Reviewed against the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances on June 2, 2026. Minneapolis sets its bicycle parking rules in the Zoning Code, Chapter 555, Section 555.230, with the required amounts in Table 555-2. Requirements change and vary by use. Always confirm the current code with Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development at permit time. This is planning guidance, not legal or permit advice.
Short answer
Minneapolis sets bicycle parking minimums in its Zoning Code, Section 555.230, and the amounts are in Table 555-2. For a multifamily building of 4 units or more, the requirement is 1 bicycle parking space per dwelling unit, and at least 90 percent of those spaces must be long-term (secure, enclosed storage). Because multifamily is 1 per dwelling unit with a 90 percent long-term floor, Minneapolis can create a large secure bike-room count. Single-, two-, and three-family dwellings are exempt.
Long-term versus short-term in Minneapolis
Minneapolis sets the long-term and short-term split through a “Notes” column in Table 555-2. Each use gets a note number that fixes how the required spaces divide (Section 555.230):
- Note 1: at least 50 percent of the required spaces must be short-term.
- Note 2: at least 50 percent long-term, and at least 5 percent short-term.
- Note 3: at least 90 percent long-term.
Multifamily is a Note 3 use, so almost all of the required spaces have to be long-term, secure storage. Minneapolis also writes modern bikes into the design standard: “Accommodation of varied bicycle sizes and styles, including electric bicycles and cargo bicycles, is encouraged through provision of racks installed with greater clearance from obstructions, walkways, and other bicycle parking spaces.”
What Minneapolis requires for multifamily
For residential uses, the minimums come from Table 555-2. The exact text:
| Residential use | Minimum bicycle parking requirement | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple-family dwelling, 4 units or more | 1 space per dwelling unit | 3 (at least 90% long-term) |
| Congregate living | 1 space per 4 beds provided the requirement shall not exceed 8 spaces | 3 (at least 90% long-term) |
| Single-, two-, and three-family dwellings | None | N/A |
Source: Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, Table 555-2 Bicycle Parking Requirements. The multifamily requirement is one space for every dwelling unit, and the Note 3 designation means at least 90 percent of that count has to be long-term, secure storage.
The Minneapolis wrinkle: one space per unit, almost all long-term
Two cities in this cluster set multifamily at one space per unit, but Minneapolis pairs that with the strictest long-term share in the set. Because multifamily is a Note 3 use, at least 90 percent of the required spaces have to be the secure, long-term type. So a Minneapolis apartment building’s bike parking is essentially a large secure room, with only a small slice as visitor racks. That is the definition of a bike room that has to be designed for density. The code also nods to e-bikes and cargo bikes, which take more room, which pushes the layout further toward planned, high-density racks.
What Minneapolis requires for commercial uses
Table 555-2 sets commercial ratios by gross floor area, with a Note that fixes the long-term and short-term split (a sample). Non-residential uses of 1,000 square feet or less are exempt:
| Use | Minimum bicycle parking requirement | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Offices | 1 space per 4,000 sq. ft. of GFA | 2 (at least 50% long-term) |
| General retail sales and services | 1 space per 5,000 sq. ft. of GFA | 1 (at least 50% short-term) |
| Community service facility | 1 space per 5,000 sq. ft. of GFA | 1 (at least 50% short-term) |
Source: Table 555-2. Commercial uses of 1,000 square feet or more provide 3 short-term spaces or the amount listed, whichever is greater. Pull the exact row for the use.
Design standards Minneapolis writes into the code
Section 555.230(b) sets the standards that decide whether a space counts. Each space must be accessible without moving another bicycle, and placement must not obstruct a required walkway. Racks are installed to the manufacturer’s specifications, with larger clearance encouraged for electric and cargo bicycles, and each rack must permit locking the frame and one wheel. No more than seventy-five (75) percent of required bicycle parking spaces may be provided in wall mounted racks that require the user to lift a bicycle into place. Short-term parking must be within 50 feet of a principal entrance. Required long-term bicycle parking spaces shall be located in enclosed and secured or supervised areas providing protection from theft, vandalism and weather, and residential bicycle rooms include access to electricity.
What the multifamily number looks like in practice
Take a 120-unit apartment building (a multiple-family dwelling of 4 units or more).
- Total: 1 per dwelling unit, so 120 x 1 = 120 bicycle parking spaces.
