Benton County Certificate of Trust Form (Minnesota)

All Benton County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Certificate of Trust Form

Benton County Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Benton County compliant document last validated/updated 5/19/2025

Certificate of Trust Guide

Benton County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Benton County compliant document last validated/updated 6/4/2025

Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Benton County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Benton County compliant document last validated/updated 6/9/2025

When using these Certificate of Trust forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Benton County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Benton County Recorder

531 Dewey St / PO Box 129, Foley, Minnesota 56329

Hours: 8:30 to 4:30 M-F

Phone: (320) 968-5037

Local jurisdictions located in Benton County include:

  • Foley
  • Gilman
  • Oak Park
  • Rice
  • Saint Cloud
  • Sauk Rapids

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Immediately after you submit payment, the Benton County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.

What does "validated/updated" mean?

This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:

  • Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
  • Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Benton County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Benton County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Benton County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can the Certificate of Trust forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Benton County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Benton County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Minnesota or Benton County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Benton County Certificate of Trust forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

The certificate of trust is codified under the Minnesota Trust Code at Minn. Stat. 501C.1013.

This document is an abstract of the trust instrument setting forth "fewer than all of the provisions . . . and any amendments to the instrument," and contains only essential information relevant to the transaction for which it is being presented (Minn. Stat. 501C.1013, Subd. 1). It "serves to document the existence of the trust, the identity of the trustees, the powers of the trustees and any limitations on those powers, and other matters the certificate of trust sets out, as though the full trust instrument had been recorded or presented" (Subd. 4).

Presented to a recipient in situations regarding personal property, or filed with the county recorder in situations regarding real property, a certificate of trust is "prima facie proof as to matters contained in it" (Subd. 4).

A certificate is valid when executed by settlor or trustee "any time after the execution or creation of a trust" (Subd. 1). The basic content requirements include the name of the trust; the date of the trust instrument; the name and address of each acting trustee; the number of trustees required to act; and the powers of the trustee relevant to the transaction at hand. The certificate also declares whether the trust has terminated or the trust instrument has been revoked (Subd. 1 (1-6)).

For use in real property transactions, the certificate requires the name of each settlor and original trustee, along with a specific statement relating to the authority of the trustee and any restrictions on the trustee's power "to sell, convey, pledge, mortgage, lease, or transfer title to any interest in real property" (Subd. 2). Transactions affecting real property may also require an affidavit of trustee under Minn. Stat. 501C.1014.

The representations contained within the certificate are made by the executing trustee or settlor under oath before a public notary and as such the executing party ensure there are no provisions in the trust instrument or subsequent amendments to limit the power of the trustee in the transaction or "to exercise any other power identified in the certificate" (Subd. 1).

Contact an attorney with any questions regarding trusts or certificates of trust, as each situation is unique.

(Minnesota COT Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Benton County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Benton County Certificate of Trust form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

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June 30th, 2025

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June 30th, 2025

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Pauline C.

June 29th, 2025

Everything that was stated to be included in my order was complete. Very satisfied

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Dan L.

May 31st, 2024

The only suggestion I have is to include sample of putting quitclaim into a revocable trust.

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Robert H.

March 17th, 2021

Just what I needed to file in Orange County.
East to use and reasonably priced. Will use again if needed.

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jonnie F.

August 25th, 2020

Easiest and most efficient way to process your documents, this company is amazing. They help me meet the deadline on a critical inspection by processing my NOC in less then a day. Thank You.

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Anne J.

September 25th, 2023

I could not be happier with the service. Shortly after I uploaded my documents, my package was prepared and invoiced. It was only minutes before the document was recorded with the County I selected and returned to me with their seal for download.

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james h.

June 15th, 2020

Service was quick and easy to use. I got not only the necessary forms, but instructions and sample forms filled out. Highly recommended.

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December 4th, 2023

Easy to use quick responses with accurate information and great customer service. No need to say more!

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Gladys F.

September 21st, 2020

The process was very friendly and easy to use. I appreciated the status updates as well as clear instructions on what was needed to get the file ready for recording.

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Thank you!

Barbara W.

June 9th, 2021

Easy website to navigate. Found the form I needed within seconds. Thank you

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William M.

February 27th, 2019

I got what I needed and did exactly what I needed. All legal and no hassle. Thanks Deeds.com, you made the job much easier.

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Gregory C.

March 17th, 2022

All of these forms should be downloadable in .zip format - having to do 8-9 downloads is ridiculous, respectfully.

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Jermaine H.

December 25th, 2021

Great informative site.... helped me find exactly what I was looking for. DETAILED information on my property!

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franklin m.

October 14th, 2020

good format, helpful instructions

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