Animal Ordinances in Minneapolis, MN

If you live in Minneapolis or are thinking about moving there, animal ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Minneapolis has 12 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of animal ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Pet Groomer Rules

Minneapolis requires anyone who grooms animals for a fee to obtain a license from Animal Care and Control before opening, and the business premises stay open to MACC inspection at any reasonable time.

Key details: License required: To groom animals for a fee. Issuing agency: Animal Care and Control (MACC). Expiration: May 1 every year. Inspections: MACC may inspect anytime.

Operating a grooming business without a MACC license violates § 63.140(a); the city council may revoke, suspend, or otherwise adversely act on the license, and code violations can bring citations under Chapter 62.

Exotic Pets

Minneapolis bars keeping any wild, exotic, dangerous, or non-domestic animal or reptile citywide without a permit from Animal Care and Control, with certain species like venomous snakes and crocodilians prohibited outright.

Key details: Permit required: for wild or exotic animals. Outright prohibited: venomous snakes, crocodilians. Temporary permit cap: 21 days. Enforcing agency: Minneapolis Animal Care & Control (MACC).

Animals kept in violation of this chapter may be seized immediately by MACC (§ 63.160), and the keeper is subject to the administrative citation process under Chapter 2 of the City Code plus permit denial or revocation.

This is one of the stricter rules in Minneapolis's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Pet Limits

Minneapolis treats animal hoarding as cruelty and unsanitary keeping of animals under Title 5 and Minnesota Statute Chapter 343. Animal Care and Control may seize animals, condemn premises with Hennepin County Public Health, and pursue criminal charges.

Key details: City authority: Title 5, Animal Care Control. State authority: Minn. Stat. Ch. 343. Health overlay: Hennepin County Public Health. Possible outcome: Animal forfeiture.

Hoarding can produce misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor charges under Minnesota Statute 343.21, animal forfeiture, restitution for shelter costs, and lifetime bans on owning animals.

Compared to other cities, Minneapolis takes a harder line on pet limits. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Bird Protection

Minneapolis parks and parkways ban killing, capturing, or injuring wild birds and destroying their nests, plus any trapping of birds or wildlife, under Park Board Code §§ PB2-8 and PB2-9.

Key details: Governs: Minneapolis parks and parkways only. Prohibited: Killing, capturing, or injuring birds/wildlife. Prohibited: Trapping, snaring, or netting birds. Enforcement: Park Police, Park Patrol Agents. Citation: Park Board Code §§ PB2-8, PB2-9.

Violations are cited as administrative offenses by Park Police or Park Patrol Agents; unpaid fines can be recharged as a petty misdemeanor or misdemeanor under Park Board Code § PB14-4.

Compared to other cities, Minneapolis takes a harder line on bird protection. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Wildlife Feeding

Minneapolis bans leaving food, garbage or rubbish anywhere it could feed rats, and requires wild bird feeders to sit at least 48 inches off the ground so rats can't reach them, under the city's pest-control code.

Key details: Governing section: Minneapolis Code § 229.60. Bird feeder height: At least 48 inches above ground. Enforcing agency: Minneapolis Health Department. Default penalty: Misdemeanor under § 1.30. Prohibited: Food or garbage left where it feeds rats.

A violation of Minneapolis Code Title 11 carries the city's default misdemeanor penalty under § 1.30, a fine or jail time set by Minnesota law, and the health department can also order abatement.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Minneapolis lets veterinary clinics operate by right in most zoning districts, but the zoning code requires all clinic activity to stay inside a completely enclosed, soundproofed, odor-controlled building and bans outdoor kennels outright.

Key details: Building requirement: Completely enclosed, soundproofed, odor-controlled. Outdoor kennels: Prohibited. Permit needed: Standard zoning permit (by-right use). Floor area cap: 5,000–10,000 sq ft in some districts. Governing section: § 545.210(f)(11), Ch. 545.

Running clinic operations outdoors, without adequate soundproofing/odor control, or maintaining an outdoor kennel breaches § 545.210(f)(11) and exposes the operator to zoning enforcement, permit denial or revocation, and a compliance order under Chapter 525.