- Long-term share (Note 3): at least 90 percent long-term, so at least 108 long-term spaces in secure, enclosed storage. Up to 12 spaces may be short-term or additional long-term, depending on layout and project-team or code-official direction.
A 108-plus-space long-term room is a large, secure bike room, and at that ratio the layout almost always means high-density racks (two-tier and vertical). Plan the room around the 90 percent long-term share first, because that is where almost all the count lands.
How Minneapolis relates to Minnesota and the California cities
Minnesota has no single statewide bicycle-parking mandate equivalent to California’s CALGreen; in Minneapolis, the Zoning Code sets the counts directly. Because multifamily is 1 per dwelling unit with a 90 percent long-term floor, Minneapolis can create a large secure bike-room count, and the explicit e-bike and cargo-bike accommodation is more current than most. If you work across states, treat each city’s code as its own; for the California framework, see our California multifamily bike parking overview, and for the city-by-city set, the bike parking codes by city hub.
Where each type goes in a Minneapolis building
- Long-term is the secure, enclosed storage that makes up at least 90 percent of a multifamily count: built from high-density long-term bike room layouts using two-tier (Double Docker) and vertical (Offset) racks. At one space per unit with extra clearance for e-bikes and cargo bikes, the density tradeoff matters: see vertical vs two-tier bike parking and the two-tier ceiling-height requirements, plus bike lockers vs bike rooms for the format choice.
- Short-term is the small share of visible racks near the entrance for visitors.
What to send Ground Control Systems for a compliant layout
We do not set your code count. That is the project team’s call with Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development and your code consultant, starting with the use and the unit count. What we do is make the layout work once the count is known. Send us:
- The project address and use (residential unit count, or commercial gross floor area and use).
- The floor plan or a program sketch showing where the long-term bike room and the short-term racks could go, and the finished ceiling height.
- Whether the project plans for e-bikes or cargo bikes, and whether it is pursuing LEED, which can set its own bike-parking threshold.
We come back with a bike-room layout, the product mix that fits the floor plate (vertical, two-tier, lockers, floor-mount racks, and scooter racks where relevant), the long-term and short-term split on the plan, and a quote. Reach us at 800-630-7225, info@groundcontrolsystems.com, or the contact page. The Download Center has CAD files and product specifications. For layout and code-support help, see services.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How many bike parking spaces does a Minneapolis apartment building need?
For a multiple-family dwelling of 4 units or more, Table 555-2 requires 1 bicycle parking space per dwelling unit, and at least 90 percent of those spaces must be long-term. A 120-unit building works out to 120 spaces, with at least 108 long-term. Up to 12 spaces may be short-term or additional long-term, depending on layout and project-team or code-official direction. Single-, two-, and three-family dwellings are exempt. Confirm with Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development.
Q: What is the difference between long-term and short-term in Minneapolis?
Minneapolis sets the split through a “Notes” column. Long-term is the secure, enclosed storage; short-term is the visible racks for shorter stays. Multifamily is a Note 3 use, which means at least 90 percent of the required spaces must be long-term.
Q: Does Minneapolis account for e-bikes and cargo bikes?
Yes. Section 555.230 encourages accommodation of varied bicycle sizes and styles, including electric bicycles and cargo bicycles, by installing racks with greater clearance from obstructions, walkways, and other spaces.
Q: Does Minneapolis follow a statewide code like California’s CALGreen?
No. Minnesota has no single statewide bicycle-parking mandate like CALGreen. In Minneapolis, the Zoning Code (Section 555.230, Table 555-2) sets the counts directly, at one space per unit for multifamily.
Q: Is this legal advice?
No. This is a plain-language overview of how Minneapolis structures its bicycle parking requirements. It is not legal or permit advice and is not a substitute for the current code text. Confirm specifics with Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development and your project’s code consultant.
Sources
- Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, Title 20 Zoning Code, Chapter 555 (Off-Street Parking, Loading, and Mobility), Section 555.230 (Bicycle Parking Requirements) and Table 555-2, with related facility requirements in Section 555.240, official City of Minneapolis code on the Municode library: library.municode.com/mn/minneapolis (Chapter 555; Title 20 replaced by Ord. No. 2023-032, effective July 1, 2023; code codified through Ord. No. 2026R-004; 555.230 and Table 555-2 text shows Ord. No. 2025-023)
- City of Minneapolis, Community Planning and Economic Development (zoning): minneapolismn.gov planning and zoning