Animal Ordinances in Saint Paul, MN

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Saint Paul, Minnesota, there are 12 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Cat Rules

Saint Paul runs a formal feral-cat framework under Legislative Code Chapter 202: a stray cat can be impounded and held five days, but a cat believed feral may instead go straight to a recognized feral-cat management program for trapping, sterilization and release, and every released feral cat must be spayed or neutered, vaccinated and marked.

Key details: Standard impound hold: 5 days before disposal or transfer. Feral cats: can bypass hold, go to TNR program. Release requires: spay/neuter, rabies shot, colony ID mark. Cat cap: 3 per dwelling without a permit (Sec. 198.02(g)). Cat licensing: not required, unlike dogs.

Turning an impounded cat over to a rescue group without spay/neuter proof violates Sec. 202.03. Releasing a feral cat back into the community without sterilization, rabies vaccination and the agreed identifying mark violates Sec. 202.04. Keeping more than three cats over three months old in one dwelling without the Sec. 198.02(g) permit exposes the owner to permit enforcement under Chapter 198, separate from the feral-cat release standards.

Pet Limits

Saint Paul lets the environmental health officer require a permit for animals kept 'in a manner or number that may result in unsanitary conditions,' even when no other section of the animal code already applies. Legislative Code § 198.02(d) targets hoarding-style situations before they become a documented nuisance.

Key details: Trigger: Unsanitary conditions, noise, odor, pests. Governing section: § 198.02(d). Enforced by: Environmental health officer, DSI. Companion nuisance ban: § 198.06(a). Violation: Misdemeanor, § 198.08.

Section 198.08 makes violating §§ 198.02 or 198.06 a misdemeanor, so both keeping animals in unsanitary numbers without the required permit and creating an outright nuisance are separately chargeable. The environmental health officer can also deny a permit outright under § 198.04(f) if a nuisance condition is created or public health and safety would be unreasonably endangered.

Pet Store Rules

Saint Paul pet shops can't sell, barter, auction or otherwise transfer dogs or cats at all under City Code § 347.05(c). They may only host animal shelters and rescue groups showcasing adoptable dogs and cats at least eight weeks old, effectively turning every licensed pet shop into an adoption venue rather than a retail source for those two species.

Key details: Sale ban: Pet shops can't sell/barter/auction dogs or cats (§347.05(c)). Allowed exception: Hosting shelters/rescues to showcase adoptable pets (§347.05(c)). Minimum age: Showcased animals must be 8+ weeks old (§347.05(c)). Exotic-animal ban: No skunks; no turtles under 4 inches (§347.05(b)). Records: Purchase/sale logs kept 3 years (§347.05(f)).

Selling, bartering or otherwise transferring a dog or cat in violation of § 347.05(c) is grounds for adverse action against the pet shop's license under the rules adopted pursuant to § 347.05(e). Keeping a banned skunk or an undersized red-eared turtle breaches § 347.05(b), and the department of safety and inspections can enter and inspect the shop under § 347.05(h) at any time to confirm compliance, including verifying that only adoption showcasing, not sales, of dogs and cats is occurring on-site.

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

Chickens & Livestock

Any hoofed animal, horses, goats, sheep, pigs and similar livestock, needs a city permit before it can be kept anywhere in Saint Paul. Legislative Code § 198.02(a) bars stabling, keeping or permitting a hoofed animal to remain on any lot or premises without a permit, with no minimum head count triggering the requirement.

Key details: Permit trigger: Any hoofed animal, no minimum count. Governing section: § 198.02(a). Neighbor consent: 75% within 150 feet. Permit term: 1 year, renewable with fee. Violation: Misdemeanor, § 198.08.

Section 198.08 makes keeping a hoofed animal without a permit a misdemeanor. Section 198.04(f) also lets the environmental health officer refuse to grant or renew the permit if facilities are inadequate, conditions aren't followed, a nuisance results, or public health and safety would be unreasonably endangered.

