St. Louis County, MN Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Ordinance No. 16, § 3(f), as amended by § 8
- Fee amendment effective date
- January 1, 1975
- Fee-setting authority
- St. Louis County Board of Health
- Original fee range (superseded)
- $7.50 to $25.00 by room count
- Boarding house fee (superseded)
- $7.50 flat
- New operator discount (original text)
- Half fee if opening after Oct. 1
Summary
St. Louis County no longer fixes a dollar license fee in Ordinance No. 16 itself. A 1974 amendment, effective January 1, 1975, rewrote Section 3(f) to hand fee-setting to the St. Louis County Board of Health, replacing the ordinance's original graduated schedule that had run from $7.50 up to $25.00 depending on room count.
Section 8. Ordinance No. 16, Section 3(f), is amended to read as follows: (f) The license fees to be paid for lodging establishment licenses shall be established by the St. Louis County Board of Health. Section 11. These amendments shall take effect and be in force from and after January 1, 1975.
Full Breakdown
Ordinance No. 50 fee for a boarding house license and a half-price rate for a new business or operator opening after October 1. That fixed schedule was superseded: Section 8 of the amendment to Ordinance No. 53 and effective January 1, 1975, rewrote Section 3(f) so that "the license fees to be paid for lodging establishment licenses shall be established by the St. Louis County Board of Health," rather than being locked into the ordinance text. Under Section 3(d), the fee is submitted together with the written license application to the Health Officer, who issues a receipt for the payment.
Because the current fee is set administratively by the Board of Health rather than printed in the ordinance, an operator applying for a hotel, lodging house, boarding house or resort license in the unincorporated county should confirm the current fee amount directly with the Health Officer's office at the time of application rather than relying on the superseded dollar figures still printed earlier in the ordinance text.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate fee-evasion penalty; failing to pay the required license fee means no license issues, and operating without a valid license is a misdemeanor under Ordinance No. 16, Section 5, with each day of unlicensed operation a separate violation. A license obtained without paying the fee set by the Board of Health is not validly issued under Section 3(d), which conditions issuance on submission of the application together with the fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the St. Louis County lodging license fee?
Why does the ordinance list a fee table if fees are set by the Board of Health?
Is the license fee paid with the application or after inspection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
How St. Louis County compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare St. Louis County to another location·View the Minnesota short-term rentals overview
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