High Forest, MN

Olmsted County has not adopted a stand-alone county noise ordinance for unincorporated areas; instead, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Rule 7030.0040 (state noise standards) and Minn. Stat. 609.72 (disorderly conduct) apply. For residential receivers (Noise Area Classification 1), the nighttime period runs 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. with limits of L10 = 55 dB(A) and L50 = 50 dB(A); the daytime limits are L10 = 65 dB(A) and L50 = 60 dB(A). The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office (507-328-6800) handles general noise complaints in unincorporated areas. Cities like Rochester apply their own local noise rules.

Residential pool barriers in Olmsted County are governed by the Minnesota State Building Code, adopted under Minn. Stat. §326B.106. The MSBC incorporates the International Residential Code and IRC Appendix G/AG105 standards: a barrier at least 48 inches high, no openings allowing a 4-inch sphere to pass, and self-closing/self-latching gates. The barrier rule applies to any pool, hot tub, or spa with water depth greater than 24 inches. Local building officials in Rochester and Olmsted County issue pool permits and inspect for compliance.

Olmsted County itself does not run a unified short-term rental permit program for unincorporated areas - STR rules are set by the underlying city or township. Within the City of Rochester (county seat), operators must obtain a short-term rental permit from the Community Development Department, and STRs with five or more sleeping rooms are treated as lodging requiring a state lodging license. All Minnesota STR hosts must collect and remit Minnesota's 6.875% sales tax under Minn. Stat. §297A.61 plus any applicable local lodging taxes adopted under Minn. Stat. Ch. 469.

Olmsted County's Chapter 1400 Zoning Ordinance requires off-street parking for residential dwellings in unincorporated areas it administers (Eyota, Marion, Oronoco, Quincy townships); no STR-specific multiplier applies. Inside Rochester, City Code Chapter 7-9-14 requires STR hosts to submit and maintain a documented parking plan and provide off-street parking or alternative arrangements for guests as a license condition.

Short-term rentals in unincorporated Olmsted County owe Minnesota's 6.875% state sales tax plus the county's 0.5% combined transit sales tax (two 0.25% taxes for Destination Medical Center and transportation), for a 7.375% effective rate on stays under 30 days. Rentals in Rochester also owe Rochester's 7% city lodging tax (total 14.375%). Marketplaces (Airbnb, Vrbo) collect state-administered taxes; locally administered city lodging taxes are remitted by the host.

Olmsted County imposes no STR-specific overnight guest cap in unincorporated areas it directly zones (Eyota, Marion, Oronoco, Quincy townships). Maximum occupancy defaults to the Minnesota State Building Code, the Minnesota State Fire Code (NFPA 101), and on-site sewage treatment system design capacity under MN Rules Ch. 7080. Inside Rochester, the STR ordinance (City Code 7-9-14) requires applicants to declare maximum occupancy on their license.

Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. §§624.20-624.25) bans all explosive and aerial fireworks statewide. Since the 2002 amendment, only non-explosive, non-aerial fireworks are legal: wire/wood sparklers (up to 100 g of pyrotechnic mixture), and ground spinners, fountains, snakes, and similar devices (up to 75 g per tube or 500 g total per package). Bottle rockets, firecrackers, Roman candles, mortars, and any aerial device remain illegal. Use is limited to private property; public-property use is prohibited. Local governments may further restrict fireworks.

Olmsted County's zoning authority over unincorporated areas (and four contracting townships - Eyota, Marion, Oronoco, Quincy) operates under Minn. Stat. Ch. 394. The county's Chapter 1400 Zoning Ordinance permits accessory structures in the R-1 district at up to 1,000 sq ft, with separations of 6 ft from the house, 5 ft from side lot lines, and 8 ft from rear lot lines. Within the City of Rochester, ADUs are governed by the Unified Development Code Section 60.300.020G - one ADU per lot, max 1,000 sq ft, allowed in all residentially zoned districts since the UDC took effect January 1, 2023. Minnesota has no statewide ADU mandate; cities and counties retain local control.

Olmsted County has not adopted a county-wide leash ordinance for ordinary dogs, but the new Olmsted County Dangerous Dog Ordinance (Chapter 2600, Resolution 26-01, adopted February 2026) and the Chapter 2500 Rabies Control Ordinance apply countywide in unincorporated areas. Dangerous dogs must be kept in a proper enclosure or muzzled and restrained by a substantial leash under physical control of a responsible person, per Minn. Stat. 347.52. Cities like Rochester and townships like Cascade Township have their own leash laws requiring all dogs to be under restraint when off the owner's property. Report violations to the Olmsted County Sheriff at 507-328-6800.

Olmsted County regulates fences in unincorporated areas through its Chapter 1400 Zoning Ordinance, administered by the Olmsted County Planning Department for the cooperatively-planned townships of Eyota, Marion, Oronoco, and Quincy. Privacy fences in residential districts are generally limited to 6 feet, with corner-lot sight-distance rules restricting front-yard fence height to preserve traffic visibility. Fences may sit on the property line if both sides can be maintained, but not within road or utility easements. Olmsted County is comprised of 18 townships and eight cities that may administer their own zoning. For permits and questions, contact the Olmsted County Planning Department at 507-328-7100.

Olmsted County participates in the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program and administers floodplain rules through Chapter 3750 - Floodplain and Shoreland Ordinance (Ordinance No. 23-5). The ordinance regulates development along the Zumbro River and its tributaries, requires Department of Natural Resources approval and FEMA notification for changes to base flood water surface elevations, and applies Minnesota's statutory floodplain framework under Minn. Stat. Ch. 103F (Floodplain Management). The Olmsted County Planning Department administers and enforces the ordinance.