Exotic Pets

Saint Paul bans keeping wolves, coyotes, jackals and any dog-wolf or dog-coyote crossbreed, every skunk and raccoon, and 'regulated animals' like big cats, bears and primates obtained after January 1, 2005, under Legislative Code Sec. 198.03. Animal Services can seize a banned animal immediately, and possession is a misdemeanor punishable under Sec. 198.08.

Key details: Banned canids: wolves, coyotes, jackals, dog-wolf/dog-coyote hybrids. Banned outright: every skunk and raccoon, any status. Regulated-animal cutoff: banned if obtained after January 1, 2005. Pre-2005 registration: written notice within 60 days (Sec. 198.055). Enforcement: immediate seizure by Animal Services.

Keeping a prohibited species, a wolf or coyote hybrid, a skunk, a raccoon, or a regulated animal such as a big cat or primate acquired after January 1, 2005, is a misdemeanor under Sec. 198.08, and Animal Services may seize the animal on the spot under Sec. 198.03(a). Owners of pre-2005 regulated animals who skip the Sec. 198.055 registration, miss the 60-day deadline, or fail to report an address change within ten days also face enforcement action and possible seizure.

Compared to other cities, Saint Paul takes a harder line on exotic pets. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Breed Restrictions

Saint Paul has no dog-breed ban. Legislative Code Sec. 200.01 defines 'dangerous animal' and 'potentially dangerous animal' purely by conduct, unprovoked bites, attacks or aggressive history, and Sec. 200.11 and 200.12 let the animal services manager declare any dog dangerous based on that behavior, regardless of breed.

Key details: Breed factor: none: declarations are conduct-based only. Dangerous-animal triggers: substantial harm, repeat bites, dogfighting evidence. Potentially-dangerous triggers: unprovoked bite, chase, or attack history. Appeal window: 14 days to request a hearing. Hearing fee: $50 to request, up to $1,000 if upheld.

Failing to comply with imposed conditions after a dangerous or potentially dangerous declaration lets Animal Control seize the dog under Sec. 200.11(c) or Sec. 200.121(b). A hearing officer who upholds a dangerous declaration may order destruction under Sec. 200.12(c) if the attack was vicious, unprovoked or repeated, or if the owner has shown an inability to control the animal. Missing the 14-day appeal window under Sec. 200.17 forfeits the right to certiorari review.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Saint Paul actively enforces its breed restrictions requirements.

Mandatory Spay/Neuter

Saint Paul doesn't require spaying or neutering pets generally, but a dog declared 'dangerous' under Chapter 200 must be sterilized at the owner's expense within 30 days under Legislative Code Sec. 200.121(a)(9), or Animal Control seizes the dog and has it sterilized itself, still billing the owner.

Key details: Scope: only dogs declared 'dangerous,' not all pets. Deadline: 30 days from declaration (Sec. 200.121(a)(9)). Missed deadline: city seizes dog, sterilizes it, bills owner. Reviewed: annually; may ease after 2 violation-free years.

Missing the 30-day sterilization deadline under Sec. 200.121(a)(9) triggers seizure of the dog, which is then sterilized at the owner's expense regardless of consent. Failing any dangerous-dog condition, sterilization included, within 14 days of notice is grounds for immediate seizure under Sec. 200.121(b), and an owner who has 'allegedly failed to comply' faces a misdemeanor charge and a possible destruction order under Sec. 200.121(d).

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Saint Paul zones veterinary clinics as enclosed-building uses: Sec. 65.536 requires soundproofing and odor control, bans outdoor kennels outright, and in traditional neighborhood and B2 business districts additionally forbids kenneling any animal that isn't currently under active medical treatment.

Key details: Outdoor kennels: Prohibited citywide. Building requirement: Fully enclosed, soundproofed, odor-controlled. Extra restriction: No boarding non-patients in TN and B2 districts. Distinguished from: Animal boarding/shelter use under Sec. 65.502.

Operating outdoor kennels at a Saint Paul veterinary clinic, running clinic activity without required soundproofing or odor control, or, in traditional neighborhood and B2 districts, kenneling animals that are not under active medical treatment are each zoning violations that can draw a correction order from the Department of Safety and Inspections and jeopardize the clinic's site plan approval.

