How to Report a Pothole or Road Hazard in Saint Paul, Minnesota
A dangerous pothole or road hazard belongs in front of the authority that can fix it. This page explains where to report it, who maintains which roads, and exactly what details to include so the report is useful. If the hazard already damaged your car or caused an injury, read the deadline warning below first: a claim against the responsible city, county, or state agency runs on a short, strict clock.
Important: Reporting a hazard documents it and asks the right authority to repair it. It is not a legal “notice of claim,” and it is not legal advice. If a road hazard caused damage or injury, a claim involving a city, county, municipality, or the State of Minnesota can have strict notice requirements, often as short as 180 days (see below) — don’t rely on a civic report to protect a legal claim.
This is a free educational tool. It is general information, not legal advice, and using it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Two reasons to report it
Get It Fixed — and Create a Dated Report
Reporting a pothole or road hazard does two things. It asks the responsible authority to repair the hazard before someone else is hurt, and it creates a dated record that the hazard existed and that the authority was told. That record can matter later, for you or for the next person. The catch is that a civic report and a legal claim are two different things, and they go to different places.
Potholes and road hazards can cause tire damage, bent rims, suspension damage, motorcycle crashes, bicycle crashes, pedestrian falls, and serious personal injuries. A timely report can help document when the hazard existed, where it was located, and which public authority received notice.
If a road hazard damaged your car or hurt you — read this
Claims involving a city, county, municipality, or the State of Minnesota can have strict notice requirements, often as short as 180 days, and the correct deadline and recipient depend on who maintained the road. For municipal claims, Minn. Stat. § 466.05 generally requires written notice within 180 days after the loss or injury is discovered. For state highway or MnDOT-related claims, Minn. Stat. § 3.736 has separate notice rules for claims against the State. Government road-condition claims are difficult — cities, counties, and the State often have strong immunity and notice-based defenses, and these cases may depend on whether the responsible authority had prior notice of the hazard and a reasonable opportunity to repair, correct, or warn. A civic hazard report is not that notice of claim, and it does not preserve or protect a legal claim. If you may have a claim, talk to a lawyer right away — the deadline is short and easy to miss.
Where to report it
Who Maintains the Road
The right place to report depends on who owns the road. For a Saint Paul city street, contact Public Works Street Maintenance: call 651-266-9700 or email potholes@ci.stpaul.mn.us. For a county road, report it to Ramsey County. For a state highway or interstate, report it to MnDOT. When you are not sure who maintains a road, start with the city — they can redirect you to the right authority.
What to include
Details That Make a Report Useful
Whichever authority you contact, the same details help them find the hazard and act on it. Have these ready before you call or email:
- Exact location. The street address or block where the hazard sits.
- Nearest cross street or landmark. Something that pins down the spot, such as “between Milton St and Victoria St.”
- Date you observed it. When you saw the hazard.
- Description. The size, the lane it sits in, and how dangerous it is — for example, a deep pothole spanning the right eastbound lane.
- Photos. Clear images of the hazard and its surroundings, if you can take them safely.
If you were hurt or your car was damaged
What to Save for a Possible Claim
If a road hazard already caused damage or injury, preserve what you can — it may matter for a claim, and a lawyer can tell you what applies:
- Photos of the pothole or hazard, and photos of the vehicle, bike, or motorcycle damage.
- Repair estimates, receipts, and tow records.
- Medical records, if anyone was hurt.
- Witness names, the exact location, the date and time, and the weather conditions.
- A screenshot or copy of the report you submitted.
Self-Check
Who Should I Report This To?
Tell us where the hazard is and what happened. This returns the authority to contact, that authority’s reporting channel, and the details to gather. It is not legal advice, and it does not contact anyone or generate any document.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent, saved, or stored anywhere.
This is a self-check, not legal advice. It does not contact anyone, value your claim, or create any document. General information only.
Where to report it
What this does and doesn’t do
Honest Limitations
- This page helps you report a hazard to the right authority and document it. It is not a legal notice of claim under Minn. Stat. § 466.05, Minn. Stat. § 3.736, or any other applicable notice law.
- Cities, counties, and the State often have strong immunity and notice-based defenses for road-condition claims, which may turn on whether the responsible authority had prior notice and a reasonable opportunity to repair, correct, or warn; these claims run on a strict notice clock, often 180 days.
- A civic hazard report does not preserve or protect a legal claim. If you may have one, see a lawyer right away.
- This is general information, not legal advice, and using it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the city pay for my pothole damage? +
Sometimes, but it’s hard. Cities, counties, municipalities, and the State often have strong immunity and notice-based defenses for road-condition claims, and a claim may require formal written notice within a short window — often 180 days. Municipal claims, including claims involving a city or county, are generally governed by Minn. Stat. § 466.05. State highway or MnDOT-related claims have separate notice rules under Minn. Stat. § 3.736. Whether you can recover depends on the facts, including whether the responsible authority already knew about the hazard. Talk to a lawyer quickly; the deadline is unforgiving.
Is a hazard report the same as a notice of claim? +
No. Reporting a hazard gets it documented and asks the responsible authority to address it. A “notice of claim” is a separate formal legal step with specific requirements and, in many municipal and State claims, a deadline often as short as 180 days. Don’t assume reporting a hazard protects a legal claim — it doesn’t.
What if the pothole was on a state highway or interstate? +
State highways and interstates are generally handled by MnDOT. A repair report is different from a legal tort claim. MnDOT specifically warns that communicating with a district office about a road condition is not the same as making a tort claim. Claims against the State of Minnesota have their own notice rules and deadlines under Minn. Stat. § 3.736, so do not assume a MnDOT pothole report protects a claim.
What if my vehicle was damaged by a pothole on a Saint Paul street? +
Saint Paul has a separate claim process for pothole damage through the City Clerk’s Office — that is different from simply reporting the pothole to Public Works. The City also states that pothole-damage claims generally depend on whether the City had prior notice of the pothole or street defect and failed to correct it within a reasonable period of time.
What if the road isn’t a Saint Paul city street? +
County roads are maintained by Ramsey County and state highways by MnDOT, each with its own reporting channel. Report the hazard to the right authority. If you are not sure who maintains a given road, the city can help you identify it.
Talk to us
Hit a pothole that caused damage or an injury? Request a free case review
If a road hazard damaged your car or hurt you, the deadline to pursue a claim against the responsible city, county, municipality, or state agency can be short. Tell me briefly what happened and I will take a look. You can also call me directly at (651) 800-1313.
Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send highly sensitive or confidential details through this website. We may need to check conflicts and agree in writing before we can represent you or take action on your behalf.