Dakota County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Dakota County, Minnesota - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 0.33%
- ≈ $1,320 on a $400,000 home
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $5,996
- median of 4,515 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Dakota County compared with Minnesota counties
In the verified Minnesota county records we have, Dakota County's effective transfer-tax rate ranks #1 of 5 by highest rate. At $400,000, the county-specific transfer tax is $1,320, which is the same as the state-level calculation before city surtaxes.
- County rank
- #1 of 5
- within verified Minnesota county pages
- Tax at $400,000
- $1,320
- state baseline $1,320
- HMDA fee sample
- 4,515
- purchase loans in 2023
Dakota County transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
Transfer tax in Dakota County
Minnesota levies a STATE Deed Tax of 0.0033 (0.33%) of net consideration (purchase price less assumed liens), minimum $1.65; deeds under $3,000 exempt for deeds recorded after 12/31/2019. The deed tax is conventionally paid by the SELLER. Dakota County does NOT levy its own county transfer tax — the extra 0.0001 Environmental Response Fund (ERF) Tax applies ONLY to Hennepin and Ramsey counties, not Dakota, so Dakota's effective deed-tax rate is the state base 0.0033. Minnesota does not authorize municipal/city real estate transfer taxes, so cities in Dakota County (Apple Valley, Eagan, Burnsville, Lakeville, etc.) levy none.
Recording fees in Dakota County
Per official Dakota County Filing Fees page (co.dakota.mn.us): Deed/Abstract document or Torrens memorial recording = $46 per document; Plats and Registered Land Surveys = $56; Well Disclosure Certificate = $50 (required on transfer deeds unless an exemption statement appears); extra copies submitted at filing = $2; $5 Conservation Fee added on instruments subject to state deed or mortgage registry tax. Copies = $1/page, certified copy = $10. (All recording fees are set by Minnesota statute, uniform statewide.)
Official recorder: Dakota County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Dakota County
Across 4,515 home-purchase mortgages originated in Dakota County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $5,996, of which about $3,350 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 27037, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Dakota County closing costs
Pre-set to Minnesota. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Dakota County?
Dakota County (Minnesota): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 0.33%. Minnesota levies a STATE Deed Tax of 0.0033 (0.33%) of net consideration (purchase price less assumed liens), minimum $1.65; deeds under $3,000 exempt for deeds recorded after 12/31/2019. The deed tax is conventionally paid by the SELLER. Dakota County does NOT levy its own county transfer tax — the extra 0.0001 Environmental Response Fund (ERF) Tax applies ONLY to Hennepin and Ramsey counties, not Dakota, so Dakota's effective deed-tax rate is the state base 0.0033. Minnesota does not authorize municipal/city real estate transfer taxes, so cities in Dakota County (Apple Valley, Eagan, Burnsville, Lakeville, etc.) levy none.
What are recording fees in Dakota County?
Per official Dakota County Filing Fees page (co.dakota.mn.us): Deed/Abstract document or Torrens memorial recording = $46 per document; Plats and Registered Land Surveys = $56; Well Disclosure Certificate = $50 (required on transfer deeds unless an exemption statement appears); extra copies submitted at filing = $2; $5 Conservation Fee added on instruments subject to state deed or mortgage registry tax. Copies = $1/page, certified copy = $10. (All recording fees are set by Minnesota statute, uniform statewide.)
How much are closing costs in Dakota County?
Closing costs in Dakota County follow Minnesota's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.
What do lenders charge in fees in Dakota County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 4,515 home-purchase mortgages in Dakota County were about $5,996, of which roughly $3,350 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.
Closest Minnesota county comparisons
Sibling links are ordered by nearby verified effective transfer-tax rate, so each county page connects to genuinely comparable counties.