Q: My brother-in-law is coming from Arizona to deer hunt this year, and we are wondering if he needs a hunting safety class to get his out-of-state license.
A: Minnesota law requires anyone born after Dec. 31, 1979, to complete the DNR Firearms Safety Certification course before they purchase a hunting license. Youths 11 and older can attend a Firearms Safety Course and obtain a certificate, which then becomes valid on their 12th birthday. While Arizona may not require a hunter safety course for all adult hunters, and your brother-in-law is old enough to avoid the requirement in Minnesota, there are a couple of options for other first-time-Minnesota hunters to be able to purchase a license. They can complete the online Adult Firearms Safety Course and obtain a certificate, or obtain the Apprentice Hunter Validation in order to purchase a license. Hunters with an Apprentice Hunter Validation are required to be accompanied by a regularly-license adult when hunting, and the validation is possible only twice in your lifetime. For more information on these and other options, visit the DNR's Firearms Safety page at: www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/firearms_isa .
