Use our property information search to find out whether a property is Torrens or abstract along with additional property and tax information.
Many commonly recorded documents require payment of a tax in addition to the recording fee. See the Recording fees section of this page to determine recording fee and use our mortgage registry and deed tax calculator to determine the amount of deed or mortgage registration tax. A $5 agricultural conservation fee is due when mortgage registry of deed tax is collected.
The following lists are general items to consider prior to submitting documents to our office for recording.
All types of documents
Include date and signature.
Verify that the legal description is complete and correct.
Provide "drafted by" statement, which includes both the name and address of the document drafter.
Acknowledgment must include: date, legible notary seal, notary signature and commission expiration date.
- Individual acknowledgements require signor names and marital status.
- Corporate acknowledgements require business name as well as the name and corporate title of the signer.
Include the electronic certificate of real estate value (eCRV) number on the first page of the document.
- Effective October 1, 2014, the Minnesota Department of Revenue - Property Tax Division, will no longer accept paper versions of the CRV.
- Paper CRV’s for sales that occur on October 1 or after will cause the recording package to be rejected.
Do not alter legal documents with strikeouts, line throughs, whiteout, correction tape, or staple removal.
Transfer deeds
Use our online calculator to determine the correct State Deed Tax (SDT) amount (the tax is .0034 of the net consideration or purchase price) to include.
For values of more than $3,000 complete and submit an eCRV (Minnesota Statute 272.115).
For values of $3,000 or less, submit a check for SDT of $1.70 and write "Total consideration for this transfer is $3,000 or less" on the deed.
An Agricultural Conservation fee of $5 is due on any transfer deed in which SDT is payable (Minnesota Statute 40A.152).
Grantors must include marital status.
Properties with delinquent taxes may not be transferred (Minnesota Statute 272.12).
Include a “Send Tax Statements to” statement, which has both the names and addresses of all of the grantees on the document.
Submit one of the following:
- A completed Well Disclosure Certificate (WDC) and a $50 fee (for each WDC submitted), or
- A statement: “The Seller certifies that the seller does not know of any wells on the described real property.” or
- A statement: “I am familiar with the property described in this instrument and I certify that the status and the number of wells on the described real property have not changed since the last previously filed well disclosure certificate.”
Mortgages
- Use our online calculator to determine the correct Mortgage Registry Tax (MRT) (the tax is .0024 of the net consideration or purchase price) to include.
- An Agricultural Conservation fee of $5 is due on any mortgage in which MRT (Minnesota Statute 40A.152) is payable.
Contract for deeds
- Must include either a well statement signed by the buyer or a WDC and the $50 fee.
- SDT not required on a Contract for Deeds.
- A value of more than $3,000 of consideration must be accompanied by an eCRV (Minnesota Statute 272.115).
* Recommended and prepared in part by the Minnesota County Recorder’s Association. Revised: 08-01-2008