ORDINANCES & REGULATIONS

Below is information pertaining to some of Newport's most commonly enforced ordinances. 

Animals Running at Large

No owner shall permit any dog, farm animal, wild or exotic animal to run at large.

Accessory Buildings / Garages

A property may contain no more than two accessory buildings, including garages or sheds.  The total square footage of the accessory buildings combined can be no larger than the footprint of the livable area of the house.  No garages or accessory buildings shall be placed any closer to the public right-of-way than the principal structure on the lot. 

Dog Licenses
All dogs over the age of six months must be licensed with the City. Dog licenses shall be renewed annually and go on sale the Monday after Thanksgiving. From Thanksgiving until January 31st of each year, dog licenses incur a fee of $10. After this date the cost is $20 per license. To obtain a license, please present your payment, as well as a current rabies vaccination record for each dog. There may be a total of three dogs at any residence before a special kennel license is required.

Exterior Storage / Garbage

In efforts to keep the community an attractive place to live, an owner or occupant of a dwelling may not allow garbage, equipment, personal property, or any other type of storage to accumulate on a property. 

Fences

Fences in residential zones may be placed along a property line providing no physical damage of any kind results to the abutting property.  The side of the fence considered being the face, or the finished side, shall face the abutting property.  Fences in the front yard shall be one color or pattern and may be no more than four feet in height.  Fences may be no more than six feet in height in a side or rear yard, unless the side or rear lot line is common with the front yard of an abutting lot, in which case the portion of the side or rear lot line equal to the required front yard of the abutting lot may have a fence no more than four feet in height.  Barbed wire fences may only be placed in the Residential Estate (RE) District. 

House Numbers

For your safety, house numbers are required to be displayed at your residence.  If it is not possible for you to display the numbers on the home itself because it is set back too far, a sign with proper numbers may be placed on a post in the front yard, plainly visible from the street.  A street number on a mailbox is not satisfactory for safety purposes. 

Hunting Regulations
Hunting is allowed only on the Mississippi River in Newport. For guidelines, please contact the Minnesota DNR at (651) 296-5484. The City of Newport adopted an Archery Deer Hunting ordinance on October 21, 2010.  The purpose of this ordinance is to designate areas and regulate archery deer hunting with the City of Newport. Click here to view the designated areas for archery deer hunting.

Inoperable Vehicles

If a vehicle is not in operable condition or is partially dismantled, it is deemed an inoperable or junk vehicle.  This ordinance also includes any vehicle not properly licensed by the State with current registration.  If such vehicle is on one's property, it must be stored in a garage or accessory building. 

Open Burning

Newport City Ordinance prohibits residents from disposing of refuse, leaves, or other debris by open burning.  Recreational fires are allowed, as long as they are no larger than three feet in height and three feet in diameter, they are no closer than 25' to a building, structure, or combustible material, including a fence, are no closer than 10' to a property line, and a means of extinguishing the fire is present while the fire is burning.  Only unpainted and untreated wood, coal, or charcoal shall be burned. 

Paving / Driveways

All parking areas and driveways shall be constructed of concrete, blacktop, or similar durable hard surface free of dust.  Driveways must be paved prior to the sale of a home and there may be only one driveway access per lot. 

Signs

No signs shall be erected or temporarily placed within any street right-of-way or upon any public easements, with the exception of campaign signs.  Fore more specific criteria pertaining to signs, please see Section 1380 of the City of Newport Code of Ordinances.

Storage of Recreational Vehicles / Equipment

Recreational vehicles and equipment shall be stored within a building, unless the equipment is operable and licensed.  In such case, units may be parked or stored on property outside a building as follows:

Only vehicles belonging to the property owner may be stored at the property. 

Watering Restrictions

The City does not impose a watering ban at any time.  Watering may be done as necessary.

Weed Control
In an effort to ensure that our community is a safe and attractive place to live, City Ordinance requires that residents control the growth of weeds and grass on their property. Weeds or grass in excess of eight inches in height on any lot are a public nuisance and are prohibited. The owner or occupant of such a lot will be given notice of non-compliance, after which, if the weeds are not cut, the City has the authority to hire someone to cut the grass or weeds and assess the cost against the property.

Winter Parking Ban

A winter parking ban is in effect on all City streets beginning October 1st and ending April 30th.  This parking ban prohibits on-street parking between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.