Accessory Structures in Minnesota (2026)
37 rules on the books across Minnesota, 14 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
ADU Rules
Rules for building accessory dwelling units (granny flats, in-law suites) including size limits, parking requirements, and owner-occupancy rules.
Carver County
Heavy RestrictionsCarver County's "A" District code bars separate accessory dwelling units outright. Section 152.070(C) allows guest…
Read full rule →Olmsted County
Significant RestrictionsOlmsted County doesn't allow garage apartments or backyard ADUs by right on its farm lots; a second dwelling on an…
Read full rule →Washington County
Significant RestrictionsAn accessory apartment in unincorporated Washington County needs a Certificate of Compliance in the Shoreland…
Read full rule →Anoka County
Some RestrictionsAnoka County's Shoreland Management Ordinance lets an unincorporated shoreland lot carry one guest cottage in addition…
Read full rule →Minneapolis
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis allows internal, attached, and detached accessory dwelling units on single- and two-family lots through…
Read full rule →Ramsey County
Some RestrictionsRamsey County sets no ADU rule. Accessory dwelling units are municipal zoning under Minn. Stat. 462.357. St. Paul…
Read full rule →Saint Paul
Some RestrictionsSaint Paul allows up to two accessory dwelling units per one-family home under Section 65.913, capping each unit at 800…
Read full rule →St Louis County
Some RestrictionsAn accessory dwelling in unincorporated St. Louis County always needs a land use permit, and its allowed size and…
Read full rule →Stearns County
Some RestrictionsStearns County allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot, attached or detached, under Ordinance 439 Section 6.3…
Read full rule →Wright County
Some RestrictionsMinnesota has no statewide ADU mandate. In Wright County's townships the County zoning ordinance decides whether an…
Read full rule →ADU Owner Occupancy
Whether the property owner must live on-site to operate an ADU, deed-restriction requirements, and recent state-law changes lifting owner-occupancy rules.
Washington County
Significant RestrictionsWashington County requires the primary structure containing an accessory apartment to be owner-occupied. Development…
Read full rule →Minneapolis
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis requires owner-occupancy for internal accessory dwelling units only: the owner must live in the principal…
Read full rule →Stearns County
Some RestrictionsStearns County requires the property owner to live in either the principal dwelling or the accessory dwelling unit…
Read full rule →ADU Rental Restrictions
Whether an ADU can be rented short-term (Airbnb), 30-day minimums, separate rental licenses, and long-term lease requirements.
Shed & Carport Rules
When a storage shed or carport needs a permit, the square-footage exemption thresholds, and the setback and height limits that apply either way.
Bloomington
Some RestrictionsSheds and accessory buildings regulated under City Code §21.301.19. Buildings under 200 sq ft are exempt from building…
Read full rule →Carver County
Some RestrictionsCarver County scales shed and garage square footage to parcel size in the Agriculture District, from 1,250 square feet…
Read full rule →Maple Grove
Some RestrictionsMaple Grove limits accessory buildings like sheds to the rear yard, caps most detached structures at 1,000 square feet…
Read full rule →Minneapolis
Some RestrictionsDetached sheds and garages in Minneapolis are capped at 13 feet tall (16 feet with matching materials), 800 square feet…
Read full rule →Olmsted County
Some RestrictionsIn the townships Olmsted County zones directly, Eyota, Marion, Oronoco and Quincy, a shed or other accessory building…
Read full rule →Ramsey County
Some RestrictionsRamsey County has no shed ordinance. Detached accessory buildings are municipal zoning under Minn. Stat. 462.357. In…
Read full rule →Saint Paul
Some RestrictionsSaint Paul caps backyard sheds and detached garages at three non-dwelling accessory buildings per lot, totaling no more…
Read full rule →St Louis County
Some RestrictionsWithin St. Louis County's Flood Fringe District, an accessory structure such as a shed, garage, or storage building…
Read full rule →Stearns County
Some RestrictionsStearns County exempts sheds of 150 square feet or less from a construction site permit but still holds them to…
Read full rule →Washington County
Some RestrictionsWashington County requires a building permit for nearly every accessory building, and caps shed size by lot acreage…
Read full rule →Woodbury
Some RestrictionsA backyard shed in Woodbury is an 'accessory building' under City Code § 24-281(a): it must sit at least five feet from…
Read full rule →Scott County
Few RestrictionsA detached shed of 200 square feet or less needs no building permit anywhere in Minnesota, including Scott County…
Read full rule →Wright County
Few RestrictionsA detached storage shed 200 square feet or smaller skips the building permit statewide under Minn. Rules 1300.0120…
Read full rule →Garage Conversions
Rules for converting a garage into living space, including whether you need to replace the lost parking and what building codes apply.
Washington County
Heavy RestrictionsWashington County's Development Code flatly bans converting a garage into living space. Section 1.1(11) of Chapter Two…
Read full rule →Anoka County
Some RestrictionsConverting a garage into living space requires a city building permit and must comply with zoning. Coon Rapids requires…
Read full rule →Bloomington
Some RestrictionsGarage conversions to ADUs may be possible under Bloomington's evolving ADU ordinance (§21.302.03). Currently…
Read full rule →Ramsey County
Some RestrictionsRamsey County sets no rule on converting a garage to living space. This is municipal zoning and building permitting…
Read full rule →Wright County
Some RestrictionsTurning a garage into living space in Wright County is a change of use that needs a building permit under the State…
Read full rule →Tiny Homes
Zoning rules for tiny houses on wheels and foundations, including minimum square footage requirements and where they can be placed.
Minnesota: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsMinnesota's tiny-home statute, Minn. Stat. § 327.30, legalizes "micro units", permanent dwellings of 400 gross square…
Read full rule →Anoka County
Some RestrictionsThe statewide 2020 Minnesota Residential Code, Appendix Q, defines a tiny house as a dwelling 400 square feet or less…
Read full rule →Ramsey County
Some RestrictionsRamsey County sets no tiny-home rule. Whether a tiny home is allowed, and as a primary dwelling or an ADU, is decided…
Read full rule →Wright County
Some RestrictionsA tiny home's status in Wright County turns on its foundation. On a permanent foundation it is a dwelling under the…
Read full rule →St Louis County
Few RestrictionsSt. Louis County's zoning ordinance names tiny homes directly: a detached tiny home qualifies as a Principal Dwelling…
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