Landscaping Rules in Minnesota (2026)

Minneapolis requires property owners to trim trees and vegetation overhanging public walkways and streets, maintaining…

Ramsey County does not regulate tree trimming on private land. You may prune trees on your own property freely. In St…

Rochester requires a written permit from the parks and recreation department before anyone trims, sprays, fertilizes or…

Saint Paul requires a free Forestry permit for trimming or pruning public boulevard trees. Licensed contractors must…

In Carver County's unincorporated shoreland areas, clear-cutting natural vegetation within 50 feet of the ordinary high…

In Olmsted County's shoreland overlay along lakes, rivers and streams, intensive tree and shrub clearing is banned…

Anoka County bans intensive vegetation clearing in shore impact zones, bluff impact zones and on steep slopes; only…

Boulevard trees are managed jointly by the city and property owners. Diseased trees (EAB, Dutch Elm, Oak Wilt) are…

Trees or plants removed or damaged during Hennepin County right-of-way work must be replaced in kind, and a tree…

On Maple Grove lots inside the Tree Preservation District, removing more than 32 inches of tree diameter per acre per…

Minneapolis requires a vegetation permit before clearing trees, shrubs, or other vegetation in shore impact zones…

Ramsey County issues no tree-removal permit for private property. In Saint Paul, no permit is required to remove a…

Rochester requires a permit before anyone plants, trims or removes a boulevard tree, the trees between the sidewalk and…

Saint Paul requires a certified tree preservation plan before any building, grading, or fill permit, lot split, plat…

Homeowners may remove trees on their own land in unincorporated Scott County without a county permit. The real limits…

Washington County requires a Certificate of Compliance before clearing 20,000 square feet or more of trees and other…

Woodbury lets owners of undeveloped land clear up to 30 percent of their trees with 14 days' notice, but building a…

Wright County issues no general tree-removal permit for private upland trees in the townships. The permit-like control…

In Stearns County's A-160, A-80 and A-40 agricultural districts, any tree removal tied to a new residential building…

Minnesota Statutes §18.78 makes every landowner, land occupant, and public-land caretaker responsible for managing…

Minneapolis enforces an 8-inch vegetation limit under Chapter 227 plus the Minnesota Noxious Weed Law (Statutes 18.76…

Minnesota law requires every landowner to control noxious weeds. Anoka County appoints a weed inspector; cities also…

Dakota County sets no countywide grass-height limit; cities set their own (commonly 8 inches) under Minn. Stat. Ch…

Maple Grove bars weeds and grass over eight inches tall on any property, publishes an annual mow notice each May, and…

Ramsey County (Minnesota) sets no residential grass-height limit for its cities: that is municipal (St. Paul requires…

Rochester City Code § 8-5-3 makes it unlawful, and a public nuisance, to let noxious weeds grow or turf grass exceed 12…

Saint Paul requires grass and weeds below 8 inches under Chapter 45. The city may mow non-compliant properties and bill…

Scott County's agricultural inspector enforces the Minnesota Noxious Weed Law across the unincorporated townships…

Woodbury caps weeds and grass at eight inches tall under City Code's 'eight-inch standard,' enforced zone by zone: R-1…

Wright County's agricultural inspector enforces the Minnesota Noxious Weed Law across the unincorporated townships…

Dakota County does not set watering restrictions. Your city or water utility does, typically odd/even address-day…

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 509.1400 lets the city engineer bar irrigation and other water draws from city mains…

Ramsey County sets no watering schedule. St. Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS) enforces even/odd-address outdoor…

Saint Paul's Board of Water Commissioners can declare drought-phase watering restrictions under Legislative Code §…

Minnesota does not restrict collecting rainwater in barrels for gardens and landscaping, but plumbed nonpotable…

Minneapolis zoning code caps rain barrels and cisterns in required side and rear yards at 4 feet tall for one-, two…

Carver County lets developers meet part of their required stormwater volume control by capturing and reusing runoff for…

Anoka County cities allow native and pollinator landscaping, but a native lawn taller than the mowing limit usually…

Minnesota law requires every city to allow managed natural landscapes of native or nonnative grasses, wildflowers, and…

Stearns County's Land Use and Zoning Ordinance No. 439, Section 7.7, protects native plant communities the Minnesota…

Minneapolis property owners may install and maintain a managed natural landscape of native plants, meadow vegetation…

Minnesota bans putting yard waste in the trash, and Anoka County runs two free compost sites for residents. Backyard…

Carver County lets residents run a backyard compost pile for their own household yard waste without a county license…

State law bans putting yard waste in the trash, at disposal facilities, or in resource recovery facilities anywhere in…

Minneapolis caps backyard compost piles at 15 cubic yards, requires an enclosed, durable container, and sets placement…

Ramsey County supports backyard composting and runs free yard-waste and organics drop-off sites for residents. The…

Saint Paul lets residents compost on their own property, but Legislative Code Sec. 357.08 caps the bin at 100 cubic…

Backyard compost piles are allowed in every zoning district in unincorporated Olmsted County as an accessory use, with…

Washington County lets residents run a backyard compost pile without a county license, but caps its size at ten cubic…