We have not verified a statewide law in Minnesota requiring a septic inspection at the time a property transfers. That does not mean no requirement applies where you're buying: county and municipal time-of-transfer ordinances exist in various places around the country outside the states with a statewide law. Check the county page below, and ask the local health department directly — that is the authoritative source for a local ordinance, and this page is not.
No statewide Minnesota law requiring septic inspection at time of transfer. Three states do have a real, verified one — Massachusetts, Iowa, and a waterfront-only law in New Hampshire — for comparison; Minnesota is not one of them, at least not at the state level. A county or municipality in Minnesota could still have its own ordinance we have not audited; the local health department for the specific county is the authoritative source.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) — Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS) Program. See the full Minnesota septic regulation page for the permit sequence and licensing.
Wherever you're transacting in Minnesota, the septic permit or as-built (where one exists) is almost always held by the county or district health office, not the state. How to find septic records before closing covers how to pull it; below is the county-by-county index of what we hold for Minnesota.
| County | Records held |
|---|---|
| Morrison | 6,611 |
| Chisago | 2,242 |
| St. Louis | 2,188 |
| Crow Wing | 1,375 |
| Aitkin | 1,050 |
| Becker | 446 |
| Red Lake | 207 |
| Clay | 173 |
| Beltrami | 107 |
| Clearwater | 91 |
| Pope | 52 |
| Hennepin | 25 |
| Renville | 23 |
| Big Stone | 17 |
| Goodhue | 12 |
| Sibley | 11 |
| Wabasha | 10 |
| Lake of the Woods | 9 |
| Meeker | 8 |
| Wadena | 8 |
| Le Sueur | 5 |
| Nobles | 5 |
| Stearns | 4 |
| Stevens | 4 |
| Brown | 3 |
| Swift | 3 |
| Blue Earth | 2 |
| Yellow Medicine | 2 |
| Hubbard | 2 |
| Martin | 1 |
| Watonwan | 1 |
| Lac qui Parle | 1 |
| Wright | 1 |
| Pine | 1 |
| Grant | 1 |
| Mower | 1 |
| Waseca | 1 |
Full Minnesota county index · Minnesota regulations · Minnesota septic companies · Open the parcel map
We have not verified a statewide law requiring one in Minnesota. A county or municipal ordinance could still apply; check with the local health department where the property is located.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) — Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS) Program
At the county or district health office that issued the permit, in almost every case. See the county-by-county index on this page for Minnesota, and our general guide to finding records before closing.
Reviewed 2026-08-31 against the official sources linked above (where a source is cited) or, where none is cited, left deliberately general. Laws, lender overlays and local ordinances change; confirm current requirements with the county or state agency, your lender, and a licensed inspector before you rely on this for a closing.