Microchipping

Saint Paul doesn't microchip pets generally, but once a dog is declared 'dangerous' the owner must have a veterinarian implant a microchip under Legislative Code Sec. 200.15, pay the implant and registration fee, and keep the identification on file with the Department of Safety and Inspections.

Key details: Trigger: designation as dangerous or potentially dangerous. Who implants: a licensed veterinarian, per Sec. 200.15. Fee: owner pays vet's microchip + registration fee. Records kept by: Dept. of Safety and Inspections. General pets: no citywide microchip mandate.

An owner of a declared dangerous or potentially dangerous dog who hasn't produced microchip proof is not in compliance with the conditions in Sec. 200.121(a) or Sec. 200.11(a), which under Sec. 200.121(b) authorizes Animal Control to seize the dog within 14 days of notice. Reclaiming a seized dangerous dog under Sec. 200.121(c) requires presenting proof that every condition, including microchipping, has been fulfilled, plus impounding and boarding fees.

Dog Leash Laws

Saint Paul dogs must be effectively restrained, inside a fence or on a leash no longer than six feet, anywhere in public under Legislative Code Sec. 200.05, except in posted off-leash areas. Section 200.16 caps leash weight at four pounds and limits outdoor tethering to two-hour stretches with a two-hour rest between.

Key details: Public leash limit: 6 feet (Sec. 200.05). Leash weight cap: 4 pounds (Sec. 200.16(b)). Tether time limit: 2 hrs on, 2 hrs off, max 4 cycles/day. Invisible fences: secondary restraint only, not a substitute. Off-leash exemption: posted areas under Sec. 170.06 only.

A dog running at large may be seized and impounded under Sec. 200.06, with release conditioned on paying impounding and boarding fees under Sec. 200.07. An unclaimed dog may be destroyed after five days under Sec. 200.13. Any other violation of Chapter 200, including exceeding the leash-weight or tether-time limits in Sec. 200.16, is a misdemeanor under Sec. 200.18, punishable per Legislative Code § 1.05.

Wildlife Feeding

Saint Paul bans intentionally feeding deer anywhere in the city under Legislative Code Sec. 201.01. The ban covers grain, salt licks, fruit, vegetables, hay or any other edible material placed on or within five feet of the ground where deer could reasonably be expected to eat it, and violating it is a petty misdemeanor.

Key details: Prohibited act: intentionally feeding deer anywhere in the city. Covered material: grain, salt licks, produce, hay within 5 ft of ground. Exempt: living plants like fruit trees. Penalty: petty misdemeanor. Exceptions: vets, animal control, game officials on duty.

Intentionally feeding deer, including leaving grain, salt licks, produce or hay accessible on or near the ground, is a petty misdemeanor under Sec. 201.01(3), enforced without the seizure or hearing process used for dangerous-animal cases elsewhere in the animal code. There's no permit or registration option to authorize deer feeding; the only lawful actors are veterinarians, city animal control officers, and county, state or federal game officials performing official duties.

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

Beekeeping

Saint Paul requires a permit before anyone keeps a beehive in the city. Legislative Code § 198.02(e) states flatly that no person shall keep or allow to be kept any hive or other facility for the housing of bees within the city without a permit, enforced by the environmental health officer in Safety and Inspections.

Key details: Permit required: Every hive, § 198.02(e). Issuing office: Environmental health officer, DSI. Neighbor consent: 75% within 150 feet (or 150-ft setback). Permit term: 1 year, renewable with fee. Violation: Misdemeanor, § 198.08.

Section 198.08 makes a violation of § 198.02 a misdemeanor. Beyond criminal exposure, the environmental health officer can deny a renewal or revoke an active permit under § 198.04(f) if the beekeeping facilities become inadequate, conditions aren't followed, a nuisance results, or public health and safety would be unreasonably endangered.

The Bottom Line

Saint Paul 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 Saint Paul, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

These rules come from Saint Paul's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.