Minnesota Resolves Suit Against Fleet Farm for Negligent Firearm Sales

February 26, 2026

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that he has resolved the October 2022 lawsuit he filed on behalf of the State of Minnesota against retail chain Fleet Farm for negligently selling firearms to straw purchasers.

The consent judgment with Fleet Farm comes after Attorney General Ellison’s Office prevailed in court last fall over Fleet Farm’s attempt to obtain summary judgment and dismiss the lawsuit.

In the settlement, Attorney General Ellison has obtained significant policy changes from Fleet Farm, as well as a $1 million monetary payment.

Fleet Farm agrees to take multiple steps across their Minnesota stores to improve Fleet Farm’s detection and prevention of possible straw buying, including:

  • A specific list of warning signs of potential straw purchasing that employees must monitor and act upon, based on customers’ purchase history and behavior in store, among other things;
  • Improved training for Fleet Farm employees who sell firearms, including regular, unannounced compliance checks to ensure that employees identify and act on warning signs of potential straw buying;
  • Software that allows employees to track firearm sales across different Fleet Farm stores and see alerts about suspicious gun buyers;

Source: Minnesota Attorney General’s Office

Topics Lawsuits Agribusiness

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