Chickens & Livestock

Minneapolis requires a tiered MACC permit to keep chickens or other fowl, caps residential flocks, bans roosters without special permit, and prohibits hoofed livestock like horses, cows, sheep and pigs anywhere in the city.

Key details: Permit tiers: Tier I-III: 1 to 30 hens. Roosters: Banned without a special permit. Coop setback: At least 20 feet from neighbors. Livestock: Horses, cows, sheep, pigs citywide banned. Slaughter: Prohibited on residential property.

Keeping fowl without a MACC permit, exceeding tier limits, keeping a rooster without special permit, or keeping any hoofed livestock in the city is a violation subject to MACC citation, permit revocation and removal.

Compared to other cities, Minneapolis takes a harder line on chickens & livestock. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Microchipping

Minneapolis does not require microchipping for a standard pet license, but the city's lifetime dog or cat license can only be issued once MACC confirms the animal is sterilized and microchipped, with rabies vaccination on file.

Key details: Lifetime license needs: Sterilized and microchipped. Standard licenses: No microchip required. Administered by: Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC). Also required: Current rabies vaccination on file.

Not microchipping carries no separate fine: it disqualifies the animal from the lifetime license tier, so the owner defaults to MACC's annual or three-year licensing and renewal fees under the license fee schedule.

The rules around microchipping in Minneapolis lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Dog Leash Laws

Minneapolis dogs must be leashed or fenced everywhere except designated off-leash areas, under Code of Ordinances § 64.80.

Key details: Leash required: on all public property. Exception: designated off-leash areas only. Tether length: 3x animal's length minimum. Tether weight cap: 5 pounds max. Enforcement: MACC; misdemeanor penalty.

Misdemeanor under the Code's general penalty, § 1.30: fine or imprisonment up to the state misdemeanor maximum, with each day a separate offense; Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC) enforces and can impound a loose dog.

Breed Restrictions

Minneapolis has no breed-specific dog ordinance; MACC designates animals "potentially dangerous" or "dangerous" based solely on documented bite or attack behavior under Minneapolis Code § 66.10, regardless of breed.

Key details: Basis for declaration: Documented behavior, not breed. Declaring authority: Minneapolis Animal Care & Control (MACC). Dangerous-animal insurance: $300,000 minimum liability coverage. Appeal window: 14 calendar days after notice. Governing chapter: Minneapolis Code Ch. 66.

Failing to register, microchip, muzzle, or build the required enclosure after a declaration lets MACC confiscate the animal for disposition under Chapter 66; a "dangerous" declaration also requires proof of $300,000 in liability insurance within 14 days.

The rules around breed restrictions in Minneapolis lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Beekeeping

Keeping honeybees anywhere in Minneapolis requires an MACC permit, neighbor notification, and compliance with colony limits tied to lot size, from two colonies on a half-acre lot up to eight on a full acre.

Key details: Permit issuer: MACC. Neighbor notice: required before approval. Half-acre lot limit: 2 colonies. One-acre lot limit: 8 colonies. Permit expires: January 31 yearly.

MACC can deny, suspend, or revoke a permit for violating any condition or if the hives become a public nuisance, subject to an appeal hearing; failing to renew annually is itself a violation of the section.

Cat Rules

Minneapolis requires every cat over four months old to carry a MACC license and rabies tag, but the city also authorizes registered caretakers to maintain outdoor feral cat colonies under a formal sponsor program.

Key details: License required: Cats over 4 months old. Licensing agency: Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC). Feral colony rule: Needs MACC-approved sponsor registration. Cats in heat: Must be confined, not left roaming. Tag requirement: Collar with metal license tag in public.

Keeping an unlicensed cat, letting one go without proof of rabies vaccination, or failing to register a feral colony risks seizure by MACC plus impoundment, boarding, and duplicate-tag fees.

The Bottom Line

Minneapolis is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 12 rules covered here, 4 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Minneapolis, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

This guide is based on Minneapolis's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.