Saint Paul, Minnesota Dog Poop Law

Quick answer: Yes. Saint Paul requires dog owners to pick up after their dogs under Saint Paul Legislative Code Sec. 200.09. A court can impose up to $1,000. You are also required to carry a means of removal whenever you walk your dog.

What the Saint Paul ordinance says

How the penalty works

No published fine. Chapter 200 violations are misdemeanors (200.18) punished under Legislative Code 1.05: maximum $1,000 and/or 90 days. The city's Administrative Citations page (https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/administrative-citations) says a citation fee schedule is still being developed and must be approved by the City Council.

The carry rule

Yes. On any public or private property the dog owner does not own, the person must have in immediate possession a device for removing feces and a depository for carrying it to a proper receptacle (200.09(b)). Service dogs: 200.09(d) exempts properly identified service dogs, city police dogs, and tracking dogs used with city permission.

How Saint Paul compares

Unlike Minneapolis ($25), Saint Paul has no set ticket, so the amount is decided when a citation is heard. Saint Paul is also stricter than Rochester on carrying: here the empty pocket is itself the offense.

In practice

Because Saint Paul 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: Minneapolis dog poop law · Rochester dog poop law. All 50 states.

Source

Checked 2026-09-10 against the Saint Paul 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.