Land Use Permits

Aitkin County requires Land Use/Building Permits in County administered areas. Homeowners or licensed contractors will usually complete the permit applications and submit them to Aitkin County for review. All permit applications are online applications. Please read all instructions and fill out the permit application carefully. If you have any questions, please contact our office.

Aitkin County does not administer the Minnesota State Building Code, but does require land use permits for a wide variety of projects. An initial site inspection will be conducted to ensure all applicable setbacks are met.

The land use application is used for many types of construction activities, including but not limited to:

• Constructing new buildings
• Moving structures onto the property or changing the structure’s location on the property.
• Changing the height, volume, pitch, or projection of a structure
• Additions to an existing structure
• Signs
• Change of building use (i.e. garage to residence)
• Permit extension
• New or replacement septic systems

Construction projects that do not need a land use include, but are not limited to:

• Building demolition
• Roof replacement/roofing (No pitch change)
• Siding
• Flooring
• Interior remodeling
• Fences (under 8 feet in height)

If you are unsure if your project requires a land use permit, please contact the Planning & Zoning Office.