discharged from the armed forces of the United States under dishonorable conditions;
(vii) has renounced the person’s citizenship having been a citizen of the United States; or
(viii) is disqualified from possessing a firearm under United States Code, title 18, section 922(g)(8) or (9), as amended through March 1, 2014;
(11) a person who has been convicted of the following offenses at the gross misdemeanor level, unless three years have elapsed since the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of any other violation of these sections: section 609.229 (crimes committed for the benefit of a gang); 609.2231, subdivision 4 (assaults motivated by bias); 609.255 (false imprisonment); 609.378 (neglect or endangerment of a child); 609.582, subdivision 4 (burglary in the fourth degree); 609.665 (setting a spring gun); 609.71 (riot); or 609.749 (harassment or stalking). For purposes of this paragraph, the specified gross misdemeanor convictions include crimes committed in other states or jurisdictions which would have been gross misdemeanors if conviction occurred in this state;
(12) a person who has been convicted of a violation of section 609.224 if the court determined that the assault was against a family or household member in accordance with section 609.2242, subdivision 3 (domestic assault), unless three years have elapsed since the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of another violation of section 609.224 or a violation of a section listed in clause (11); or
(13) a person who is subject to an order for protection as described in section 260C.201, subdivision 3, paragraph (d), or 518B.01, subdivision 6, paragraph (g).
A person who issues a certificate pursuant to this section in good faith is not liable for damages resulting or arising from the actions or misconduct with a firearm or ammunition committed by the individual who is the subject of the certificate.
The prohibition in this subdivision relating to the possession of firearms other than pistols and semiautomatic military-style assault weapons does not apply retroactively to persons who are prohibited from possessing a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon under this subdivision before August 1, 1994.
The lifetime prohibition on possessing, receiving, shipping, or transporting firearms and ammunition for persons convicted or adjudicated delinquent of a crime of violence in clause (2), applies only to offenders who are discharged from sentence or court supervision for a crime of violence on or after August 1, 1993.
Participation as a patient in the registry program or use of adult-use cannabis flower, adult-use cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, or hemp-derived consumer products by a person 21 years of age or older does not disqualify the person from possessing firearms and ammunition under this section.
For purposes of this section, “judicial determination” means a court proceeding pursuant to sections 253B.07 to 253B.09 or a comparable law from another state.
<Text of subd. 1 effective January 1, 2024.>
Subdivision 1. Ineligible persons. The following persons shall not be entitled to possess ammunition or a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon or, except for clause (1), any other firearm:
(1) a person under the age of 18 years except that a person under 18 may possess ammunition designed for use in a firearm that the person may lawfully possess and may carry or possess a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon (i) in the actual presence or under the direct supervision of the person’s parent or guardian, (ii) for the purpose of military drill under the auspices of a legally recognized military organization and under competent supervision, (iii) for the purpose of instruction, competition, or target practice on a firing range approved by the chief of police or county sheriff in whose jurisdiction the range is located and under direct supervision; or (iv) if the person has successfully completed a course designed to teach marksmanship and safety with a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon and approved by the commissioner of natural resources;
(2) except as otherwise provided in clause (9), a person who has been convicted of, or adjudicated delinquent or convicted as an extended jurisdiction juvenile for committing, in this state or elsewhere, a crime of violence. For purposes of this section, crime of violence includes crimes in other states or jurisdictions which would have been crimes of violence as herein defined if they had been committed in this state;
(3) a person who is or has ever been committed in Minnesota or elsewhere by a judicial determination that the person is mentally ill, developmentally disabled, or mentally ill and dangerous to the public, as defined in section 253B.02, to a treatment facility, or who has ever been found incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of mental illness, unless the person’s ability to possess a firearm and ammunition has been restored under subdivision 4;
(4) a person who has been convicted in Minnesota or elsewhere of a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor violation of chapter 152, unless three years have elapsed since the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of any other such violation of chapter 152 or a similar law of another state; or a person who is or has ever been committed by a judicial determination for treatment for the habitual use of a controlled substance or marijuana, as defined in sections 152.01 and 152.02, unless the person’s ability to possess a firearm and ammunition has been restored under subdivision 4;
