Minneapolis Council Advances Ordinance to Make Bar Dress Codes Public

The Business, Housing & Zoning Committee of the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a draft ordinance that would require all liquor-licensed businesses to post their dress-code requirements at the entrance. The rule is intended to address “velvet rope discrimination,” where entry is denied based on race, gender or sexual orientation, and does not apply to state-regulated health and safety policies such as “no shirts, no shoes, no service.”

Councilmember Jason Chavez referenced a recent bar incident involving a white patron in a Twins shirt and a Black patron in the same shirt being turned away. Other members, including Pearll Warren and Jamal Osman, supported the measure as a step toward greater transparency. Michael Rainville expressed confidence that the ordinance will pass given the committee’s unanimous backing. The council is scheduled to discuss the proposal on Aug. 27, and it would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027 if adopted.