Dakota County Septic Closing Checklist
Selling a home on a septic system in Dakota County, MN? Ordinance 113 makes a compliance inspection part of the transfer. Print this page, work it top to bottom, and your closing file will have what your closer needs. It pairs with our full Dakota County compliance guide.
Step 1 — Start early (at listing, not at offer)
- Order the compliance inspection from an MPCA-licensed inspector — inspectors book out one to three weeks in the selling season, and the certificate or notice is filed within about 15 days of the visit.
- Look for an existing certificate of compliance. One for an existing system is generally valid three years (five for a newer system) and may satisfy the transfer if nothing suggests the system has since become noncompliant.
- Confirm who arranges and pays for the inspection in the purchase agreement — in practice it is usually the seller, because the seller must provide a certificate or escrow security.
- Ask the inspector whether a watertightness certification signed by a licensed maintainer within the last three years can cover the pumping portion of the inspection.
Step 2 — Assemble the closing file
- Seller's written septic disclosure statement (required statewide under Minnesota law)
- Certificate of compliance — or the notice of noncompliance together with a licensed installer's written estimate
- Tank pumping and watertightness records, if relied on for the inspection
- Escrow agreement naming the holder, amount, work, deadline, and release conditions (escrow cases only)
- Any prior permits, as-built drawings, and inspection reports for the system
- For new systems: construction permit, as-built record, and the new certificate of compliance
Step 3 — If the system fails its inspection
- Get a written, itemized estimate from an MPCA-licensed installer immediately — repair, credit, and escrow paths are all built on that number.
- Choose the path with the buyer and document it in the purchase agreement or an escrow agreement: fix before closing, credit the buyer to complete the work, or fund escrow security.
- If escrowing, name the holder (typically a licensed closer, attorney, or financial institution) and the amount. Ordinance 113 requires security that is sufficient without fixing a percentage; Minnesota closing practice commonly uses 125% of a written estimate or 110% of a signed contract price — confirm the figure with your closing team.
- Write down the correction deadlines that apply: in Dakota County, systems that do not protect groundwater generally have 10 months from the notice, and imminent threats to public health or safety have 30 days.
- Note the winter exception: frozen ground and snow cover can make a full inspection impractical, which is exactly the situation escrow agreements exist for.
Step 4 — After closing (escrow cases)
- The buyer completes the installation with an MPCA-licensed installer under a county construction permit — Dakota County does not allow homeowner-installed systems.
- The new system passes county inspection and a new certificate of compliance is issued.
- Escrow funds are released per the agreement's terms as the complying system is installed and certified, and any balance returns per the agreement.
- Keep the full file — disclosure, certificate, permits, as-builts — with the home's permanent records for the next sale.
Need an inspector or installer for any step? Request a free match — your request goes to one independent, MPCA-licensed local professional.
Sources and verification
- Scott County Septic — Dakota County compliance guide (the full explanation behind this checklist)
- Dakota County — Ordinance 113 standards summary
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — SSTS inspections
- Minnesota Statutes § 115.55 (seller disclosure duties)
This checklist is a planning summary, not legal advice. Verify anything deadline-critical with Dakota County Environmental Resources or your closer.
Last updated: October 2026