Hennepin County, MN Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisance status
- Rat/mouse infestation = nuisance
- Also covers
- Fleas, cockroaches, lice, larvae
- Enforced by
- County Health Authority
- City opt-out
- If city ordinance is as strict
Summary
Hennepin County's Public Health Nuisance Ordinance declares rat, mouse, and other vermin infestations a public health nuisance subject to county abatement.
The following are hereby expressly declared to be public health nuisances without limitation by reason of such enumeration: ... Infestations of flies, fleas, cockroaches, lice, rats, mice, fly larvae, or hookworm larvae.
Full Breakdown
Section 2.01 of Ordinance 25 lists infestations of rats, mice, fleas, cockroaches, lice, fly larvae, and hookworm larvae among the conditions expressly declared public health nuisances countywide. The ordinance applies in every statutory or home rule charter city in Hennepin County unless that city has adopted its own ordinance that is at least as strict, and the county's Health Authority administers investigation and abatement of reported infestations under the ordinance's later sections.
Violations & Fines
An infestation triggers a Health Authority notice requiring the owner to remedy or propose a remediation plan; failing to correct it within the specified time is a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a rat or mouse infestation illegal in Hennepin County?
Does the county rule apply inside Minneapolis?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hennepin County
Compare Hennepin County to another location·View the Minnesota public health rules overview
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