Proof that Philando Castile had a permit to carry from Hennepin County
IN-DEPTH: Minnesota's permit to carry law and how it applies to Philando Castile
There are 217,000 Minnesotans who have a permit to carry a firearm. Officially, it is called the Minnesota Personal Protection act, which was enacted in 2003. At its basic level, the law allows people to carry a pistol in public if they have a permit. That's why this law is called "permit to carry."
Minnesota's permit to carry law and how it applies to Philando Castile
Oftentimes, people will incorrectly call it the "conceal-carry law," and use the term interchangeably – but it is not. Minnesota's permit to carry law does not require citizens to conceal their pistol, although most people do.
To get a permit to carry a firearm, you have to be at least 21 years old and you have to have completed a firearms training course. The permit holder must carry that permit and a driver's license with him or her at all times when they're carrying that firearm -- and according to statute, "must display the permit and identification document upon the lawful demand of a peace officer."
The section of the statute that could apply to Castile's traffic stop states: "Upon request of a peace officer, a permit holder shall disclose to the officer whether or not the permit holder is currently carrying a firearm." There is nothing in the law that requires a person to voluntarily disclose to a peace officer that he has a permit or a firearm on him.
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