Skip to main content
📞 (507) 203-2223 · Same-Day Pickup · 7am–8pm Daily ⭐ Licensed · Insured · Minnesota DNR-Permitted Partner Operators
📞
📞 Call Now
Minnesota Dead Animal Guide

How to Dispose of a Dead Animal in Minnesota

Minnesota publishes no burial depth — § 35.82 asks only for cover adequate to prevent scavenging — and the section does not reach pets kept in the home or wildlife at all. What that leaves you with, and who actually decides.

$300–$1,000
Flat rate, by animal size
Under 4 hr
Same-day response target
No trip fee
Quoted on the call
  • ✓ Minn. Stat. § 35.82 — no depth figure in statute
  • ✓ Subd. 4 excludes home-kept animals; wildlife not covered
  • ✓ Local government keeps authority over those carcasses
📞 (507) 203-2223 Request a Quote
Quick answer

How do I legally dispose of a dead animal in Minnesota?

Minnesota's carcass statute does not reach you. Minn. Stat. § 35.82 subd. 4 excludes animals kept in the home, and wildlife is not covered by the section at all — it also expressly leaves those carcasses to local government. So there is no state depth figure to meet; your city and hauler decide.

The legal path

Step-by-Step Dead Animal Disposal in Minnesota

Five steps that cover 95% of Minnesota disposal scenarios — small animal, large animal, rabies-vector, burial, and landfill.

  1. Identify the species. Rabies-vector species (raccoon, skunk, bat, fox, coyote) require different handling than non-vector species. If unsure or if you/a pet had contact, contact your physician for rabies post-exposure consultation and call a licensed wildlife operator.
  2. Choose the disposal channel. Minn. Stat. § 35.82 does not reach pets kept in the home or wildlife, so the answer comes from your hauler and your county — call before you set anything out. Small non-vector species are the ones most often accepted, double-bagged and fully contained, and haulers commonly cap per-bag weight. Medium animals: hauler, county landfill, or a licensed operator. Large animals such as deer: county landfill, which often needs advance approval, or a licensed operator. Rabies-vector species (raccoon, skunk, fox, bat): a licensed operator or county animal control, and some municipalities decline them outright.
  3. For trash disposal: double-bag method. Two heavy contractor-grade (3-mil or thicker) bags. Carcass into first bag with shovel or gloved hands. Tie tightly, remove air. First bag into second bag. Tie tightly. Set out morning of trash collection — don't set out days in advance.
  4. For burial: Minn. Stat. § 35.82 subd. 2(a) requires a depth “adequate to prevent scavenging” — no number is specified, and pets are excluded under subd. 4, so local ordinance governs. Check city, county and HOA rules. Keep well away from wells and streams. NOT for rabies-vector species (virus viable in soil).
  5. For landfill: call ahead. Some Minnesota landfills require advance permits for large carcasses or refuse rabies-vector species. Transport in sealed container/bag, no leaks.
By county

Disposal Rules by Minnesota County (Our Service Area)

Disposal jurisdiction in Minnesota is county-level — each county solid-waste district has its own rules within the Minnesota Board of Animal Health framework (Minn. Stat. § 35.82).

  • Olmsted County (Rochester): Olmsted County Solid Waste District. Double-bagged non-vector species accepted in residential trash. Large animals via county landfill.
  • Blue Earth County (Mankato): Blue Earth County solid-waste program. Standard solid-waste rules apply. Check solid-waste program customer service for large-animal landfill permits.
  • Stearns County (St. Cloud): Stearns County Solid Waste District. Standard double-bag method for residential trash. County landfill for large carcasses.
  • St. Louis County (Duluth): St. Louis County solid-waste program. Standard solid-waste rules.
  • Clay County (Moorhead): Clay County solid-waste program. Standard double-bag for residential trash; county landfill for large animals.
FAQ

