Stearns County Transfer on Death Deed Form
Last validated August 17, 2026 by our Forms Development Team
Stearns County Transfer on Death Deed Form
Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Stearns County Transfer on Death Deed Guide
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Stearns County Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Deed Document
Example of a properly completed form for reference.
All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees
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Additional Minnesota and Stearns County documents included at no extra charge:
Where to Record Your Documents
Service Center, Room 2203
Waite Park, Minnesota 56387
Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm M-F
Phone: (320) 656-3855
Recording Tips for Stearns County:
- Double-check legal descriptions match your existing deed
- White-out or correction fluid may cause rejection
- Ask if they accept credit cards - many offices are cash/check only
- Request a receipt showing your recording numbers
- Check margin requirements - usually 1-2 inches at top
Cities and Jurisdictions in Stearns County
Properties in any of these areas use Stearns County forms:
- Albany
- Avon
- Belgrade
- Brooten
- Cold Spring
- Collegeville
- Elrosa
- Freeport
- Greenwald
- Holdingford
- Kimball
- Melrose
- New Munich
- Paynesville
- Richmond
- Rockville
- Roscoe
- Saint Cloud
- Saint Joseph
- Saint Martin
- Saint Stephen
- Sartell
- Sauk Centre
- Waite Park
Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Stearns County
How do I get my forms?
Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Stearns 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 Stearns County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Stearns County, including margin requirements, font requirements, and other layout standards. This guarantee applies to formatting, not to the legal sufficiency of information entered by the user or the suitability of a form for a particular transaction.
Can I reuse these forms?
Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Stearns 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 Stearns County?
Recording fees in Stearns County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (320) 656-3855 for current fees.
Questions answered? Let's get started!
Minnesota's transfer on death deeds are governed by Minn. Stat. 507.071.
Transfer on death deeds are useful estate planning tools for owners of Minnesota real estate. In most cases, when a land owner dies, his/her real property enters the probate system along with the rest of the estate. Some people avoid probate by owning property as joint tenants. The nature of joint tenancy includes the right of survivorship, which, by function of law, automatically distributes a deceased joint tenant's title rights to the surviving tenants. Joint tenants, however, share a current interest in the real property, and all owners must execute any changes or reconveyances. By executing and recording a transfer on death deed instead, owners still avoid the need for probate distribution of that portion of their assets. Transfer on death deeds do NOT pass a current or future interest in the property, so the owner's interests are fully protected while he/she remains alive.
Unlike most other real estate deeds, transfer on death deeds do not convey any rights or interests to the beneficiaries until the grantor owner's death. But, under Minn. Stat. 524.2-702, named beneficiaries must outlive the grantor owners by at least 120 hours to become eligible for the property. The owner retains absolute title to and control over the real property until death. He/she may rent, use, sell or reconvey the land at will, and with no obligation to the beneficiary (Minn. Stat. 507.071, subd. 10). As a result, the beneficiary has no guarantee of any present or future interest in the property. In addition, a "transfer on death deed that is executed, acknowledged, and recorded in accordance with this section is not revoked by the provisions of a will" (subd. 19).
Transfer on death deeds allow flexibility -- in addition to individuals, the grantor owner may "transfer an interest in real property to the trustee of an inter vivos trust even if the trust is revocable, to the trustee of a testamentary trust or to any other entity legally qualified to hold title to real property under the laws of this state" (subd. 9).
Under Minn. Stat. 507.071, transfer on death deeds must:
- convey or assign an interest in real property (subd. 2)
- name one or more grantee beneficiaries (subds. 2 and 4)
- explicitly state that it takes effect at the death of the named grantor owner(s)
- comply with other Minnesota deed requirements including joinder of spouse in conveying homestead (507.02, subd. 2)
- standard recording requirements regarding legibility, recordability, notarization, and original signature (507.24)
- Notice recording statutes (507.34, 508.48, 508A.48)
Ultimately, transfer on death deeds offer a useful alternative for Minnesota land owners who wish to pass property to specific beneficiaries without probate intervention.
NOTE: All actions related to executing, revoking, or otherwise changing a Minnesota transfer on death deed must be submitted for recording in the county where at least part of the land is located, while the grantor owner is alive. (507.071, subd. 8).
Important terms:
Grantor owner: "means an owner named as a grantor in a transfer on death deed upon whose death the conveyance or transfer of the described real property is conditioned" (subd. 1c).
Owner: "means a person having an ownership or other interest in all or part of the real property to be conveyed or transferred by a transfer on death deed" (subd. 1d).
Beneficiary or grantee beneficiary: "means a person or entity named as a grantee beneficiary in a transfer on death deed, including a successor grantee beneficiary" (subd. 1a).
(Minnesota TOD Deed Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)
Important: Your property must be located in Stearns County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.
This Transfer on Death Deed meets all recording requirements specific to Stearns County.
Our Promise
The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Stearns County recording format requirements. If there is a rejection caused by our formatting, we will correct the issue or refund your payment. This guarantee applies to document formatting only and does not extend to information entered by the user, the selection of the form, or the legal effect of the completed document.
Save Time and Money
Get your Stearns County Transfer on Death Deed 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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August 1st, 2025
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Diane W.
January 3rd, 2020
The forms were immediately available for download, which was nice. However, I was not impressed by the lack of several features: 1) there was no way to edit set text in the form, such as where it says you should consult an attorney. That is not necessary for recording the deed and I wanted to deleted it, but could not. 2) Also, under the "Notes" section, there is a limited area to write; I tried adding a fuller explanation of something, but the form would not accept or include it when I printed the final document. The form may do the job, but it's not very sophisticated or elegant.
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October 29th, 2019
A very easy to use and reasonably priced site. My documents were immediately available as was my receipt.
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David P.
February 23rd, 2019
Thank you. I was just looking but still think it is a great website. Used it a couple of years ago for a deed. Thank you.
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April L.
November 13th, 2019
The warranty deed forms I received worked fine.
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