You are NOT on the Stearns County official website, you are on Deeds.com, a private website that is not affiliated with any government agency.
The Recorder's Office is responsible for maintaining real property records in Stearns County.
Recording Fees
To record a document, regardless of whether it pertains to registered or unregistered land, the fee is $46. Additional pages of a document do not result in additional fees.
A county recorder will charge $50 to record a well disclosure certificate.
Deed tax is calculated on the purchase price of the property at a rate of $1.65 per $500 or the consideration amount multiplied by .0033, less any assumed mortgages, special assessments and taxes included in the purchase price.
Document Formatting Requirements
* A document submitted for recording should consist of one or more pages measuring no larger than 8.5 x 14 inches.
* The text of the document shall be printed, typewritten, or computer generated in black ink and a font size of at least 8 point.
* No additional sheets shall be attached or affixed to any page that covers up information or printed material.
* The document should be on white paper of not less than 20 pound weight with no background color, images, or writing, and should have a clean border of approximately .5 of an inch on the top, bottom, and each side.
* The first page should contain a blank space at the top measuring at least 3 inches down. The right half of this space is to be for recording information while the left half is used for certification.
* At the top of the first page, immediately below the 3 inch margin, a document title should be given.
* To accommodate the margin and first page requirements, an administrative page may be used. This will result in extra fees.
* Deeds submitted for recording must include the date of execution; the names of the grantor and grantee, a complete legal description of the real property, a proper acknowledgment, and a "drafted by" statement, if it is notarized in Minnesota. If applicable, a deed may also need a document reference number if referring to a previously recorded document.
* The "drafted by" statement should be given in substantially the following form: "This instrument was drafted by NAME and ADDRESS."
* The name and address of the person to whom tax statements should be sent is required to be on the deed. This can be given in the following form: "Tax statements for the real property described in this instrument should be sent to (legal name of grantee) and (residential or business address of grantee)."
* A grantee's statement is required on all deeds. This should include the grantee's name and address.
THE NEW eCRV: As of October 2014, transfer deeds require submission of an electronic Certificate of Real Estate Value (CRV).
* Submitters fill in the online eCRV form and receive an eCRV ID number.
* They must reference this eCRV ID number when presenting the deed to the county.
* Counties view eCRV data online, verify, and add additional information. They may also download or upload data as needed.
* Paper copies are no longer accepted.
WELL DISCLOSURE CERTIFICATE: Prior to signing an agreement to sell or transfer real property, the seller must always disclose in writing (well disclosure statement) the location and status of all wells on the property to the buyer, along with the legal description and county of the property, and a sketch map showing the location of each well or indicate there are no wells on the property.
A Well Disclosure Certificate form can be obtained under supplemental forms on this site or from the Minnesota Department of Health website; it can be filed electronically or in person. The certificate number must be stated on the transfer document.