Dead Animal Disposal in Minnesota — FAQ

Can I throw a dead animal in the trash in Minnesota?
No Minnesota statute permits it and none bans it. Minn. Stat. § 35.82 subd. 2(a) is the state carcass-disposal rule and household trash is not one of its listed methods — but the section reaches further than most summaries suggest. Subdivision 4 states that "domestic animal" as used in the section does not include an animal kept in the home of the owner, and wildlife is not covered by the section at all; it also expressly preserves local government authority over those carcasses. So for a squirrel, raccoon or skunk on your property there is no state rule to follow, and § 35.82 should not be described as a solid-waste rule. Whether a bagged carcass may go in your bin is decided by your municipal ordinance and your waste hauler — call them rather than assuming.
Will the trash service pick it up?
This is a hauler and municipality question, not a state-law one, so the only reliable answer comes from your own provider. Many services will take a small carcass that is fully contained — no leaks and nothing visible through the bag — and many set a per-bag weight limit that a full-size deer would exceed. Rabies-vector species (raccoon, skunk, bat, fox) are the most common refusal, and some municipalities decline them outright. Call your hauler and your county solid-waste district before setting anything out; both answers vary by city inside Minnesota.
How do I double-bag a dead animal correctly?
Use two heavy contractor-grade (3-mil or thicker) trash bags. Place the carcass in the first bag with shovel or gloved hands. Tie the first bag tightly, removing as much air as possible. Place the first bag inside the second bag and tie tightly. Set out with regular trash on collection day — don't set out days in advance (heat accelerates odor + attracts scavengers).
What about burial — can I bury a dead animal on my property in Minnesota?
Minnesota sets no depth figure. Minn. Stat. § 35.82 subd. 2(a) requires burial “at a depth adequate to prevent scavenging by other animals” — a performance standard — and subd. 4 excludes animals kept in the home, so pets fall to local ordinance entirely. Check your city or county rules and your HOA before digging. Keep the grave away from wells and streams. Burial is NOT appropriate for rabies-vector species — virus can remain viable in soil for weeks.
Can the landfill refuse a dead animal?
Some Minnesota landfills require advance permits for large carcasses (deer, livestock). Some refuse rabies-vector species. Call ahead to the landfill or county solid-waste district before transport. Licensed wildlife operators have established disposal relationships and handle these calls in advance.
What if it's a deer-vehicle collision in my driveway?
Rules for possessing a vehicle-killed deer are set by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — confirm the current requirement with the DNR Information Center at 888-646-6367, which the DNR lists as the number for reaching a conservation officer and for injured, sick or nuisance animals. If you are not salvaging it, note that Minn. Stat. § 35.82 does not reach wildlife and subdivision 4 excludes animals kept in the home, so there is no state carcass rule to satisfy. The practical routes are a licensed wildlife operator, the county landfill (call ahead — large carcasses often need advance approval), or your trash hauler if size and their policy allow.

Official sources

Every legal statement on this page traces to one of the sources below. Each was retrieved and read on the date shown. Where a source is agency guidance rather than law, it is labelled as such in the text.

  • Minn. Stat. § 35.82 — Disposal of carcasses — burial at a depth adequate to prevent scavenging (no number in Minnesota law), disposal as soon as reasonably possible, and the subd. 4 exclusion of animals kept in the homeMinnesota law / state agencyretrieved 2026-08-10
  • Minnesota Board of Animal Health — The board named in § 35.82 as the approver of alternative disposal methodsCounty or municipalretrieved 2026-08-11
  • CDC — Rabies — Federal guidance on handling animals that may be rabies vectorsFederalretrieved 2026-08-10

Accuracy and review

Last reviewed
Reviewed against
Minnesota Statutes · Minnesota Board of Animal Health · CDC
Editorial process
See our editorial policy

This page is general information for Minnesota homeowners, not legal advice. Statements of law are quoted from the state's own code or administrative rules and linked to the official text. Statements of agency guidance are labelled as guidance, not law. Local ordinances, county health rules and waste-hauler policies vary and can be stricter than state law — confirm locally before acting. Minn. Stat. § 35.71 is REPEALED and must not be cited. § 35.82 subd. 4 expressly excludes animals “maintained in the home of the owner” and preserves local government authority over those carcasses, so pet disposal in Minnesota is a municipal question rather than a state one.

Think something here is wrong? We would rather be corrected than be cited incorrectly. Tell us what is inaccurate and, if possible, the official source that says otherwise — send a correction or call (507) 203-2223. Corrections to law or agency contact details are reviewed and, where verified, applied and dated.

If it is in a wall, too large, or a species you should not touch

Calls route to an independent licensed operator covering your county. Minnesota Dead Animal Removal is an advertising service, not a removal company. If a public agency covers your situation above, call them first — it is usually free.

📞 (507) 203-2223 Request a Quote