Minnesota already requires employers to provide hourly workers with lunch and rest breaks depending on their schedules, but those rules will become more specific in the new year.
Rest breaks after four hours of work had to be “adequate time” under the previous statute, but now they must be 15 minutes or “enough time to utilize the nearest convenient restroom, whichever is longer.”
The same goes for lunch breaks. An employee who works for six hours soon must receive a 30-minute meal break rather than “sufficient time to eat.”
Minnesota’s minimum wage also gets an annual inflation adjustment, to $11.41, an increase of 2.5%.
End of ‘shotgun-only’ hunting zone
Since 1942, hunters in the southern parts of Minnesota have been prohibited from shooting large game with rifles, and instead had to use slugs from shotguns, muzzle loaders and handguns.
A bill that passed during the June special session ends that restriction. Counties may pass ordinances to restrict the use of rifles — but only if they are in the previously existing shotgun zone.
Supporters of the change, including the National Rifle Association, argued it was an antiquated rule from a time when the state was attempting to increase its deer population. Backers also said there’s little evidence the shotgun-only rule had any positive safety effect.
Protecting vulnerable adults from exploitation
In 2026, a person concerned that a vulnerable adult is falling victim to a scam or financial exploitation can petition for a protective court order.
If there is evidence of exploitation, a judge will be able to prohibit a person from making contact with a vulnerable adult, or even freeze a vulnerable adult’s assets and credit line. A petitioner must demonstrate the risk of serious harm to the vulnerable adult.
Absentee ballots
In a recent briefing on upcoming changes to state laws, House Public Information Services noted a few changes to state election statutes taking effect next year.
Online applications for absentee ballots will require a Minnesota identification card number and the last four digits of the applicant’s Social Security number — unless applicants certify they do not have one.
Candidates filing to run for office will provide a phonetic spelling or pronunciation of their name to election officials. They’ll also have to report their own campaign contributions to the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board the next business day when they reach contribution limits.
Boat fees
Annual watercraft surcharges funding efforts to prevent the spread of invasive species are set to increase in 2026 from $10.60 to anywhere between $14 and $62, according to House Public Information Services.
The surcharge will now depend on the size, type and use of the boat. Nonprofits with boats for water-safety instruction would pay the minimum rate. Canoes, kayaks and sailboats have a $25 fee. Sailboats over 19 feet are classified as pleasurecraft and are subject to a higher surcharge. Pleasurecraft 40 feet or longer would pay the full rate of $62.
These changes come after a new safety-training requirement for boaters came into effect earlier in 2025. Boaters between the ages of 12 and 21 now have to take a $34.95 course offered by the Department of Natural Resources for a safety-training permit that does not need to be renewed. By 2028, everyone born after 1987 will have to take the class.
New in 2025
Many of the new laws enacted by the Legislature in 2025 took effect earlier this year. On July 1, the base recreational cannabis tax increased from 10% to 15%, on top of the regular sales tax rate of 6.875%.
The state also legalized lane splitting for motorcycles, required adults to pay minors for online content creation profits, and required ticketed entertainment events with 100 or more people in attendance to provide free water.
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