Minneapolis, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 7 § 142.70
Visitation in health care facilities (Minneapolis Civil Rights Ordinance)
Operative Text
(a) Patient designation. Where a health care facility restricts a patient's visitors, the health care facility shall allow every patient to name those individuals whom the patient wishes to allow to visit, unless: (1) No visitors are allowed; or (2) The facility determines that the presence of a particular visitor named by the patient would endanger the health or safety of a patient or patients, or would endanger the primary operations of the facility. (b) Domestic partners who do not make designations. If a patient with whom visiting is restricted has not made the designation provided for in subsection (a), and if the patient has not indicated that she or he wishes no visitors, the facility must allow the patient's domestic partner, the children of the patient's domestic partner, or the domestic partner of the patient's parent or child to visit, unless: (1) No visitors are allowed, or (2) The facility determines that the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health or safety of a patient or patients, or would endanger the primary operations of the facility. (c) Health care facility defined. A "health care facility" for the purpose of this article is hospital, sanitarium, or other institution for the hospitalization or care of human beings licensed under Minnesota Statutes, Sections 144.50 to 144.56. ( 91-Or-015 , § 1, 1-25-91)
Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 142.70 governs visitation rights in licensed health care facilities when a facility has placed restrictions on patient visitors. Under this provision, a restricted patient generally has the right to designate who may visit them, and if no such designation has been made, the patient's domestic partner and certain related family members retain a default right to visit. Both of these rights can be overridden only if the facility has banned all visitors entirely, or if a specific visitor's presence would endanger patient health, safety, or the facility's primary operations.
Plain English — not legal advice.
This provision applies to licensed health care facilities rather than traditional rental housing, but operators of facilities that qualify as hospitals, sanitariums, or similar institutions under Minneapolis Code § 142.70 are expected to maintain a clear process for patients to record visitor designations. Compliant facilities document any determination that a particular visitor poses a health, safety, or operational risk, ensuring that such decisions are grounded in facility policy rather than arbitrary preference. Facilities should also be prepared to extend default visitation rights to domestic partners and their close family members when a patient has not made a formal designation under § 142.70(a).
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Minneapolis Code § 142.70 gives patients in covered health care facilities the right to name their own visitors when the facility has imposed visiting restrictions, and ensures that domestic partners and certain family members may visit even without a formal designation. If a facility denies visitation in a way that appears inconsistent with these protections, the affected individual or patient may consider raising the issue directly with facility administration, contacting the City of Minneapolis, or reaching out to a tenant- or patient-rights organization for general guidance. Consulting a legal aid organization familiar with Minneapolis ordinances can help clarify what options exist under § 142.70 without committing to a specific course of action.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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