Brooklyn Park, MN Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum barrier height
- Four feet
- Maximum opening size
- Four-inch sphere cannot pass
- Gate width limit
- Four feet unless approved
- Gate hardware
- Self-closing, self-latching required
- Engineer design required
- Barriers eight feet or taller
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 90 days jail
Summary
Every private swimming pool, spa or hot tub deeper than 24 inches in the City of Brooklyn Park must have a barrier at least four feet tall with no gaps a four-inch sphere can pass through. Gates through the barrier must self-close and self-latch, and the City Building Official can require an engineer's design for barriers eight feet or taller.
(C) Private pool barriers. For private pools in excess of 24 inches in depth, barriers must be installed in accordance with the following: (1) The barrier must be constructed of corrosion and decay resistant materials or other materials approved by the City Building Official. The barrier must not be less than four feet in height and must have no intermediate openings through which a four inch sphere may pass. ... (2) Gates and doors through the barrier must not exceed four feet in width unless approved by the City Building Official. ... All gates or doors opening through the barrier must be equipped with self-closing and self-latching devices capable of keeping the doors or gates securely closed at all times; provided, however, that doors accessing the pool area from a dwelling and forming any part of the barrier need not be so equipped. Gates and doors through the barrier must be capable of being securely locked when the pool is not in use.
Full Breakdown
04 requires whoever possesses land in Brooklyn Park where a pool, spa or hot tub sits, whether owner, contract purchaser, lessee, tenant or licensee, to install and maintain a barrier around it at all times. S. 05. For private pools over 24 inches deep, the barrier must be corrosion and decay resistant, at least four feet high, with no intermediate opening large enough for a four-inch sphere to pass through, and its bottom no more than four inches above grade; taller barriers of eight feet or more can be required to carry a Minnesota licensed professional engineer's design.
Gates and doors through the barrier cannot exceed four feet in width unless the Building Official approves a wider one, and a driveway gate cannot double as the barrier gate. Every gate or door in the barrier needs a self-closing, self-latching device that keeps it securely closed, except a door leading directly from the dwelling into the pool area, and all of them must be capable of being locked when the pool is not in use, with latches mounted at least four feet above the walkway or ground.
Where an above-ground pool wall itself serves as the barrier, its ladder or steps must be lockable, removable or separately enclosed. The Building Official can waive the barrier where a lot's topography already makes the pool area inaccessible. The section traces to the 1972 Code (§ 432:10) and was most recently amended by Ordinance 2022-1285, passed November 14, 2022.
Violations & Fines
Failing to install or maintain a compliant pool barrier is a misdemeanor under the city's general penalty, Section 10.99: up to a $1,000 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with prosecution costs added and each day the missing or defective barrier continues treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall does my pool fence need to be in Brooklyn Park?
Does the gate to my pool area need to lock itself?
Can Brooklyn Park waive the pool barrier requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brooklyn Park
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Fencing & Safety Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hennepin County handle fencing & safety requirements.