deedplatState guides / Minnesota / Olmsted County
Olmsted County property data
Where Olmsted County's property records live, how its tax and foreclosure sales work, and what Deedplat puts on one map, including Rochester.
- 8Cities and towns
- 76,000Parcels
Where the records are
The county offices an investor deals with in Olmsted County, and what each one puts online.
Deeds and mortgages
Olmsted County Property Records & Licensing (Recording & Abstracting). Recorded land documents can be searched online in LandShark, which requires a credit card to sign in, and owners can sign up for free land notification alerts.
Owners and values
Olmsted County Assessor. Estimated market values and tax information can be looked up free through the county's online valuation and tax information map.
Tax sales
Olmsted County Property Records & Licensing (Tax-Forfeited Property). Tax-forfeited parcels are sold in online auctions on PublicSurplus.com under Olmsted County PRL Revenue Department, and leftover parcels can be bought over the counter.
Foreclosure sales
Olmsted County Sheriff's Office (Civil Process). The Sheriff's civil process unit (civil@olmstedcounty.gov) handles foreclosure sales but does not post a sale list online; notices of sale are published as legal notices in the Post-Bulletin.
Parcel maps
Olmsted County GIS. The county's free online GIS map shows parcels, values and tax information, and the GIS team sells custom maps and data.
How property is sold here
Olmsted County follows Minnesota's rules, with its own calendar and offices. Read the Minnesota guide for how the state works.
Tax sales
Minnesota does not sell tax liens; unpaid taxes lead to a court judgment, a 3-year redemption period in most cases, and then forfeiture of the property to the state. Olmsted County first offers each forfeited parcel for 30 days at its estimated market value, then for at least two weeks at a minimum bid that covers the taxes and costs, and any surplus goes to the court for former owners and lienholders. Auctions are held online on PublicSurplus.com, with no fixed yearly date.
Foreclosure sales
Most Minnesota mortgage foreclosures are done by advertisement, and the Olmsted County Sheriff auctions the property at the Sheriff's Office, 101 Fourth Street SE in Rochester, on the date set in the published notice. Notices of sale run as legal notices in the Rochester Post-Bulletin, and the owner usually has 6 months to redeem after the sale.
Assessed values
The Olmsted County Assessor values all 76,000 parcels every year as of January 2, at 100% of estimated market value.
Transfer tax
Minnesota charges a state deed tax of 0.33% of the sale price, paid when the deed is recorded, plus a 0.24% mortgage registry tax on new mortgages; there is no extra local deed tax in Rochester.
Worth knowing
Minnesota changed its tax-forfeiture law in May 2024, so buyers of forfeited land now go through a market-value sale first and surplus proceeds can be claimed by former owners.
Worth knowing
The county's online deed search, LandShark, is a paid service that needs a credit card.
Worth knowing
Rochester is home to the Mayo Clinic and holds most of the county's population and parcels.
Every town in Olmsted County
The cities, towns and townships inside the county line.
- Byron city
- Chatfield city
- Dover city
- Eyota city
- Oronoco city
- Pine Island city
- Rochester city
- Stewartville city
Questions
Where are deeds recorded in Olmsted County?
Deeds are recorded by Olmsted County Property Records & Licensing in Rochester. Recorded documents can be searched online through the paid LandShark system.
When is the Olmsted County tax sale?
There is no single yearly tax sale. Tax-forfeited parcels are offered online on PublicSurplus.com as they come up, first at market value and then at a minimum bid.
How do I find who owns a property in Olmsted County?
Use the county's free online valuation and tax information map, or search recorded deeds in LandShark.
Are Olmsted County property records online?
Yes. Values, tax information and parcel maps are free online, and recorded documents are online through LandShark for a fee.
Sources for this guide
Office hours, fees and sale dates change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.
- olmstedcounty.gov/residents/land-property/recording-abstracting
- olmstedcounty.gov/residents/land-property/landshark-online-research
- olmstedcounty.gov/residents/land-property/property-assessments
- olmstedcounty.gov/residents/land-property/property-taxes
- olmstedcounty.gov/business/business-licensing-permits/sales/tax-forfeited-property
- olmstedcounty.gov/i-want/obtain/property-valuation-and-tax-information
- olmstedcounty.gov/residents/land-property/gis-maps-addressing-old
- postbulletin.com/legal-notices/notice-of-mortgage-foreclosure-sale-date-stratica-legals-23
- olmstedcounty.gov/government/county-departments/sheriffs-office/law-enforcement-center-lec
Every parcel in Olmsted County, on one map
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