What are the Minnesota Department of Administration’s rules for permitting displays in the State Capitol?
Executive summary
The Minnesota Department of Administration governs who may place displays and hold events in the State Capitol through a formal permitting system rooted in Minnesota Statute 16B.24 and implementing rules (notably Minnesota Rules Chapter 1235 and related security rules), which require advance reservation, a signed permit before an event is official, and conformity with standards on safety, logistics and conduct [1] [2] [3]. The policy treats displays that constitute protected First Amendment expression differently than state-endorsed commemorative works: permits allow expression but “do not imply an endorsement by the State,” and certain spaces and commemorative-art processes are governed by separate rules and boards [4] [5] [6].
1. How to apply and when a display is “approved”
Applicants begin by reserving space through the Capitol Complex Reservations or online reservation tools, after which an application and the Rules of Conduct are emailed; no event or display is approved until the Department issues a signed and approved event permit, and requests should be submitted at least seven days before an event [7] [3] [8]. The Facilities Management Division manages coordination and final permit approval; tentative status can be advertised but does not equal final approval [3] [7].
2. Legal and rules foundation: statutes and administrative rules
Permit authority and standards flow from Minnesota Statute 16B.24 and implementing rules including Minnesota Rules chapter 1235 (permits for public rallies) and related security/prohibited-acts rules ; chapter 1235 defines “public rallies” and requires permits for parades, gatherings, speeches or rotunda ceremonies and disallows unpermitted rallies on the Capitol complex [1] [2]. The rules require written agreements on security, police protection, liability and cleanup, and prohibit rallies that would substantially interrupt traffic or overburden security resources [1].
3. Operational standards and limits on displays
The Department’s online reservation pages and form language spell out operational constraints: private events are not permitted; sound amplification is allowed but capped (a cited threshold is 85 decibels) and may require city variances if higher; connection to major power requires a certified electrician and possibly city approval; parking and use of contract parking are restricted by time and location; and the Department may charge parking fees or set other conditions [2] [3]. Conference rooms and certain dining rooms or press facilities may follow different reservation rules and in some cases do not require a formal permit, per site listings [8].
4. Commemorative works and permanent displays: a separate process
Permanent commemorative artwork or proposals for new memorials follow a different regulatory track overseen by the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board and related Minnesota rules (e.g., Chapters 2400.2040/2703), which require documented public support, statewide significance, contractual agreements with the Department and design reviews — a process distinct from temporary public-rally/display permits [6].
5. First Amendment and neutrality: why controversial displays are still permitted
Agency spokespeople and reporting make clear that displays involving religious or political speech are treated as First Amendment-protected expression; the Department has repeatedly said a permit for protected speech “does not imply an endorsement by the State,” and governors and other officials have cited constitutional limits on removing permitted displays even when they are unpopular [4] [9] [10]. Legal experts quoted in coverage emphasize the requirement that the government apply neutral, content‑neutral permitting rules to avoid viewpoint discrimination [11].
6. Where reporting and the rules leave questions open
The publicly posted rules and news accounts establish the basic permitting framework and operational limits, but publicly available summaries do not exhaustively list every discretionary standard, appeal process or the Department’s internal assessment criteria beyond the listed standards (security, traffic, liability and cleanup), so more detailed procedural guidance or any internal memos about specific contentious decisions are not present in the cited materials [1] [7]. The record shows the legal baseline and operational details (noise, power, parking), the separate track for commemorative works, and the Department’s insistence that permitting is not endorsement — while local news stories document the political and public reactions to specific permitted displays [3] [6] [12].