How buying a gun in Minot works
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where North Dakota law allows.
North Dakota has no purchase permit, no registration and no waiting period. The dealer runs the federal background check when you complete ATF Form 4473. Federal age limits apply: 21 for a handgun from a dealer, 18 for a long gun. The firearm ships to the North Dakota dealer you name at checkout.
Dealers in these communities all work for Minot-area buyers:
- Burlington
- Surrey
- Sawyer
- Berthold
- Kenmare
- Velva
- Garrison
- Stanley
Carrying a gun in Ward County
North Dakota allows permitless concealed carry for adults 18 and over who are not prohibited, extended from residents to everyone in 2023. Class 1 and Class 2 concealed weapon licences are still issued by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and add reciprocity. Courthouses, schools, polling places and posted property remain off limits.
Hunting near Minot
North Dakota's deer gun season opens at noon on the Friday before November 11 and runs sixteen and a half days, with licences allocated by unit lottery. Centerfire rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders and handguns are legal. Non-residents may only draw a limited number of deer gun licences, so many hunt with archery tags instead.
Ward County is Souris River prairie pothole country, one of the densest duck-breeding regions on the continent, with a drawn deer gun licence and pheasants and grouse in the coulees.
Pothole ducks and field geese make this shotgun country from September, and the drawn deer season brings out .30-06s and 7mm magnums for the coulee whitetail.
Public shooting ranges near Minot
These ranges are run by or officially listed by a state wildlife agency, a state forest or a national forest. Most ask for a hunting licence, a range permit or a small day fee, and hours change with the season, so check the agency page before you drive out.
Source: State wildlife agency, state forest and U.S. Forest Service public range listings, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.