Anoka County, MN Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Coon Rapids permit trigger
- Four+ dogs/cats combined
- Blaine kennel trigger
- Four+ of one type
- Permit-free limit
- Up to three
- Kennel zones
- Only where zoning allows
- County limit
- None; city-set
Summary
Cities cap household pets before a permit is needed. Coon Rapids requires a multiple-pet permit for any combination of four or more dogs and/or cats. Blaine treats four or more animals of one type as a private kennel requiring a license.
No person shall keep or maintain a multiple pet location in the City except upon obtaining a multiple pet permit from the Police Chief. [Multiple Pet Location means] a place where four or more dogs, cats, or any combination thereof over six months of age are kept.
Full Breakdown
There is no countywide pet-number limit; each city sets its own. Coon Rapids Sec. 6-205 requires a multiple-pet permit for a "multiple pet location" - four or more dogs, cats, or any combination over six months of age - and Sec. 6-204 requires a kennel license for larger operations, allowed only in certain zones. Blaine defines a private kennel as premises with four or more domestic pets of one type over four months old, requiring a kennel license and conditional use permit (Sec. 14-187). In practice, up to three of one type is allowed without a permit; keeping more triggers licensing.
Violations & Fines
Keeping four or more pets without the required permit or kennel license is a code violation; Blaine violations are misdemeanors (Sec. 14-30), and the city may require the animals' removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs can I have without a permit?
Does a multiple-pet permit let me run a kennel?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anoka County
Compare Anoka County to another location·View the Minnesota animal ordinances overview
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