Minnesota Forms

Washington County Certificate of Trust Form

Washington County Certificate of Trust Form

Washington County Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 8/8/2025
Washington County Certificate of Trust Guide

Washington County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 7/15/2025
Washington County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Washington County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 6/9/2025

All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

Important: Your property must be located in Washington County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

Where to Record Your Documents

Washington County Recorder
Address:
Government Center - 14949 62nd St North
Stillwater, Minnesota 55082

Hours: 8:00am - 4:30pm M-F

Phone: (651) 430-6175

Recording Tips for Washington County:
  • Both spouses typically need to sign if property is jointly owned
  • Request a receipt showing your recording numbers
  • Multi-page documents may require additional fees per page

Cities and Jurisdictions in Washington County

Properties in any of these areas use Washington County forms:

  • Afton
  • Bayport
  • Cottage Grove
  • Forest Lake
  • Hugo
  • Lake Elmo
  • Lakeland
  • Marine On Saint Croix
  • Newport
  • Saint Paul
  • Saint Paul Park
  • Scandia
  • Stillwater
  • Willernie

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Washington County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Washington County forms will be in your account ready to download to your computer. An account is created for you during checkout if you don't have one. Forms are NOT emailed.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Washington County?

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

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Washington County you only need to order once.

What do I need to use these forms?

The forms are PDFs that you fill out on your computer. You'll need Adobe Reader (free software that most computers already have). You do NOT enter your property information online - you download the blank forms and complete them privately on your own computer.

Are there any recurring fees?

No. This is a one-time purchase. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

How much does it cost to record in Washington County?

Recording fees in Washington County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (651) 430-6175 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

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)

Important: Your property must be located in Washington County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Certificate of Trust meets all recording requirements specific to Washington County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Washington 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 Washington 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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December 15th, 2022

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November 4th, 2020

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April 28th, 2021

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October 2nd, 2020

It was OK but unfortunately useless. The jurisdictions are now requesting that documents such as Notices of Commencement not only be recorded at their offices, but also certified. This last service is not provided by Deeds, or at least I could not find it in your website and did not receive a response when I asked if you did. Thus, we are going back to traditional means of recording/certifying

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June 18th, 2023

Very easy to use. Time will tell if I have any issues getting it recorded. Beats using an attorney who won't return calls and emails like I used before. I like the form plus instructions and an example of the completed form.

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