Dakota County Recorder Information

Land records in Dakota County are recorded by the Property Taxation & Records. The office is held by Amy Koethe.

RecordEASE fees: occasional users pay $5 per session, $1 per search and $2 per recorded document viewed; subscribers pay $30 per month, $0.50 per search and $1.50 per document. A subscriber account requires an escrow account. Property Watch is free. Uncertified copies can be bought in person at the Administration Center in Hastings, the Northern Service Center in West St. Paul and the Western Service Center in Apple Valley.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Recording Property Documents · Departments · Online Property Records

These government fees are separate from any Deeds.com service fees. Confirm current charges with the recorder's office.

Added at recording

Other charges

StatewideThe $46 recording fee is divided by statute: $10.50 goes to the state general fund, $10 to the county recorder's technology fund, and $25.50 to the county general fund. Recording a plat costs $56. Amended floor plans and condominium or common interest community plats cost 50 cents per unit, with a $56 minimum. A noncertified copy of a document submitted for recording costs $2 when a copy or duplicate original comes with it. The recorder collects a $54 fee for receipt of a completed well disclosure certificate (Minn. Stat. § 103I.235). Each county board sets the per-page fee for noncertified copies.

Torrens fees on the county schedule: additional Torrens memorial, $20 per each additional certificate; Torrens Apply Document fee, $20; exchange certificate of title, $20 for each certificate canceled and $20 for each new certificate issued; residue or additional certificate, $40 each; transfer of fee ownership certificate of title, $46 for the first certificate canceled and issued and $40 for each additional certificate issued.

Paying the office

Fees must be paid at the time of filing. To pay a copy request by credit card, the fee must exceed $20.

Transfer tax

Deed tax. .0033 of the net consideration when the consideration exceeds $3,000; $1.65 when there is no consideration or it is $3,000 or less. The tax is collected when the document is recorded. (statewide, Minn. Stat. § 287.21, subd. 1)

StatewideThe deed tax is due when a taxable deed or instrument is presented for recording (Minn. Stat. § 287.21, subd. 1(d)). A mortgage registry tax is imposed on the privilege of recording a mortgage. Its rate is .0023 of the debt, or portion of a debt, secured by a recorded mortgage of real property in Minnesota (Minn. Stat. § 287.035). Some counties are authorized by special statute to impose their own additional deed and mortgage registry taxes. For example, Minn. Stat. § 383B.80 allows Hennepin County a rate of .0001.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Minn. Stat. 357.18 County Recorder · Minn. Stat. 287.21 Imposition of tax · Minn. Stat. 287.035 Imposition of tax · Filing Fees · Purchasing Recorded Documents

Confirm current requirements with the recorder's office before submitting documents.

StatewideThe first page has a 3-inch blank space at the top and a one-half inch border on each side and the bottom. The right half of the top blank space is reserved for recording information and the left half for tax certification.

StatewideThese standards apply to documents recorded other than by electronic means. Plats, registered land surveys, and common interest community plats are excepted. The document title must be prominently displayed at the top of the first page, below the blank space, or on the administrative page. No additional sheet may be attached so that it covers information. Documents must be legible enough to reproduce a readable copy. A document should conform to these standards, but should not be rejected unless it is not legible or cannot be archived (Minn. Stat. § 357.18, subd. 5).

Whiteout is unacceptable on any legal document. A complete legal description is required; a tax description may not be used. Attached exhibits must be referenced in the document.

Forms filed along with a transfer

• Certificate of Real Estate Value Statewide Minnesota Department of Revenue (filed with the county auditor)
  whenever any real estate is sold for a consideration in excess of $3,000
• Well Disclosure Certificate Statewide Minnesota Department of Health
  for a deed or other instrument of conveyance requiring a certificate of value, unless the deed contains the statutory no-wells or unchanged-status statement

Submitting documents

Mailed documents go to Dakota County Property Taxation & Records, Attn: Document Recording, 1590 Highway 55, Hastings, MN 55033, with a cover letter describing the contents and a telephone number. In-person recording is by appointment. Torrens documents that need Examiner of Titles approval have a two-business-day review turnaround.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Minn. Stat. 357.18 County Recorder · Minn. Stat. 507.093 Standards for documents · Minn. Stat. 507.091 Name and address of drafter · Minn. Stat. 507.092 Name and address for tax statements · Minn. Stat. 272.115 Certificate of value · Recording Property Documents · Document Standards