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Minnesota camps
Summer camps in Minnesota: state rules
Minnesota doesn't publish a statewide camp list, so we have no camp listings here yet. This page explains the state's camp rule and links to the official sources.
Minnesota camp rules
Only some camp types need a camp license or permit. The Department of Health licenses youth camps, defined as camps that provide both food and lodging (overnight) for 10 or more people for 5 or more days a year; its rules cover the site, sanitation, food, water, health care and first aid (Minn. Stat. §§144.71-144.74; Minn. R. 4630.2300-4630.4700). Day camps without lodging are not youth camps under that law; they need a DCYF child care license unless they fit a licensing exclusion (for example park and recreation programs, sports or art programs, nonprofit youth development programs, or programs running fewer than 30 days a year).
Agency: Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services Section
Official sources: Minn. Stat. §144.71 youth camp definition · Minn. Stat. §144.72 license required · MDH: Youth camps · Minn. Stat. §142B.05 licensing exclusions
All Minnesota rules for child care and camps · Camp license rules in every state · Checked October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
More for Minnesota families
- Child care and after-school programs in Minnesota
- Free summer meals for kids in Minnesota: USDA meal sites. These are not camps.
- Youth, sports and camp nonprofits in Minnesota, from IRS data. Being listed there doesn't mean a camp is licensed.
Camp not listed?
If you run a camp in Minnesota that isn't here, send us its details. It's free. A person at BackPR reviews every submission before anything is published, and not every camp gets listed.