(5) a person who has been committed to a treatment facility in Minnesota or elsewhere by a judicial determination that the person is chemically dependent as defined in section 253B.02, unless the person has completed treatment or the person’s ability to possess a firearm and ammunition has been restored under subdivision 4. Property rights may not be abated but access may be restricted by the courts;
(6) a peace officer who is informally admitted to a treatment facility pursuant to section 253B.04 for chemical dependency, unless the officer possesses a certificate from the head of the treatment facility discharging or provisionally discharging the officer from the treatment facility. Property rights may not be abated but access may be restricted by the courts;
(7) a person, including a person under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, who has been charged with committing a crime of violence and has been placed in a pretrial diversion program by the court before disposition, until the person has completed the diversion program and the charge of committing the crime of violence has been dismissed;
(8) except as otherwise provided in clause (9), a person who has been convicted in another state of committing an offense similar to the offense described in section 609.224, subdivision 3, against a family or household member or section 609.2242, subdivision 3, unless three years have elapsed since the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of any other violation of section 609.224, subdivision 3, or 609.2242, subdivision 3, or a similar law of another state;
(9) a person who has been convicted in this state or elsewhere of assaulting a family or household member and who was found by the court to have used a firearm in any way during commission of the assault is prohibited from possessing any type of firearm or ammunition for the period determined by the sentencing court;
(10) a person who:
(i) has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year;
(ii) is a fugitive from justice as a result of having fled from any state to avoid prosecution for a crime or to avoid giving testimony in any criminal proceeding;
(iii) is an unlawful user of any controlled substance as defined in chapter 152;
(iv) has been judicially committed to a treatment facility in Minnesota or elsewhere as a person who is mentally ill, developmentally disabled, or mentally ill and dangerous to the public, as defined in section 253B.02;
(v) is an alien who is illegally or unlawfully in the United States;
(vi) has been discharged from the armed forces of the United States under dishonorable conditions;
(vii) has renounced the person’s citizenship having been a citizen of the United States; or
(viii) is disqualified from possessing a firearm under United States Code, title 18, section 922(g)(8) or (9), as amended through March 1, 2014;
(11) a person who has been convicted of the following offenses at the gross misdemeanor level, unless three years have elapsed since the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of any other violation of these sections: section 609.229 (crimes committed for the benefit of a gang); 609.2231, subdivision 4 (assaults motivated by bias); 609.255 (false imprisonment); 609.378 (neglect or endangerment of a child); 609.582, subdivision 4 (burglary in the fourth degree); 609.665 (setting a spring gun); 609.71 (riot); or 609.749 (harassment or stalking). For purposes of this paragraph, the specified gross misdemeanor convictions include crimes committed in other states or jurisdictions which would have been gross misdemeanors if conviction occurred in this state;
(12) a person who has been convicted of a violation of section 609.224 if the court determined that the assault was against a family or household member in accordance with section 609.2242, subdivision 3 (domestic assault), unless three years have elapsed since the date of conviction and, during that time, the person has not been convicted of another violation of section 609.224 or a violation of a section listed in clause (11);
(13) a person who is subject to an order for protection as described in section 260C.201, subdivision 3, paragraph (d), or 518B.01, subdivision 6, paragraph (g); or
(14) a person who is subject to an extreme risk protection order as described in section 624.7172 or 624.7174.
A person who issues a certificate pursuant to this section in good faith is not liable for damages resulting or arising from the actions or misconduct with a firearm or ammunition committed by the individual who is the subject of the certificate.
The prohibition in this subdivision relating to the possession of firearms other than pistols and semiautomatic military-style assault weapons does not apply retroactively to persons who are prohibited from possessing a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon under this subdivision before August 1, 1994.
The lifetime prohibition on possessing, receiving, shipping, or transporting firearms and ammunition for persons convicted or adjudicated delinquent of a crime of violence in clause (2), applies only to offenders who are discharged from sentence or court supervision for a crime of violence on or after August 1, 1993.
