Homestead Classification

Qualifying for a Homestead Classification

To qualify for the homestead classification you must:

  • Be one of the owners of the property or a relative
  • Be a Minnesota resident
  • Occupy the property as your primary residence

An owner may not have the benefits of the homestead classification in more than one location. A person may have only 1 homestead and it must be their place of residence on January 2.

Applications

To apply for the homestead classification, please download and print the Homestead Application. Once the form has been completed, it should be mailed to:

Nicollet County Assessor's Office
501 S. Minnesota Avenue
St.Peter, MN 56082

All homestead applications must be returned to the Assessor's Office by December 31st to qualify by January 2. Please note that all completed applications must be returned by mail or in person. All faxed or emailed applications will be rejected.

Social Security Numbers & Homesteads

State law (MS 273.124, subd. 13 par.c) requires that every property owner applying for homestead classification must provide the County Assessor with a Social Security number of each occupant who is listed as owner of the property on the deed of record, including each owner's spouse who occupies the property. Each owner and their spouse who occupies the property must sign the application. In the case of a relative homestead, each relative and spouse of a relative occupying the property must provide a Social Security number and sign the application.

Social Security numbers provided to this office are considered to be confidential information and will not be disclosed to the public. Under state law (MS 273.124, Subd. 13 Par.g,h) they may be given by the county assessor to the Minnesota Department of Revenue to determine whether you have applied for the homestead classification for other properties.

Penalty for False Homestead Application

A property owner who obtains or attempts to obtain homestead classification for a property other than his or her primary place of residence or the primary place of residence of his or her relative is under state law subject to a fine of up to $3,000 and/or up to a year of imprisonment (MS 609.41). In addition, the property owner will be required to pay all tax due on the property based on its current property class plus a penalty equal to the difference between the tax based on the homestead classification and that based on the property's correct class.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue is of the opinion that it is inappropriate for a taxpayer to retroactively attempt to change their homestead status. A homestead application is a legal document. By completing an application, and thereby securing the corresponding tax benefit, the taxpayer is certifying that they are residents of Minnesota, the property they are claiming as their homestead is their primary place of residence, and they have a sufficient ownership interest to entitle them to the homestead classification. A homestead application cannot be rescinded or undone by the applicant once application has been made.

For More Information

If you would like further information, please contact the Nicollet County Assessor's Office.