Minnesota Noxious Weed Law

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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 designated as noxious because they can harm people, animals, the foods we eat, and nature. 

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), along with county, city, and township officials, inspect land and ask property owners to control and eradicate noxious weeds to prevent them from spreading and harming neighboring lands. Landowners who refuse to comply with an official inspector's notice to control noxious weeds are in violation of the Noxious Weed Law. The county may complete the required work and charge the cost to the property owner through property taxes, or the owner may be summoned to district court.

Laws and Rules

The full statutes are available on the Office of the Revisor of Statutes website. Minnesota Statutes sections 18.75–18.91 cover the Noxious Weed Law. Click on the link to each statute below for details.

Noxious Weed List

Minnesota noxious weeds are annual, biennial, or perennial plants designated by the commissioner of agriculture as harmful or potentially harmful to human or animal health, the environment, public roads, crops, livestock, or other property. 

Under M.S. 18.771, the commissioner of agriculture places noxious weeds into five categories: 

• Prohibited Eradicate
• Prohibited Control
• Restricted
• Specially Regulated
• County Noxious Weeds

The official noxious weed list is current, updated every three years, and is available 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 Minnesota’s 87 counties by the board of commissioners. These inspectors also assist the MDA with laws related to seed, feed, fertilizer, pesticides, and plant pests.

Local weed inspectors are the mayors in the state's 861 cities and the supervisors on the state's 1,788 township boards. An assistant weed inspector may be appointed by the city mayor or the township board to act on 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 includes preventing the spread noxious weed propagating parts in material or equipment during transport and controlling or destroying propagating parts at the destination to prevent spread.
• A permit may be valid for one year or longer after the date issued.
• A permit may be revoked if an inspector determines noncompliance by permit holder.
• A permit is not required if a person is transporting noxious weeds directly 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)

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 (NWAC) and the commissioner of agriculture before 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 managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS). 

For more information about the federal noxious weed program and to obtain the most current federal list, please contact USDA APHIS.