Dakota County, MN Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Dakota County is almost fully incorporated, so cities zone land use under Minn. Stat. Ch. 462. The county's zoning authority under Ch. 394 reaches only unincorporated rural land, of which Dakota County has very little. Each city's ordinance defines whether a home occupation is a permitted or conditional use and sets limits on employees, customer traffic, outside storage, and floor area. One statewide override matters: under Minn. Stat. 462.357, subd. 7, a licensed group family day care for 14 or fewer children must be treated as a permitted single-family residential use, so cities cannot zone it out. For a business on an unsewered lot, county Ordinance 113 septic capacity rules can also apply.