Minnesota Taxes Every Mortgage You Record
Program and regulatory figures verified September 25, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Most states let you record a mortgage for a filing fee. Minnesota charges a percentage of the debt, and names the borrower as the one who owes it.
The rule
The Minnesota Department of Revenue publishes it directly: the state Mortgage Tax rate is 0.0023 of the debt that is being secured by a mortgage on Minnesota real property. Hennepin and Ramsey counties have an additional Environmental Response Fund Tax of 0.0001, with the Department citing Minn. Stat. sections 383A.80 and 383B.80.
| Location | Mortgage registry tax rate | ERF | Tax on $100,000 of debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Minnesota counties | 0.0023 | — | $230 |
| Hennepin County | 0.0023 | 0.0001 | $240 |
| Ramsey County | 0.0023 | 0.0001 | $240 |
Those dollar figures are the Department's own worked example, not ours.
Who owes it
This is the part that changes planning. The Department's note reads: the mortgagor (borrower) is the person liable for the tax, which is imposed on the recording of a mortgage.
In states where recording costs are a flat fee, this line does not exist and nobody budgets for it. In Minnesota it scales with the size of the loan and it lands on you.
The base is the debt, not an increase
Worth stating precisely, because the other recording-tax state in this build round works differently.
Maryland taxes a supplemental instrument only to the extent the amount of unpaid outstanding principal debt is increased, and exempts a refinancing up to the balance being replaced. So in Maryland, replacing a loan costs nothing and only new money is taxed.
Minnesota's rate applies to the debt being secured. The Department's navigation lists related topics including statutory exemptions, amended and supplemental mortgages, and a method for limiting the amount of principal debt secured. Those exist, and whether any of them reaches your transaction is a question for your closing agent or your attorney. We are not going to walk you through tax-reduction technique; that is not lending work.
Why a buy-before-you-sell can pay it twice
An ordinary move-up records one mortgage: the purchase money on the new home. A buy-before-you-sell that funds the down payment by borrowing against the departing residence records two.
| Structure | Mortgages recorded | Mortgage registry tax |
|---|---|---|
| Carry both payments, recast after the sale | One, on the new home | Once |
| Second mortgage or equity line on the departing home | Two | Twice |
| Keep the departing home and rent it | One, on the new home | Once |
That is a genuine cost difference between the structures and it is specific to Minnesota. It does not decide the question on its own, because a second mortgage can solve a ratio problem that carrying both payments cannot, but it belongs in the comparison. See the structures page.
And then the sale
When the departing home sells, the deed tax applies at 0.0033 of the net consideration, with the same ERF add-on in Hennepin and Ramsey. That is on the deed tax page.
Frequently asked questions
What is Minnesota's mortgage registry tax rate?
0.0023 of the debt being secured by a mortgage on Minnesota real property, per the Minnesota Department of Revenue. Hennepin and Ramsey counties add an Environmental Response Fund Tax of 0.0001, citing Minn. Stat. sections 383A.80 and 383B.80.
Who is liable for the Minnesota mortgage registry tax?
The borrower. The Department of Revenue states that the mortgagor, the borrower, is the person liable for the tax, which is imposed on the recording of a mortgage.
Is a Minnesota refinance exempt from the mortgage registry tax?
Minnesota's rate applies to the debt being secured rather than to an increase in debt, which differs from Maryland's approach of taxing only the increase and exempting a refinancing up to the old balance. The Department lists statutory exemptions and related topics; whether any reaches your transaction is a question for your closing agent or attorney.
Does a buy-before-you-sell pay the mortgage registry tax twice?
It can. Carrying both payments or renting the departing home records only the purchase money mortgage on the new home. Funding the down payment with a second mortgage or equity line against the departing home records a second mortgage, and the tax applies to each.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax, or real estate advice. Minnesota mortgage registry tax and deed tax are administered by the Minnesota Department of Revenue and exemptions depend on your facts; your closing agent, your CPA or a Minnesota attorney, and your real estate agent each handle their own part. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.