Upcoming Meeting(s)
Regular Commission Meeting
Thursday, November 6, 2025 – CANCELED
Special Meeting
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1100
95 University Ave. W., St. Paul, MN 55155 – Remote Access Optional*
This special meeting is being conducted to workshop recommendations to the Legislature. Related materials and instructions on monitoring the meeting remotely will be posted prior to the meeting.
Public Hearing
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1100
95 University Ave. W., St. Paul, MN 55155 – Remote Access Optional*
Instructions on monitoring the public hearing remotely will be posted prior to the meeting.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
THE MINNESOTA SENTENCING GUIDELINES COMMISSION WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., in the Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1100, 95 University Ave. W., Saint Paul, MN 55155. Remote participation will be optional. The public hearing is being held to consider proposed modifications to the 2025 Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines and Commentary resulting from the Commission’s comprehensive review. By a unanimous vote, the Commission preliminarily adopted the following proposed modifications at its meeting on October 9, 2025. In brief, the nature and effect of these proposed modifications are as follows:
A. Changes to criminal history score calculation. As a result of its comprehensive review of the Sentencing Guidelines, the Commission proposes changes to each of the four components of the criminal history score: prior felonies; custody status at the time of the offense; prior misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors; and prior juvenile adjudications.
1. Reduce decay period for prior felonies.
2. Convert custody status at the time of the offense to a durational modifier.
3. Prior misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors.
a. Reduce decay period.
b. Repeal two special rules for prior DWI and shorten, simplify, and merge Guidelines 2.B.6.
4. Eliminate prior juvenile adjudications.
B. Changes to offense severity.
1. Increase ranking from SL 6 to SL 7: Assault 2nd Degree (Dangerous Weapon, Substantial Bodily Harm).
2. Increase ranking from SL 5 to SL 6: Criminal Vehicular Operation (Great Bodily Harm; Gross Negligence or While Impaired).
3. Increase ranking from SL 4 to SL 5:
a. Assault 3rd Degree (Substantial Bodily Harm).
b. Domestic Assault by Strangulation.
4. Increase ranking from SL 1 to SL 3: Assault 4th Degree.
5. Replace a sentencing modifier with an increased ranking (from SL 8 to SL 9): Criminal Vehicular Homicide (Qualified Prior Conviction).
6. Reduce ranking from SL 9 to SL 8: Assault 1st Degree (Great Bodily Harm).
C. Other changes.
1. Clarifying the Guidelines’ purpose and principles.
2. Clarifying the burden of proving out-of-state offenses.
3. Displaying ranges in shaded cells and revising example offenses.
4. True first offender departure factor.
The Commission will hold the record open for five calendar days after the public hearing to accept written comment. Written materials must be received no later than November 25, 2025. Any person who wishes to provide a written statement may do so in one of three ways:
• By personally delivering the written statement to Commission staff at the public hearing;
• By sending the written statement by United States Mail to Minn. Sentencing Guidelines Commission, 658 Cedar Street, Suite G-58, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155; or
• By emailing the written statement to sentencing.guidelines@state.mn.us.
After the written comment period ends, the proposed modifications are subject to final action by the Commission at its meeting on Thursday, December 18, 2025, with meeting details to be posted on the Commission’s web site. If adopted, the proposed modifications will be submitted to the Legislature by January 15, 2026. Unless the Legislature by law provides otherwise, such modifications will take effect August 1, 2026, and will apply as provided in Guidelines 3.G.
* Some Commission members may participate by interactive technology. Minnesota law provides, "If telephone or interactive technology is used to conduct a meeting, the entity, to the extent practical, shall allow a person to monitor the meeting electronically from a remote location." Minn. Stat. § 13D.015, subd. 4. Refer to the MSGC web site or contact staff as soon as possible to make arrangements for such monitoring. In compliance with Minn. Stat. § 13D.015, this notice was posted on the MSGC web site on October 10, 2025.
2025 MSGC Regular Meeting Calendar (updated February 14, 2025)
For general information, visit our General Information page.
For information regarding previous Commission meetings, visit our Previous Meetings page.