Minnesota partially preempts local plastic bag bans under Minn. Stat. §471.9998, but allows fees and reusable-bag programs. Saint Paul has not adopted a citywide bag ban, while neighboring cities have used the carve-outs differently.
Minn. Stat. §471.9998 was enacted to preempt outright local plastic carryout bag bans after several cities considered them, but the statute leaves room for cities to require fees, encourage reusable bags, and regulate litter through other tools. Saint Paul has explored bag policies through its Climate Action and Resilience Plan and sustainability office but has not enacted a ban or mandatory fee citywide. Retailers in Saint Paul typically offer paper or reusable bags voluntarily, and many supermarkets charge for paper. The state's auditor and the Legislature have repeatedly debated repealing the preemption; until then, Saint Paul cannot ban plastic carryout bags outright.
Because no local ban exists, there are no Saint Paul-specific carryout bag fines. State law governs preemption questions and any future local fee structure.
See how Saint Paul's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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