Can I legally carry concealed weapon at Cottage Grove ice arena in MN with a permit
Executive summary
A person with a valid Minnesota Permit to Carry a Pistol (Permit to Carry) may carry a handgun in public in Minnesota — whether concealed or openly — because state law requires a permit to carry but does not require that the handgun be concealed [1] [2]. Local processing for Cottage Grove-area permits is handled through the county sheriff (Washington County) and Cottage Grove’s public safety pages reference state permit requirements [3] [4].
1. The baseline rule: a permit is required to carry in public
Minnesota law makes possession or carrying of a pistol in a public place a crime unless the person first holds a permit to carry a pistol; a permit therefore is the baseline legal authority to have a handgun “on or about” one’s person, clothes, or in a vehicle in public [5] [2]. The Cottage Grove municipal pages reiterate that carrying in public without a permit is unlawful and point applicants to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for permit processing [3].
2. Concealed versus open carry — the state does not insist on concealment
Under Minnesota’s statutory and explanatory materials, having a Permit to Carry authorizes carrying a handgun either openly or concealed because the law is written as a permit-to-carry regime rather than a strict “conceal” regime; there is no statutory requirement that a permitted handgun be concealed [1] [2]. Practical guidance from county and advocacy pages likewise notes that the permit covers carrying in clothes or on the person, in vehicles, and in other public settings [2] [5].
3. Location limits and private-operator rights that could affect an arena
Even with a permit, Minnesota law allows private establishments to make a “reasonable request” that firearms not be brought onto their premises; a permit holder who knowingly remains after such a request can be ordered to leave and could face penalties for refusal [6]. That legal framework means an arena operated by a private entity or under a municipal contract could lawfully prohibit firearms on its premises by posting or otherwise making a reasonable request, and then require removal or ejection [6]. The available reporting does not provide a Cottage Grove Ice Arena–specific posted policy, so whether the arena has exercised that right is not determinable from the provided sources (no source states arena policy).
4. Practical compliance steps and points of contact
Because Cottage Grove’s municipal site points applicants to county authorities for permits and local permitting/licensing information is handled through the public safety department, the clearest route to certainty is to confirm (a) possession of a valid Permit to Carry issued or recognized by Minnesota and (b) whether the Cottage Grove ice arena operator has any posted or contractual prohibition on firearms that would constitute a “reasonable request” to disallow carry [3] [4]. Local training and permit-class resources are available in the Cottage Grove area (HERO Center, local instructors), which can be useful for understanding obligations tied to a permit [7] [8].
5. Two viewpoints and legal nuance to weigh
Gun-rights advocates and many county explanations emphasize that a valid Minnesota permit authorizes both open and concealed carry in public and that law-abiding permit holders are legally permitted to have handguns on their person [1] [2]. Gun-safety and location-restriction analyses stress that private-property rules and certain statutory exclusions can limit where firearms may remain — and that failing to obey a reasonable request to leave can lead to legal penalties [6]. The reporting at hand does not show a municipal ordinance unique to Cottage Grove that overrides these state frameworks, so the state statutes and the municipal guidance pointing to county permit processing remain the governing, publicly available authorities [3] [5].