Minnesota Statutes

Minn. Stat. § 169.04 (2026)

Local Authority

✓ current as of May 2026

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(a) The provisions of this chapter shall not be deemed to prevent local authorities, with respect to streets and highways under their jurisdiction, and with the consent of the commissioner, with respect to state trunk highways, within the corporate limits of a municipality, or within the limits of a town in a county in this state now having or which may hereafter have, a population of 500,000 or more, and a land area of not more than 600 square miles, and within the reasonable exercise of the police power from:

(1) regulating the standing or parking of vehicles;

(2) regulating traffic by means of police officers or traffic-control signals;

(3) regulating or prohibiting processions or assemblages on the highways;

(4) designating particular highways as one-way roadways and requiring that all vehicles, except emergency vehicles, when on an emergency run, thereon be moved in one specific direction;

(5) designating any highway as a through highway and requiring that all vehicles stop before entering or crossing the same, or designating any intersection as a stop intersection, and requiring all vehicles to stop at one or more entrances to such intersections;

(6) restricting the use of highways as authorized in sections 169.80 to 169.88;

(7) regulating speed limits through the use of a speed safety camera system implemented under section 169.147; and

(8) regulating traffic control through the use of a red light camera system implemented under section 169.147.

(b) No ordinance or regulation enacted under paragraph (a), clause (4), (5), or (6), shall be effective until signs giving notice of such local traffic regulations are posted upon and kept posted upon or at the entrance to the highway or part thereof affected as may be most appropriate.

(1) the use of motorcycles or vehicles utilizing flashing red lights for the purpose of escorting funeral processions, oversize buildings, heavy equipment, parades or similar processions or assemblages on the highways; or

(2) the use of motorcycles or vehicles that are owned by the funeral home and that utilize flashing red lights for the purpose of escorting funeral processions.

(d) Ordinances or regulations enacted under paragraph (a), clauses (7) and (8), are effective after August 1, 2025, and before August 1, 2029.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 6 cases, 1942–2007 · leading case: State v. Kuhlman, 729 N.W.2d 577 (Minn. 2007).

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State v. Kuhlman, 729 N.W.2d 577 (Minn. 2007). · cites it 5× “And those narrow definitions confirm that the purpose of section 169.04 is only to authorize a city to direct the movement of vehicles on the roadway, not to authorize a city to establish the rules of the road or to enlarge a city’s authority to enforce traffic laws.”

State v. Kuhlman, 722 N.W.2d 1 (Minn. Ct. App. 2006). · cites it 12× “But the terms "police officer" and "traffic control signal" are narrowly defined. Minn.”

State v. Stallman, 519 N.W.2d 903 (Minn. Ct. App. 1994). · cites it 4× “Minn.Stat. § 169.04 provides a list of six exceptions where a municipality may regulate driving activities in conflict with state law.”

Wornson v. Chrysler Corp., 361 N.W.2d 493 (Minn. Ct. App. 1985). · cites it 6× “Minn.Stat. § 169.04 (1982) (emphasis added).”

Dickson v. Bober, 130 N.W.2d 526 (Minn. 1964). “Plaintiffs were not prejudiced by the failure of the trial court to read to the jury § 169.04, which provides that no regulation enacted by local authority designating a through highway shall be effective “until signs giving notice of such local traffic regulations are posted…”

O'Neill v. Minneapolis Street Ry. Co., 7 N.W.2d 665 (Minn. 1942). “Liability here should be determined by the rules of negligence and contributory negligence without regard to right of way under the statute in question.”

— Minn. Stat. § 169.04(a)(2) — 2 cases

State v. Kuhlman, 722 N.W.2d 1 (Minn. Ct. App. 2006). “But the terms "police officer" and "traffic control signal" are narrowly defined. Minn.”

State v. Kuhlman, 729 N.W.2d 577 (Minn. 2007). “And those narrow definitions confirm that the purpose of section 169.04 is only to authorize a city to direct the movement of vehicles on the roadway, not to authorize a city to establish the rules of the road or to enlarge a city’s authority to enforce traffic laws.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.