Administrative overview · FIPS 27091
Martin County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Martin County Planning & Zoning Department
For a project in or near Martin County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
507-238-3242
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Martin County Planning & Zoning Department, Martin County Courthouse, 201 Lake Avenue, Room 104, Fairmont, MN 56031
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM, except holidays
Review expectation
The ordinance provides for a certificate of compliance within 10 days after a building or alteration is completed in conformity, and within 5 days for a conforming open-land use. Variances are decided within 30 days after the public hearing; certain planning applications may be determined within 120 days from acceptance.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Martin County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Martin County Planning & Zoning Department is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 507-238-3242 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
The ordinance provides for a certificate of compliance within 10 days after a building or alteration is completed in conformity, and within 5 days for a conforming open-land use. Variances are decided within 30 days after the public hearing; certain planning applications may be determined within 120 days from acceptance.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the county building-permit PDF with owner, site, contractor, project, and scaled site-drawing information to Planning & Zoning. The Zoning Administrator conducts building and land-use compliance inspections. The permit is valid for one year after issuance; contact 507-238-3242 to coordinate inspections or confirm any project-specific scheduling requirements.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Martin County Planning & Zoning administers the 2023 Martin County Land Use Zoning Ordinance and related county floodplain, shoreland, septic, feedlot, land-alteration, and development controls in unincorporated areas. Applications require compliance with applicable state laws, the Minnesota State Building Code, and state fire, electrical, plumbing, septic, and environmental requirements. The county sources reviewed do not publish a separate current 2026 county building-code edition. The ordinance requires a zoning permit before erecting, altering, or moving a structure or exterior part, or installing an onsite sewage system or feedlot. Normal maintenance, necessary nonstructural repairs, and incidental alterations to a lawful nonconforming building or use are permitted when they do not extend or intensify the nonconformity. Construction sheds, agricultural buildings, and temporary structures located on a lot for 18 months or less are exempt from the ordinance's special moved-building photo requirements; municipal corporations and governmental agencies are exempt from ordinance fees.