Blue Earth County, MN Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Sec. 24-338 sets a combined cap, not a per-building cap: in the Ag and Conservation districts, every stand-alone accessory building on the parcel other than agricultural buildings counts toward one shared 3,000-square-foot ceiling, so a second or third shed only adds to that total rather than getting its own allowance. In the Rural Residence and Rural Townsite districts the county goes further and bars stand-alone accessory buildings outright, carving out only water-oriented structures permitted under chapter 14, section 14-111 of the shoreland rules. Wherever they are allowed, stand-alone and subsequent accessory buildings must meet the same setback the principal building on the lot must meet, so they cannot be pushed closer to a property line than the house itself.

The code also locks down what a shed can be used for: no retail sales, industrial use, vehicle repair, offices, commercial or service activity, rental storage business, or human habitation is allowed inside one. Any driveway or access built to serve the accessory building still needs approval from the applicable road authority, whether that is the township, the county, or the state, before it connects to a public road. Because Sec. 24-338 does not set its own fine, a violation, including exceeding the 3,000-square-foot cap or using a shed for a prohibited purpose, falls under the chapter 24 general penalty at Sec. 24-44(a).