Real Estate Recording

 
 

The St. Louis County Recorder and the Registrar of Titles office provides protection and public notice by recording, indexing, maintaining and displaying records of legal documents that affect real estate or personal property and issues land title certificates. Property in St. Louis County is classified as two types of title, Abstract or Torrens.

Access to indexes, documents and certificates of title is available by paid subscription. See the Online Contract information listed below.

St. Louis County does not offer legal advice or assistance preparing documents. Questions should be directed to a real estate attorney or a Practicing Abstractor. 

►Please read information from the MN Attorney General related to real estate deed solicitation scams here.

See the menu listed below for helpful information before presenting a document to St. Louis County.


 

Copy of Records

Requesting parties are invited to visit the St. Louis County Recorder's office to conduct property record searches using the public terminals.  You may also choose to engage the services of a local abstractor.

Certified copy of any document:  $10.00 per document. 
Non-certified (plain) copy of any document:  $1.00 per page, with a minimum fee of $3.00. 
Certified copy of an official plat:  $15.00. 
Non-certified (plain) copy of an official plat: $3.00 or plat maps are available free online at: Maps 
Plain copy of a Certificate of Title: $3.00. 
Certified copy of a Certificate of Title/Condition of Register: $10.00. 

Instructions for Ordering a Real Estate Document Online:

St. Louis County offers credit card payments (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover) through ACI Payments Inc. You will be charged a service fee for the use of this service.  Please use the “document number” as the “transaction number” so we may process the order quickly. When you know the dollar amount for the document/s, go to the ACI Payments, Inc. website listed below.  Click on “Local Payments”. Select the State of “Minnesota”, payment entity of “St. Louis County”, and payment type of “Document Copy”. Follow the remaining steps as prompted. "Print or save" the Confirmation of Payment page  you receive from ACI Payments, Inc. so you can attach it to the email or fax with the request.  

Located at: http://www.acipayonline.com/

The request and the ACI Payments, Inc. Confirmation Page should be submitted by email to slcrecorder@stlouiscountymn.gov. Please let us know if the document is abstract or torrens and include your name, address and phone number in the email.  Certified copies will be sent out by mail or can be picked up in the office.  Uncertified copies of documents will be returned by email.

Or requests and the ACI Payments, Inc. Confirmation Page may be submitted by Fax to
218-725-5052 and documents will be returned by email or by first class mail.  Please include your email or name, address and phone number in the request.

Copies of documents requested by mail should reference the recorded document number and include the appropriate fees. Copies will then be sent by U.S. Mail, unless the requesting party has enclosed a prepaid label and envelope for a delivery service.

For U.S. Mail Service:
St. Louis County Recorder
P.O. Box 157
Duluth, MN  55801-0157

For Delivery Service:
St. Louis County Recorder
100 N. 5th Ave. W. #101
Duluth, MN  55802 

 

Electronic Recording

Electronic recording (eRecording) is a process of submitting, receiving, reviewing, recording, and returning documents via the internet rather than sending documents to the Recorder’s office by courier service or express mail. Benefits of eRecording are a secure process, reduced mail/courier costs, secure electronic fee processing. Document rejections are returned quicker, enhanced document tracking and turnaround time. The original documents do not leave your custody, and it’s a “green” technology.

The legal basis for eRecording is authorized Federal (eSIGN), the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), and the Uniform Real Property Electronic Transaction Act (URPERA).

To get started, view the list of documents accepted in Abstract and Torrens for eRecording. Subscribe with a document submitter that is authorized to eRecord with the St. Louis County Recorder’s Office.  There are fees associated with these services that can be discussed with each company directly.

Simplifile
Michelle Wilsey @ 800-460-5657 Ext. 1056
mwilsey@simplifile.com
www.simplifile.com/

CSC eRecording Department
866-652-0111
erecording@cscglobal.com
www.erecording.com/

Indecomm Global Services
Latah Parmeswaran @ 651-766-2345
lparameswaran@indecomm.net
dmg.indecomm.net 

ePN
Pam Trombo @ 888-325-3365 x11240
ptrombo@erecordingpartners.net 
www.erecordingpartners.com   

Please feel free to contact Chief Deputy Wendy Levitt in the St. Louis County Recorder's office by email levittw@stlouiscountymn.gov .

Fees

Abstract and Torrens filing fees are mandated by the state of Minnesota.
Minnesota Statute Section 357.18
Minnesota Statute Section 508.82
 
Fees must be paid at the time of filing. Checks for recording fees are made payable to: St. Louis County Recorder.  Checks for mortgage, deed, and property tax are made payable to: St. Louis County Auditor.
 
 

Forms

St. Louis County does not offer legal advice or help on preparing documents. Questions should be directed to a Real Estate Attorney or a Title and Abstract Company.
Minnesota Legal Forms:  MN Department of Commerce
Well Disclosure Certificate & Information: MN Department of Health
Electronic Well Certificate:  eWell Disclosure Login
Electronic Certificate of Real Estate Value: MN Dept of Revenue

Online Contract

St. Louis County offers online subscription service to the real estate professional, which provides access to the County Recorder’s real property records and the County Auditor’s property tax records by subscription service. The access fee is $200.00 per month, payable in advance for six months. Access to only the Recorder's database is $100.00 per month, payable in advance for six months, starting January 1, 2022. 
Abstract document images available online date back to October 16, 1961. Abstract deed book images are also available prior to 1961. ALL Torrens document images are available online with all live Torrens Certificates of Title. 
Click here to view and download a copy of the Subscriber Agreement.
For a guide to assist navigation of the Recorder's Online System click here.

Real Estate Links

Recording Information

A document should be in recordable form and meet document recording requirements before being presented. To learn more about document recording, view the document recording manual

To record a document by mail, see the address listed for the Duluth office. To record a document in person, visit the Duluth office only. Office hours are 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday, excluding major holidays.  The Virginia Real Estate office will take in a document and send it to the Duluth office for recording. If you have a document that must be recorded immediately, please bring it directly to the Duluth office. Office hours in Virginia are 8:30 a.m. – noon and 1 - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding major holidays.