Document Standards
Minnesota Statute 507.093
Document Standards are effective August 1, 1997 for documents executed after July 31, 1997.
Anyone producing a form should always leave a 3-inch blank space at the top of the 1st page and follow the other standards as well. Do not try to make your own Minnesota Uniform Conveyance Blank Form without leaving the blank 3 inches at the top of the 1st page. All exhibits attached to a document must also comply with the document standards. The following represent the 7 document standards contained in Minnesota Statute 507.093.
7 Document Standards
The following standards are imposed on documents to be recorded or filed with the county recorder or filed with the registrar of titles.
Standard 1
The document shall consist of one or more individual sheets measuring no larger than 8.5 inches by 14 inches.
- The largest size sheet that will be considered standard is 8.5 inches by 14 inches.
- Fan folded mortgages for example that are 8.5 inches by 42 inches long are non-standard.
- Large exhibits such as surveys or maps attached to a document make the document non-standard.
- No mention was made in the law as to how small the sheet can be but if it's too small to read, Standard Number 2 (print size) or Number 7 (legible to reproduce) applies.
- Documents such as plats, registered land surveys, condominiums, CICs, and certified copies of surveys are exempt because theses are statutory documents or certified copies.
Standard 2
The form of the document shall be printed, type written or computer generated, in black ink and the form of the document shall be no smaller that 8-point type.
- The form of the document may be printed, typewritten or computer generated.
- Handwritten forms are non-standard.
- The form of the document must be in black ink but blanks filed in containing dates, names and signatures or any other added information may be hand written and in a contrasting color as long as they will reproduce clearly under Standard Number 7 legible to reproduce).
- The form of the document shall be no smaller than 8-point type. Blanks filled in are not covered by the 8-point type minimum but they have to be legible under Standard Number 7 (legible to reproduce).
- Form name, form number, printing company name, printing company address, printing company phone number or page numbers may be in smaller than 8-point type as long as it can be reproduced. If it cannot, it would be non standard under Standard Number 7 (legible to reproduce).
Standard 3
The document shall be on white paper of not less than 20 pound weight with no background color, images or writing and shall have a clear border of approximately ½ inch on the top, bottom and each side.
- Only documents printed on white paper are considered standard.
- Any colored papers including buff, pink or gray are non standard.
- 20-pound paper is the standard office paper used for typing, printing and in copy machines. The onion skin type paper or paper lighter than 20 pound will be considered non standard. Paper that is heavier than 20 pound is OK. The standards do not set any limit on how heavy the paper can be.
- Background logos, pictures, writing, scroll work, shading, etc., is considered nonstandard.
- The ½ inch border is approximate to allow for slight variations in measurements. It can be more that ½ inch but a inch or less would be nonstandard.
- Use of highlighter or shading on any part of the document that covers any printing or writing on the document makes it non standard.
- On Minnesota Uniform Conveyancing Blanks, the colored border is exempt.
- A section crossed out of a document does not make it nonstandard.
- If any county official places any information in the ½ inch border it is still considered standard.
- Fax information at the top of a document makes it nonstandard.
Standard 4
The 1st page of the document shall contain a blank space at the top measuring 3 inches, as measured from the top of the page. The right half to be used by the County Recorder for the recording information or the Registrar of Titles for filing information and the left half to be used by the auditor- treasurer for certification.
- This space is for the recording/filing certificate and other items such as cash register imprints of fees, document numbers and bar coding used by recorders, and for the treasurer and auditors certifications of taxes, state deed tax and mortgage registration tax paid. Recorders who use an imaging process need room for a bar code, and the bar code must be in the same place on every document.
- Anything written in this area, by someone other than the filing officer or Auditor-Treasurer, will make the document nonstandard.
- If any county official places any information in the 3-inch border, it is still standard.
- A cover sheet that meets the above standard may be attached to a document where the 1st page does not meet the standard. The cover sheet should have the name of the document and all other requirements of this standard and Standard 3 (½ inch margin) and 5 (title below the blank space). It is preferred that there be some reference to the parties named in the document in the event that the cover sheet is separated from the rest of the document.
Standard 5
The title of the document shall be prominently displayed at the top of the 1st page below the blank space referred to in Standard 4.
- The title of the document must be clearly shown at the top of the first page below the top 3 inches and should be set out from the rest of the form. This could be done using a larger print or by the title being set out by itself. If the title is not clearly shown on the 1st page, the document is considered nonstandard.
Standard 6
No additional sheet shall be attached to a page that covers up any information or printed part of the form.
- This standard covers documents where an additional sheet is stapled or taped to a page that covers up other information or part of the form that contains printing. Examples of this are the acknowledgment forms, legal descriptions, and the newspaper clippings on a foreclosure.
- A document is considered nonstandard even if the portion of the form being covered up is not being used. If the border line in the Minnesota Uniform Conveyancing Blank for foreclosures is covered by the newspaper clipping, it is considered standard.
- This standard is necessary because the attachment needs to be removed so the portion of the form under the attachment can be filmed or imaged to show that portion of the form was not filled in.
Standard 7
A document presented for recording or filing must be sufficiently legible to reproduce a readable copy using the County Recorder's or Registrar of Title's current method of reproduction.
- This standard leaves some discretion and decision making up to the recorder depending on what type of reproduction equipment is used.
- If a document has a blurred form, (parts of the form unreadable from a bad reproduction or fax copy) and the recording officer determines that it cannot produce a permanent record that is readable, the document is considered nonstandard but is recordable.