Posted by Waste Happy
on September 10, 2026
Quick answer: Yes. Minneapolis requires dog owners to pick up after their dogs under Minneapolis Code of Ordinances 64.20. The set ticket for a first offense is $25, and $50 for a repeat. You are also required to carry a means of removal whenever you walk your dog.
What the Minneapolis ordinance says
| Ordinance | Minneapolis Code of Ordinances 64.20 (Feces cleanup); Ord. No. 2016-009, Ord. No. 2025-002 |
|---|---|
| Fine | $25 |
| Repeat offense | $50 |
| Must carry a bag | Yes |
| Service animal exemption | Yes |
How the penalty works
City administrative fine schedule (Chapter 2 Administrative Fine Schedule, published as a Smartsheet embedded on minneapolismn.gov's Administrative fines page, https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=4fe65b94a24d4b4dad45ece762a6f73f): 'Feces Cleanup, 64.20, $25.00'. Repeat violations of the same type by the same person within 24 months are double the previous fine, up to $2,000 per violation, so a second offense is $50. An older PDF schedule (Resolution 2010R-101) listed $100 under the former numbering (64.50(c)); it has been superseded.
The carry rule
Yes. Anyone with custody or control of an animal in a public place must have suitable equipment for picking up, removing and disposing of feces. Service dogs: 64.20 does not apply to a service animal accompanying a disabled person, or to police dogs. In city parks, Park Board ordinance PB2-18 separately requires immediate pickup and carrying a pickup device, with the same service-animal exception.
How Minneapolis compares
Minneapolis is the only one of the largest cities in Minnesota we checked with a set ticket amount. The others leave the figure to a judge. Minneapolis is also stricter than Rochester on carrying: here the empty pocket is itself the offense.
In practice
Because Minneapolis requires you to carry a way to clean up, the simplest way to stay on the right side of it is to keep bags on the leash itself, so they leave the house every time the dog does. The Walk Dispenser clips to the leash and holds a full roll.
Elsewhere in Minnesota
Minnesota dog poop laws covers the state and its other large cities. Nearby: Saint Paul dog poop law · Rochester dog poop law. All 50 states.
Source
Checked 2026-09-10 against the Minneapolis municipal code. Codes change, so read the current version before relying on this for an actual citation.
This page is general information, not legal advice.
