Untraceable ‘Ghost Guns’ Now Legal Under State Law, MN Supreme Court Rules

ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota Supreme Court has thrown out a felony charge against a man caught with a homemade Glock 19 pistol that had no serial number, ruling that most "ghost guns" are legal under state law.

The case stemmed from a Feb. 14, 2022, rollover crash in Fridley, where troopers found the self-assembled pistol in the driver’s car.

The driver, Logan Hunter Vagle, told the trooper he had no permit to carry the weapon. Officers later determined the gun had been built from parts purchased in early 2021.

The justices said Minnesota’s ban on unserialized firearms applies only when federal law requires a serial number, which is a rule that doesn’t cover most privately made guns.

"Section 609.667(3) criminalizes possession of a firearm without a serial number only when federal law requires one," Justice Paul Thissen wrote for the majority. "Minnesota has not established an independent firearm serial number regime, and federal law does not require that [this] pistol have a serial number."

The opinion made clear that deciding whether and how to regulate ghost guns is a matter for lawmakers:

"Many states have regulated ghost guns through the legislative process, yet Minnesota has not acted," the opinion states. "The final decision on whether and how to regulate ghost guns rests with the Legislature," it adds.

What the ruling means:

• Most ghost guns can be legally made or owned in Minnesota without a serial number
• The state law against unserialized guns applies only if federal law also requires one
• Federal law generally doesn’t cover homemade guns, except for certain types like short-barreled or automatic firearms

The decision leaves Minnesota among the states with no specific serial number requirement for ghost guns, and it’s already prompting calls for change at the Capitol.

Following the ruling, state Sen. Ron Latz, a Democrat who represents parts of St. Louis Park, Edina, and Hopkins, said Thursday he will push a bill in the 2026 session to align state law with federal law and require serial numbers on ghost guns in Minnesota.

"No one could’ve foreseen a world where you could print the parts to make a gun at home, but that’s the world we live in today," Latz said. "This decision makes it clear that our state gun laws need to reflect this new reality and the increasing prevalence of ghost guns."

As of November 2024, 15 states have laws requiring unique serial numbers on ghost guns. Minnesota is not one of them.

Case background:

On Feb. 14, 2022, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper responded to a rollover crash near I-694 and Highway 65 in Fridley. Driver Logan Hunter Vagle told the trooper he had a pistol in the vehicle and no permit to carry.

Officers found a self-assembled 9mm Glock 19 pistol with no serial number — a ghost gun Vagle built from parts purchased in early 2021.

Vagle was charged with possessing a firearm without a serial number and carrying a pistol without a permit.

A district court dismissed the ghost gun charge, the Court of Appeals reinstated it, and the Supreme Court ultimately threw it out, saying the state law only applies when federal law requires a serial number.