Selling landlocked land in Minnesota

How Minnesota law handles land with no road access

A Minnesota owner of five or more acres with no access except over water or others' land, or access under two rods wide, can petition the town board. The board must set a cartway, and the petitioner pays.

Statutory route: Cartway established by the town board on petition.

Common-law route: Implied easement by necessity recognized by Minnesota courts (separation of title, long continued apparent use, necessity at severance).

Law: Minn. Stat. 164.08, subd. 2. Court routes take time and cost money. Ask a local attorney.

Your options as a landlocked owner

• Ask a neighbor to sell or grant an access easement, in writing and recorded.
• Offer the land to the neighbor who borders it. They are often the most natural buyer.
• Use the Minnesota legal route above to create access, then sell.
• Sell as-is to a cash buyer who accepts land without access.

Minnesota land at a glance

• Average farm real estate value: $6,950 per acre (2026, USDA).
• Average property tax on farmland: about $18.96 per acre per year (2022 Census of Agriculture).
• Transfer tax: State deed tax of 0.33% of net consideration when it exceeds $3,000, or a flat $1.65 at $3,000 or less. Hennepin and Ramsey Counties add 0.01% until January 1, 2028, for 0.34% in total. Net consideration excludes liens and encumbrances that stay on the land.
• Seller disclosure: Minnesota requires a well disclosure for every sale of real property, including vacant land, listing all known wells or stating there are none (103I.235). The seller must also disclose in writing how sewage at the property is managed (115.55) and any known methamphetamine production (152.0275). The general disclosure statute (513.52 to 513.60) covers only single-family residential property, so it does not reach vacant land.

These are statewide averages, not an appraisal. See selling land in Minnesota for county values, or try the land value estimator.

How a cash sale handles this

Liberty Acres is a family-owned cash land buyer. We buy land anywhere in the US, in any condition, including land with back taxes, inherited land and land with no road access. We pay back taxes and all closing costs, use no agents and charge no commissions, and close through a title company, escrow company or real estate attorney who pays you by wire or check.

Common questions