Minnesota Domestic Violence Law
Minnesota Domestic Violence Defense
What you're facing under Minn. Stat. § 609.2242, how the penalties scale, and the questions your attorney needs to answer, specific to Minnesota (MN) domestic violence law.
Offense Class
Misdemeanor (1st offense); Gross Misdemeanor (prior domestic conviction within 10 years); Felony (two or more prior domestic convictions within 10 years)
Maximum Penalty
90 days (misdemeanor); 1 year (gross misdemeanor); 5 years (felony)
Maximum Fine
$1,000 (misdemeanor); $3,000 (gross misdemeanor); $10,000 (felony)
Mandatory Minimum
Minnesota imposes a mandatory minimum of Minimum fine of 30% of maximum fine authorized for this charge. Charge reductions or alternative sentencing are questions worth raising before the plea is entered.
Federal Firearms Prohibition (Lautenberg Amendment)
A conviction for misdemeanor domestic violence in Minnesota carries a federalfirearms-possession ban under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9). This consequence is collateral to Minnesota state penalties and applies regardless of the state sentence imposed.
Penalty Range in Minnesota
Charge Enhancements
These factors can elevate the charge or penalty in Minnesota:
- Prior qualified domestic violence-related offense within 10 years (gross misdemeanor)
- Two or more prior qualified domestic violence offenses within 10 years (felony)
- Strangulation (felony under § 609.2247)
Minnesota-Specific Detail
Qualified domestic violence-related offenses include violations from other states. Court must impose fine of not less than 30% of maximum. Domestic abuse no contact order (DANCO) routinely issued.
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Important: This page provides legal INFORMATION about Minnesota domestic violence law as of the date of publication. Laws change frequently. This is not legal advice. The analysis draws on methods developed by defense attorneys, applied to public data. Your attorney remains the final authority on defense direction.