Minnesota Noxious Weed Law

Purpose

"It is the policy of the legislature that residents of the state be protected from the injurious effects of noxious weeds on public health, the environment, public roads, crops, livestock, and other property."

The Noxious Weed Law affects growing plants. Some plants are noxious because they can harm people, animals, the food we eat, and nature. The MDA, county, city, and township officials inspect land and ask owners to control and eradicate noxious weeds that are present in order to keep them from spreading and harming neighboring lands. Landowners that refuse to comply with an official inspectors notice to control noxious weeds are in violation of the Noxious Weed Law and are subject to having the county contract the work to be performed, with all costs being added to their property taxes, or a summons to district court.

Laws and Rules

The complete statutes are found at the Office of the Revisor website. The statutes for the noxious weed law are M.S. 18.75-18.91. Click on the link to each statute below for details.

Noxious Weed List

Minnesota noxious weeds are annual, biennial, or perennial plants that the commissioner designates as having the potential or are known to be detrimental to human or animal health, the environment, public roads, crops, livestock, or other property. The Commissioner of Agriculture designates noxious weeds, underM.S. 18.771, into five categories: Prohibited Eradicate, Prohibited Control, Restricted, Specially Regulated, and County Noxious Weeds. The official noxious weed list is current and updated every three years on the Noxious Weed List webpage.

County, City, and Township Officials

A County Agricultural Inspector/County Designated Employee must be appointed by law for each of the states’ 87 counties by the board of commissioners. These inspectors also assist the Minnesota Department of Agriculture with laws regarding seeds, feeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and plant pests.

Local Weed Inspectors are the mayors in the states’ 861 cities and the supervisors on the states’ 1,788 township boards. An assistant weed inspector may be appointed by the city mayor or the township board to act in their behalf as local weed inspectors.

Permit to Transport Noxious Weed Propagating Parts

• This permit is issued by local weed inspectors or county agricultural inspectors.
• Condition of Permit Issuance include the prevention of spread during transport of noxious weed propagating parts in material or equipment and the control or destruction of propagating parts at the destination to prevent spread.
• A permit can be valid for a year or more after the date issued.
• A permit can be revoked if an inspector determines noncompliance by permit holder.
• A permit is not required if a person is transporting noxious weeds in the most direct manner to an approved disposal site and the load is protected in a manner that prevents the spread of noxious weed propagating parts during transport.

Permit to Transport Noxious Weed Infested Material or Equipment (PDF: 163 KB / 1 page)

Federal Noxious Weed Program and Lists

Federal Noxious Weeds are regulated by the federal government. Minnesota law requires that all regulated plant species in the state be reviewed by the Noxious Weed Advisory Committee and the commissioner of agriculture prior to being listed as noxious weeds. This includes federally listed noxious weeds. The MDA supports and cooperates with efforts to control and eradicate federal noxious weeds; however, regulation of these species is conducted by USDA/APHIS. For more information about the federal noxious weed program and to obtain the most current list, please contact USDA/APHIS.