Minnesota DPS to begin weapon screening at State Capitol; officials say it is a safety, not a ban

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety and State Patrol announced Monday that walk‑through weapon screening will begin at the State Capitol on the first day of the 2026 legislative session, officials said, calling the measure a safety layer designed to protect visitors, staff and elected officials while keeping the building open and accessible.

Commissioner Bob Jacobson said the screening follows an independent security assessment and aims to reduce preventable risks at the seat of state government. "Weapon screening is a standard safety practice in government buildings across the country because it works," Jacobson said. He referenced the Axtell security report and said the department accepted its top recommendation to implement screening.

Colonel Christina Bogojevic, head of the Minnesota State Patrol, said, "This is not a weapons ban." She added that the change does not alter state law and is being implemented under the governor's executive order and the commissioner's authority to protect the Capitol.

Under the plan, the public will enter through four designated screening points. Officials identified the South Ground Level entrance beneath the Capitol's front steps as the primary public entry and named tunnels linking the Senate Building, the State Office Building (parking Lot C) and the Judicial Center as additional access points. Bogojevic said all screening entrances will be ADA accessible and staffed during public hours.

Bags, purses and other large items will be routed through a separate bag scanner, and most visitors "should not need to empty their pockets, show identification, or take off their coat or jacket," Bogojevic said. Machines will flag items and point to the area on a person where an item appears; if an item cannot be immediately identified, staff will conduct additional screening. Officials said prohibited items will not be allowed entry and the Capitol will not store prohibited items for visitors.

Permit holders who are legally allowed to carry firearms must alert security and present their permit and government‑issued ID for verification; officials said permit holders will be processed in a way that allows the public line to keep moving. Elected officials are exempted from the screening and will have a separate lane, while staff are not exempt and will go through the same screening as other visitors.

The Capitol will close to the general public at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, officials said, but accommodations will be made for members of the public when hearings or floor sessions run late. A demonstration of the screening equipment followed the briefing.

Jacobson said costs of the rollout will be incurred within the State Patrol budget. He cited statutory authority delegating responsibility for the safety and security of the Capitol to the commissioner and said the department will evaluate the process and adjust as needed to keep screening efficient and not a deterrent to public participation.

Reporters asked how screening would handle crowds (students, advocacy groups) and small items such as pocket knives. Bogojevic said throughput will be assessed during the initial rollout and that machine sensitivity can be adjusted; she also said the department will continue discussions about how to handle small items that might trigger the equipment. She referred reporters to the State Patrol website for a complete list of prohibited items, citing both statute and administrative rules as sources of that list.

The officials emphasized the screening is one layer in broader security practices and said it builds on procedures already used at the Capitol Complex's Judicial Building and State Supreme Court.