Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has signed two executive orders aimed at “gun violence prevention” after failing to secure legislative support for new gun control laws. Issued on December 16, 2025, the orders signal what gun owners may face heading into 2026.

Executive Order 25-12 expands the state’s focus on red flag laws, directing agencies to promote wider use of Extreme Risk Protection Orders and publish ERPO data by county. It also launches state-funded safe storage campaigns through schools and public agencies and orders firearm-related data collection from homeowners insurance companies, a move critics warn could lead to future regulation.

Executive Order 25-13 creates a statewide safety council tasked with studying gun violence and recommending new laws—without requiring Second Amendment representation.

While the orders do not ban firearms, gun rights groups argue they lay the groundwork for future restrictions, including magazine and rifle bans. Minnesota gun owners are being urged to stay alert as the state moves closer to another major gun control push.