Free links to official Minnesota state and county government records — courts, criminal histories, vital records, property, voter, business, and licenses across all 87 counties.
How to Search Minnesota Recorded Documents (Start Here)
Recorded documents in Minnesota — deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and other land records — are filed with the County Recorder in each county.
What this page covers: Minnesota recorded document searches — deeds, mortgages, assignments, liens, plats, and other instruments filed in the public land records. What it does not cover: Property valuations or tax data (those are on the Property Records page).
Where to start: Go to the County Recorder in the county where the property is located. Many county county recorders offer online document search by grantor/grantee name, book/page, or instrument number.
Common mistake: Recorded documents show what was filed — they do not confirm current ownership or lien status without a full title search. A deed in the index does not mean it is the most recent transfer.
Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: Minnesota recorded documents URL verified against the official state publisher at www.sos.state.mn.us on the review date. 5 primary .gov sources cited below.
Minnesota Recorded Documents — Key Facts (2026)
Deeds, mortgages, UCC filings, liens, military discharges in Minnesota — what gets recorded and where in 2026.
County
Where deeds live
Permanent record
SoS
Where UCC live
Secretary of State
Article 9
UCC governs
Secured transactions
Public
Most recorded docs
With redaction
Federal
DD-214 / IRS liens
National-level
Common recorded document types — typical volume
Deeds
100
Mortgages
95
Liens (property)
70
UCC (business)
55
Powers of attorney
25
Military DD-214
10
Unit: relative volume (deeds=100).
What Changed in 2026 — Minnesota Recorded Documents
2026
Minnesota recorded documents portal active
The official Minnesota portal at www.sos.state.mn.us continues to serve as the canonical entry point for recorded documents in 2026.
For 2026, Minnesota continues to publish recorded documents information through state-authorized portals; check www.sos.state.mn.us for current fees and processing times.
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE Minnesota's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for additional official portals.
Minnesota County Recorder / Register of Deeds. Permanent record.
2
Type 2 — UCC (business collateral)
Most filed with Minnesota Secretary of State. Some real-estate UCCs are county.
3
Type 3 — Liens (tax, mechanic's, judgment)
Property liens at the county. IRS federal tax liens may file at county OR state.
4
Type 4 — Personal documents (POA, military DD-214)
Often optional county recording in Minnesota for safekeeping. Originals at federal NPRC.
5
Type 5 — Maps & subdivisions
Minnesota county recorder; some at state mapping office.
Five Things People Get Wrong About Minnesota Recorded Documents
MYTH"A printout equals a certified copy."
FACTCourts, lenders, and agencies usually want the certified copy with the county's seal — the free printout is for research, not proof.
MYTH"Old documents are scrubbed of personal data."
FACTNew filings get SSNs redacted; images recorded decades ago may not. That's one reason bulk access to old images is often restricted.
MYTH"Everything about a property is recorded."
FACTOnly what someone chose to file. Unrecorded agreements, family handshakes, and old paper deeds exist everywhere — the index shows filings, not the whole story.
MYTH"The online index goes back forever."
FACTMost Minnesota counties' online indexes reach back a few decades at best. Before that it's microfilm and deed books, and often a trip to the courthouse.
MYTH"If the index shows it, the image is free."
FACTPlenty of counties show the index for free and charge per page for the document image. Budget for the image, not the search.
The citizens of Carver County elect the Carver County Board of Commissioners, the County Attorney, the County Sheriff, and four resident judges that serve the Carver County District Court in the First Judicial District.
Official public records resource for Minnesota. The office's own search beats aggregators for currency, if not always for convenience. What displays online is usually a subset — the office holds more than it posts.
Official public records resource for Minnesota. Public-records law applies here: what they hold, you can generally request. Where the site is thin, a phone call to the listed office fills the gaps.
Main offices are at the McLeod County Government Center in Glencoe. McLeod County is part of Meeker-McLeod-Sibley Community Health Services. PUBLIC WORKS Public Works provides services for Highway, Parks, and Fairgrounds. Highway and Parks facilities are located throughout the County; the County Fairgrounds is located in Hutchinson.
Official public records resource for Minnesota. Hours, fees, and request forms live here and stay current. Public-records law applies here: what they hold, you can generally request.
Official public records resource for Minnesota. The jurisdiction's own terminology matters — use their record-type names when you ask. What displays online is usually a subset — the office holds more than it posts.
Official public records resource for Minnesota. Staff at offices like this handle lookup questions daily — asking is normal. Official pages like this outlast the third-party copies that scrape them.
Subscription to Landshark Account: Complete Remote Access Agreement below and Escrow Authorization Form found under Payment options tab (fees are listed on the last page of the agreement). Send completed forms and proper fees to Recorder's Office, 3650 Braddock Ave NE, Suite 1500, Buffalo, MN.
Recorded land documents for Kansas — deeds, mortgages, and liens. Recording dates establish priority between competing claims — the timestamps matter. Certified copies come from the office itself for a per-page fee, even where searching is free.
Which Minnesota counties publish deed and recording indexes online
58 of Minnesota's 88 counties run their own online source for deed and recording indexes, based on what this directory indexes. Every other county is covered by the statewide systems listed above — click a county for its full records page.
In Minnesota, deeds, mortgages, liens, and other real-property documents are recorded at the county level by the county Recorder (or Clerk-Recorder). The Official Minnesota Recorded Documents at www.sos.state.mn.us handles statewide filings such as UCC-1 financing statements and corporate documents.
Where do I file a UCC-1 financing statement in Minnesota?▼
UCC-1 financing statements covering personal property and business collateral are filed centrally with the Official Minnesota Recorded Documents at www.sos.state.mn.us. Fixture filings on real estate are an exception — those go to the county where the property is located.
Are Minnesota recorded documents available online?▼
Most Minnesota countys publish a free online index of recorded documents (by name, document type, or date). Image access (the actual deed image) is often available either free or for a small per-page fee. Statewide UCC and corporate filings are searchable through the Official Minnesota Recorded Documents at www.sos.state.mn.us.
How do I obtain a certified copy of a Minnesota recorded deed?▼
Certified copies of deeds, mortgages, and other recorded documents are issued by the county Recorder where the document was originally recorded. Fees and ID requirements vary; see your specific county page below. The Official Minnesota Recorded Documents (www.sos.state.mn.us) handles certified copies of statewide filings such as UCCs and articles of incorporation.
What's the difference between a deed and a title in Minnesota?▼
A deed is the recorded instrument that conveys ownership; the title is the legal concept of ownership itself. Deeds in Minnesota are recorded with the county Recorder; title insurance and title searches are private-sector services that examine the chain of recorded deeds. The Official Minnesota Recorded Documents at www.sos.state.mn.us publishes the statewide rules.
Minnesota Counties
87 Minnesota counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.
