Wright County, MN Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Part 4717.1550, titled Pool Access Restriction; Fencing, sits in Chapter 4717 of Minnesota Rules, the Minnesota Department of Health chapter on public pools. Its text speaks only of a public pool, and it says nothing about private residential pools.

Subpart 1 sets the goal: access to a public pool must be controlled to effectively prevent the entrance of children. Fencing is one way to do that, and wherever fencing is used it must meet subparts 2 to 6. A pool inside a building or enclosure has two options: put it in a separate room with self-latching doors, or surround it with fencing or a comparable barrier at least four feet high with self-closing, self-latching doors or gates. Poolside guest rooms, corridors adjacent to poolside guest rooms, and poolside activity areas can sit inside the pool enclosure.

Subpart 2 is the main fence standard. Fencing must be at least five feet high, have self-closing, self-latching gates capable of being locked, have no opening greater than four inches, have no opening greater than two inches below the fence, and not be a readily climbable design.

Subpart 3 covers older fences. Fencing in place before January 4, 1995, that is less than five feet high must be no less than four feet high, with the same self-closing, self-latching lockable gates, the same four-inch opening limit, and the same ban on climbable design. The list for these older fences does not repeat the two-inch gap below the fence.

Subpart 4 sets wading pool enclosures at 42 inches high for existing installations and 48 inches for new ones. Subpart 5 limits new chain link to 1-1/2 inch mesh when the fence is under eight feet high, and to two-inch mesh at eight feet or higher. Subpart 6 puts latches on new installations four feet above the ground.

The rule's history lines are 19 SR 1419 and 19 SR 1637, and the Revisor of Statutes lists it as published electronically on May 11, 2009.