Anoka County, MN Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)
ADU rules in Anoka County, MN, also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances, cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Key Facts
- Max size
- 700 square feet of floor area
- Max height
- 15 feet
- Lot requirement
- Must meet duplex-sized lot area and width
- Permit needed
- Building permit required, Sec. 3.2.1
- Enforcing agency
- Public Health and Environmental Services Dept.
- Applies to
- Unincorporated shoreland lots only
Summary
Anoka County's Shoreland Management Ordinance lets an unincorporated shoreland lot carry one guest cottage in addition to the main house, but only if the lot is at least duplex-sized for its lake or river classification. The cottage is capped at 700 square feet and 15 feet in height and must be screened from the water.
Unless restricted by local building codes, one guest cottage may be allowed on lots meeting or exceeding the duplex lot area and width dimensions presented in Sections 6.2.5 and 6.2.6, provided the following standards are met: A. For lots exceeding the minimum lot dimensions of duplex lots, the guest cottage must be located within an area equal to the smallest duplex-sized lot that could be created including the principal dwelling unit; B. A guest cottage must not cover more than 700 square feet of land surface and must not exceed 15 feet in height; and C. A guest cottage must be located or designed to reduce its visibility as viewed from public waters and adjacent shorelands by vegetation, topography, increased setbacks or color, assuming summer, leaf-on conditions.
Full Breakdown
The ordinance defines a guest cottage as "a structure used as a dwelling unit that may contain sleeping spaces and kitchen and bathroom facilities in addition to those provided in the primary dwelling unit on a lot" (Sec. 5). 6; a lot platted only to single-family dimensions cannot add a second dwelling this way. Where the parcel is larger than the minimum duplex lot, the cottage must sit within an area no bigger than the smallest duplex lot that could be carved out around the existing house.
The structure is capped at 700 square feet of floor area and 15 feet in height, and it must be sited or landscaped, using vegetation, topography, increased setback or color, to reduce how visible it is from public waters and neighboring shorelands under summer, leaf-on conditions. 1 and enforced by the Anoka County Public Health and Environmental Services Department. Because county zoning under Minn. Stat. Ch. 394 reaches only unincorporated territory, this rule applies solely to unincorporated shoreland parcels; Blaine, Coon Rapids, Ham Lake and the county's other cities administer their own shoreland and accessory-dwelling standards.
Violations & Fines
Building or occupying a guest cottage that exceeds 700 square feet or 15 feet in height, or that departs from an issued permit, is a misdemeanor under Sec. 2.2.1 of the Shoreland Management Ordinance, enforced by the Anoka County Public Health and Environmental Services Department. Each day a violation continues can count as a separate offense, and the County Attorney may seek an injunction to stop, correct, or remove noncompliant construction in addition to any criminal penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a guest cottage on my Anoka County shoreland lot?
Does this rule apply inside cities like Blaine or Coon Rapids?
What happens if I build a guest cottage bigger than allowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anoka County
How Anoka County compares: Easiest Cities to Build an ADU·Compare Anoka County to another location·View the Minnesota accessory structures overview
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