For purposes of this section, “judicial determination” means a court proceeding pursuant to sections 253B.07 to 253B.09 or a comparable law from another state.
Subd. 1a. Ineligible to receive, ship, transport. A person presently charged with a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year shall not be entitled to receive, ship, or transport any pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon or ammunition designed for use in a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon. A violation of this subdivision is a gross misdemeanor.
Subd. 2. Penalties. (a) A person named in subdivision 1, clause (1), who possesses ammunition or a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon in violation of that clause is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
(b) A person named in subdivision 1, clause (2), who possesses any type of firearm or ammunition is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 15 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $30,000, or both. This paragraph does not apply to any person who has received a relief of disability under United States Code, title 18, section 925, or whose ability to possess firearms and ammunition has been restored under section 609.165, subdivision 1d.
(c) A person named in any other clause of subdivision 1 who possesses any type of firearm or ammunition is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
Subd. 3. Notice. (a) When a person is convicted of, or adjudicated delinquent or convicted as an extended jurisdiction juvenile for committing, a crime of violence as defined in section 624.712, subdivision 5, the court shall inform the defendant that the defendant is prohibited from possessing ammunition or a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon for the remainder of the person’s lifetime, and that it is a felony offense to violate this prohibition. The failure of the court to provide this information to a defendant does not affect the applicability of the ammunition or pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon possession prohibition or the felony penalty to that defendant.
(b) When a person, including a person under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, is charged with committing a crime of violence and is placed in a pretrial diversion program by the court before disposition, the court shall inform the defendant that: (1) the defendant is prohibited from possessing a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon or ammunition designed for use in a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon until the person has completed the diversion program and the charge of committing a crime of violence has been dismissed; (2) it is a gross misdemeanor offense to violate this prohibition; and (3) if the defendant violates this condition of participation in the diversion program, the charge of committing a crime of violence may be prosecuted. The failure of the court to provide this information to a defendant does not affect the applicability of the ammunition or pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon possession prohibition or the gross misdemeanor penalty to that defendant.
(c) A court shall notify a person subject to subdivision 1, clause (3), of the prohibitions described in that clause and those described in United States Code, title 18, sections 922(d)(4) and 922(g)(4).
Subd. 4. Restoration of firearms and ammunition eligibility to civilly committed person; petition authorized. (a) A person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under subdivision 1, due to commitment resulting from a judicial determination that the person is mentally ill, developmentally disabled, mentally ill and dangerous, or chemically dependent, may petition a court to restore the person’s ability to possess a firearm or ammunition.
(b) The court may grant the relief sought in paragraph (a) in accordance with the principles of due process if the circumstances regarding the person’s disqualifying condition and the person’s record and reputation are determined to be such that:
(1) the person is not likely to act in a manner that is dangerous to public safety; and
(2) the granting of relief would not be contrary to the public interest.
(c) When determining whether a person has met the requirement of paragraph (b), clause (1), the court may consider evidence from a licensed medical doctor or clinical psychologist that the person is no longer suffering from the disease or condition that caused the disability or that the disease or condition has been successfully treated for a period of three consecutive years.
(d) Review on appeal shall be de novo.
Subd. 5. Provision of firearms background check information. (a) When a court places a person, including a person under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, who is charged with committing a crime of violence into a pretrial diversion program before disposition, the court must ensure that information regarding the person’s placement in that program and the ordered expiration date of that placement is transmitted as soon as practicable to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. When a person successfully completes or discontinues the program, the prosecuting attorney must also report that fact within 24 hours of receipt to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
(b) The court must report the conviction and duration of the firearms disqualification imposed as soon as practicable to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System when a person is convicted of a gross misdemeanor that disqualifies the person from possessing firearms under the following sections:
(1) 518B.01, subdivision 14;
(2) 609.224, subdivision 3;
(3) 609.2242, subdivision 3;
(4) 609.749, subdivision 8;
(5) 624.713, subdivision 1, clause (11); or
(6) 629.715, subdivision 2.
