MINNESOTA COURT RULES
SENTENCING GUIDELINES
Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines and Commentary
Effective August 1, 2025
TABLE OF SECTIONS
| A. | Statement of Purpose and Principles | |
| B. | Definitions |
2. Determining Presumptive Sentences
| A. | Offense Severity | |
| 1. General Rule | ||
| 2. Theft and Damage to Property; Foreseeable Risk of Bodily Harm | ||
| 3. First-Degree Murder | ||
| 4. Unranked Offenses | ||
| 5. Attempts, Conspiracies, and Other Sentence Modifiers | ||
| B. | Criminal History | |
| 1. Prior Felonies | ||
| 2. Custody Status at the Time of the Offense | ||
| 3. Prior Gross Misdemeanors and Misdemeanors | ||
| 4. Prior Juvenile Adjudications | ||
| 5. Convictions from Jurisdictions Other Than Minnesota | ||
| 6. Felony Enhancement Due to Prior Misdemeanor or Gross Misdemeanor Convictions | ||
| 7. Determining Offense Levels for Prior Offenses | ||
| C. | Presumptive Sentence | |
| 1. Finding the Presumptive Sentence | ||
| 2. Presumptive Sentence Durations that Exceed the Statutory Maximum Sentence | ||
| 3. Finding the Presumptive Sentence for Certain Offenses | ||
| D. | Departures from the Guidelines | |
| 1. Departures in General | ||
| 2. Factors that should not be used as Reasons for Departure | ||
| 3. Factors that may be used as Reasons for Departure | ||
| E. | Mandatory Sentences | |
| 1. In General | ||
| 2. Specific Statutory Provisions | ||
| 3. Conditional Release | ||
| 4. Mandatory Life Sentences | ||
| F. | Concurrent/Consecutive Sentences | |
| 1. Presumptive Consecutive Sentences | ||
| 2. Permissive Consecutive Sentences | ||
| 3. Crime Committed for the Benefit of a Gang | ||
| 4. Pre-Guidelines Cases | ||
| G. | Convictions for Attempts, Conspiracies, and Other Sentence Modifiers | |
| 1. In General | ||
| 2. Attempt or Conspiracy | ||
| 3. Solicitation of Juveniles or Mentally Impaired Persons | ||
| 4. Conspiracy to Commit a Controlled Substance Offense | ||
| 5. Attempt or Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Sexual Conduct 1st or 2nd Degree | ||
| 6. Taking Responsibility for Criminal Acts | ||
| 7. Offense Committed in Furtherance of Terrorism | ||
| 8. Criminal Sexual Predatory Conduct | ||
| 9. Solicitation or Promotion of Prostitution; Sex Trafficking | ||
| 10. Offense Committed for the Benefit of a Gang | ||
| 11. Felony Assault Motivated by Bias | ||
| 12. Criminal Vehicular Homicide (Qualified Prior Conviction) | ||
| 13. Attempt or Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder | ||
| 14. Second or Subsequent Severe Violent Offense |
3. Related Policies
| A. | Establishing Conditions of Stayed Sentences | |
| 1. Method of Granting Stayed Sentences | ||
| 2. Length of Stay | ||
| 3. Other Conditions of Stayed Sentences | ||
| B. | Revocation of Stayed Sentences | |
| C. | Jail Credit | |
| 1. In General | ||
| 2. Applying Jail Credit | ||
| D. | Juveniles | |
| E. | Presentence Mental or Physical Examinations for Sex Offenders | |
| F. | Military Veterans | |
| G. | Modifications | |
| 1. Policy Modifications | ||
| 2. Clarifications of Existing Policy |
4. Sentencing Guidelines Grids
| A. | Sentencing Guidelines Grid | |
| Examples of Executed Sentences (Length in Months) Broken Down by: Term of Imprisonment and Supervised Release Term | ||
| B. | Sex Offender Grid | |
| Examples of Executed Sentences (Length in Months) Broken Down by: Term of Imprisonment and Supervised Release Term | ||
| C | Drug Offender Grid | |
| Examples of Executed Sentences (Length in Months) Broken Down by: Term of Imprisonment and Supervised Release Term |