FAQs

The County Assessor is David L. Sipila. However, there are many real estate appraisers who do field work on behalf of the Assessor. Appraisers are assigned based on geographical areas; please see our contact page to Find Your Assessor. 

If you find a door hanger titled Timely Uniform Fair, an appraiser has visited your property. Please flip the door hanger over and you will find a cream-colored rectangle attached to the bottom of the door hanger; that is your appraiser's business card. One side of the business card will have your appraiser's name and contact information and the other side will have your parcel code, a reason for the visit, and the date. If the Routine Revaluation reason is checked, you are not required to do anything, but have the option to make an appointment with your appraiser to get an interior inspection if you wish. If the Please Call reason is checked, please call your appraiser at the direct line on the flip side of their business card. If any other reason is checked, you need not take any action but should feel free to contact your appraiser with any questions. 

To apply for homestead classification, call or visit the Assessor's office in your region. Staff will fill out an application with you, and the application will be mailed to your home to verify your occupancy.

When you receive the application in the mail, fill in your social security number, sign and date the back, include any additional documents requested, and return the form to the Assessor's Department to establish your homestead.

Learn about Homestead Classification

You may NOT appeal your tax amount due, you may only appeal your valuation and/or classification. The time to appeal  starts when you get your yellow Valuation Notice in the mail each spring. Please see our appeals process page for more information. 

The practice of valuing property at its selling price upon sale, known as spearing, is prohibited by Minnesota law. The Assessor's office performs mass valuations to ensure every property in St. Louis County is classified and valued fairly and accurately.  Part of that process is to perform annual sales studies so adjustment can be made for market trends, but never for a single property. Please see our measuring the level of assessment page for more information about this. 

The Assessor's Department cannot assist in transferring ownership of your property.  Taxpayers are advised to contact their preferred legal counsel to determine the best method to accomplish a transfer of ownership.