(c) If the court reports a firearms disqualification based on a charge of violating an offense listed in paragraph (b), the court must provide notice of the disposition of the charge to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System within three business days.
Chapter 629. Extradition, Detainers, Arrest, Bail
Warrants; Bail Bonds
629.715. Release in cases involving crimes against persons; surrender of firearms
Subdivision 1. Judicial review; release. (a) When a person is arrested for a crime against the person, the judge before whom the arrested person is taken shall review the facts surrounding the arrest and detention. If the person was arrested or detained for committing a crime of violence, as defined in section 629.725, the prosecutor or other appropriate person shall present relevant information involving the victim or the victim’s family’s account of the alleged crime to the judge to be considered in determining the arrested person’s release. The arrested person must be ordered released pending trial or hearing on the person’s personal recognizance or on an order to appear or upon the execution of an unsecured bond in a specified amount unless the judge determines that release (1) will be inimical to public safety, (2) will create a threat of bodily harm to the arrested person, the victim of the alleged crime, or another, or (3) will not reasonably assure the appearance of the arrested person at subsequent proceedings.
(b) If the judge determines release under paragraph (a) is not advisable, the judge may impose any conditions of release that will reasonably assure the appearance of the person for subsequent proceedings, or will protect the victim of the alleged crime, or may fix the amount of money bail without other conditions upon which the arrested person may obtain release.
Subd. 2. Surrender of firearms. The judge may order as a condition of release that the person surrender to the local law enforcement agency all firearms, destructive devices, or dangerous weapons owned or possessed by the person, and may not live in a residence where others possess firearms. Any firearm, destructive device, or dangerous weapon surrendered under this subdivision shall be inventoried and retained, with due care to preserve its quality and function, by the local law enforcement agency, and must be returned to the person upon the person’s acquittal, when charges are dismissed, or if no charges are filed. If the person is convicted, the firearm must be returned when the court orders the return or when the person is discharged from probation and restored to civil rights. If the person is convicted of a designated offense as defined in section 609.531, the firearm is subject to forfeiture as provided under that section. This condition may be imposed in addition to any other condition authorized by rule 6.02 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Subd. 3. Written order. If conditions of release are imposed, the judge shall issue a written order for conditional release. The court administrator shall immediately distribute a copy of the order for conditional release to the agency having custody of the arrested person and shall provide the agency having custody of the arrested person with any available information on the location of the victim in a manner that protects the victim’s safety. Either the court or its designee or the agency having custody of the arrested person shall serve upon the defendant a copy of the order. Failure to serve the arrested person with a copy of the order for conditional release does not invalidate the conditions of release.
Subd. 4. No contact order. If the judge imposes as a condition of release a requirement that the person have no contact with the victim of the alleged crime, the judge may also, on its own motion or that of the prosecutor or on request of the victim, issue an ex parte temporary restraining order under section 609.748, subdivision 4, or an ex parte temporary order for protection under section 518B.01, subdivision 7. Notwithstanding section 518B.01, subdivision 7, paragraph (b), or 609.748, subdivision 4, paragraph (c), the temporary order is effective until the defendant is convicted or acquitted, or the charge is dismissed, provided that upon request the defendant is entitled to a full hearing on the restraining order under section 609.748, subdivision 5, or on the order for protection under section 518B.01. The hearing must be held within seven days of the defendant’s request.
Chapter 645. Interpretation of Statutes and Rules
Construction of Words and Phrases
645.11. Published notice
Unless otherwise specifically provided, the words “published notice,” when used in reference to the giving of notice in any proceeding or the service of any summons, order, or process in judicial proceedings, mean the publication in full of the notice, or other paper referred to, in the regular issue of a qualified newspaper, once each week for the number of weeks specified. When the publication day of any newspaper falls upon Thanksgiving Day, or upon any legal holiday, the publication of notice in any proceeding or the publication of any summons, order, or process in judicial proceedings, may be made either the day before or the day after Thanksgiving Day, or such legal holiday. When the published notice contains a description of real estate which is located within the legal limits of any city, which city is situated in more than one county, such published notice may be published in any legal newspaper within such city.