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Monday, Jul. 17, 2023

Can minors receive abortions without parental consent in Minnesota?

Alberto Gomez, MinnPost
yes

In Minnesota, minors do not need to notify a parent or legal guardian before receiving an abortion.

Prior to 2022, Minnesota minors obtaining an abortion were required, in most cases, to notify both parents. Last year, that provision was enjoined along with many other restrictions on abortion via a Ramsey County District Court judge’s ruling in Doe v. Minnesota.

No law limits the age at which a person may receive an abortion in Minnesota.

MPR reported that while some anti-abortion politicians, activists and lawyers argue that the Doe ruling has “no precedential value beyond Ramsey County,” abortion access advocates and providers say the judge's ruling made the parental consent requirement and other abortion restrictions unenforceable.

Editor’s note (7/19/23): This fact brief originally misstated the legal landscape of parental notification in Minnesota. It has been updated. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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