Carver County, MN Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Carver County Code § 55.04
- Abatement deadline
- 10 calendar days from notice
- Enforcing agency
- County Department of Public Health
- Violation penalty
- Misdemeanor, separate offense per day
- Appeal window
- 10 calendar days to request hearing
- Cost recovery
- Special assessment on property taxes
Summary
Carver County declares rodent infestations and rodent-attracting conditions a public health nuisance countywide. Waste must sit in insect- and rodent-proof containers, and the County Department of Public Health can order abatement within 10 days and bill the owner for cleanup.
(B) The following are hereby expressly declared to be public health nuisances, without limitation by reason of such enumeration:
(1) Failure to keep waste, refuse or garbage in an enclosed building or properly contained in a closed, insect- and rodent-proof container designed or reasonably adapted for such purpose, except for the immediate time preceding pick-up by a licensed solid waste hauler; ...
(5) Infestations of flies, fleas, cockroaches, lice, ticks, rats, mice, fly larvae and hookworm larvae;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-20: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 111-2025, passed 7-25-25).
Full Breakdown
Under Carver County Code of Ordinances Chapter 55, the Board of Health (the County Board of Commissioners and its designated agents) treats rodent problems as a public health nuisance that reaches every property in the county, incorporated and unincorporated alike, under the county's Chapter 145A public health authority. 04(B) lists the specific conditions that trigger enforcement: waste, refuse or garbage kept outside an enclosed building or a closed, insect- and rodent-proof container (except briefly before hauler pickup); accumulations of decayed animal or vegetable matter, feces, rotting lumber, packing material, scrap metal or tires where rodents or other vermin can harbor; and outright infestations of rats, mice, fleas, ticks, cockroaches or lice.
04(B)(4) if it shows evidence of rodent infestation combined with other sanitary defects. 06 requires it to serve a written notice and order by certified mail, sheriff service, or posting, giving the owner or occupant 10 calendar days to abate unless immediate action is needed to protect public health, in which case the order sets a shorter deadline and must state the reason. 08. 12(C) authorizes the county to move toward removal of the property instead of cleanup.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 55, including maintaining a rodent-harboring condition under § 55.04, is a misdemeanor under § 55.14(A), punishable as provided by law, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense. The County Attorney can also seek an injunction or other court order to stop the violation. An owner or occupant may appeal a nuisance declaration or abatement order to an administrative law judge by filing a written request within 10 calendar days of service under § 55.13(D), with a hearing set within 20 days and further judicial review available by writ of certiorari to the Court of Appeals within 30 days of the final decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
What rodent conditions violate Carver County's code?
How much time do I get to fix a rodent nuisance in Carver County?
Who enforces rodent nuisance rules in Carver County?
What happens if I do not abate the rodent problem myself?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carver County
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