Zoning, building permits and septic rules in St. Louis Park, Minnesota

St. Louis Park’s own rules

• InspectionsRequired

  Storm-related repair work inside St. Louis Park city limits.

  • The cited requirement covers repairs such as roofing, siding, meter, and mast work.

  “City permits and inspections are required for all storm-related repairs”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Detached accessory dwelling units inside St. Louis Park city limits.

  • Issued once all permits are finalized.

  “All ADUs will require a building permit, and may require electrical, mechanical and/or plumbing permits. An erosion and sediment control permit is required if the project will disturb 5,000 cubic feet. Additions to the main house that add a second story or add 500 square feet or greater will require a construction management plan. Once all permits are finalized, a certificate of occupancy will be issued for detached ADUs.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Structures and land within St. Louis Park city.

  • The zoning ordinance was amended August 3, 2026 and took effect August 28, 2026.

  “The City of St. Louis Park's zoning ordinance”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts within St. Louis Park city limits.

  • The applicable standards are located in the zoning ordinance and the property district can be found on the official zoning map.

  zoning districts: 11 (Numerous planned unit development districts and three overlay districts also exist)

  “The city's official zoning map shows the different districts and their boundaries. St. Louis Park has 11 zoning districts, numerous Planned Unit Development zoning districts, and three overlay districts. The zoning district associated with a property can be found on the zoning map; the standards for each district are located in the zoning ordinance.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Accessory dwelling units on single-family residential lots in R1, R2, and R3 zoning districts inside St. Louis Park city limits.

  • One ADU per single-family residential lot; detached ADUs must meet the stated setbacks, permanent-foundation, height, and minimum-size requirements; a building permit is required.

  ADU minimum area: >= 200 square feet (Detached ADU) · detached ADU side interior lot-line setback: >= 5 feet · detached ADU rear lot-line setback: >= 15 feet (5 feet if lot abuts an alley) · detached ADU height: <= 15 feet (with a few exceptions)

  “ADUs are permitted on single-family residential lots in the R1, R2 and R3 zoning districts.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  In-ground sewage treatment systems inside St. Louis Park city limits.

  • Authorization is available only when connection to the sanitary sewer system is deemed impractical.

  “may authorize replacement or installation”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  In-ground sewage treatment systems inside St. Louis Park city limits.

  • Replacement or installation requires authorization by the director of public works and director of inspections and is limited to cases where sanitary-sewer connection is deemed impractical.

  “when connection to the sanitary sewer system is deemed impractical”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Structures on property from which sewage is disposed and abutting city public sanitary sewer inside St. Louis Park city limits.

  • The city directors may authorize an in-ground sewage treatment system when sewer connection is deemed impractical.

  “shall be connected to the public sanitary sewer system”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveways and new or altered driveway curb cuts inside St. Louis Park city limits.

  • New or altered curb cuts onto a public road require a city engineering right-of-way permit.

  “A separate driveway permit is required for new driveways.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rental use inside St. Louis Park city limits.

  • Allowed only for approved and licensed bed and breakfasts, hotels, motels, or hostels.

  “No. Short-term rental is only allowed for approved and licensed bed and breakfasts, hotels, motels or hostels.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-plan permit applications inside St. Louis Park city limits.

  • For permits requiring plan review, the city describes review, correction, approval, and final-fee steps.

  “Apply for your permit and pay the permit fee online using ePermits. For permits that require plan review, you'll receive an emailed receipt for your permit fee payment. ProjectDox will send you an invitation to create your account. This includes a temporary password for first-time users. Use this information to log into your ProjectDox account.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask St. Louis Park or Hennepin County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside St. Louis Park city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building work inside St. Louis Park city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal single-family dwellings inside St. Louis Park city limits.
• Minimum lot size — Principal single-family residential districts inside St. Louis Park city limits.
• Setbacks — Principal single-family residential districts inside St. Louis Park city limits.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.