Martin County, Minnesota: septic system inspection at sale
Checked on November 9, 2026 against the official rule. Rule set by Martin County.
General information, not legal advice. This is our summary of the official rule as we read it. The ordinance or code and the health department decide: confirm with them before you list, sign or close.
The rule
| Question | What the official text says |
|---|---|
| What is required | ISTS Property Transaction Form provided by seller to buyer at or before closing with any required attachments (Certificate of Compliance by an MN-licensed inspector if no exemption applies); form filed with County Auditor with the Certificate of Real Estate Value Source: web.archive.org via wayback 2003-10-22 (county ordinance PDF); county page read via wayback 2026-09-26 |
| Triggered by | sale or transfer of a tract with a dwelling or structure requiring an ISTS Source: web.archive.org via wayback 2003-10-22 (county ordinance PDF); county page read via wayback 2026-09-26 |
| Deadline | at or before closing; winter transfers Dec 1-Apr 1: inspection filed by June 15 and Certificate of Compliance by Sept 30 Source: web.archive.org via wayback 2003-10-22 (county ordinance PDF); county page read via wayback 2026-09-26 |
| Who arranges it | seller provides the form to buyer Source: web.archive.org via wayback 2003-10-22 (county ordinance PDF); county page read via wayback 2026-09-26 |
| How long a report is valid | 3 years for existing systems Source: web.archive.org via wayback 2003-10-22 (county ordinance PDF); county page read via wayback 2026-09-26 |
| Exemptions |
Source: web.archive.org via wayback 2003-10-22 (county ordinance PDF); county page read via wayback 2026-09-26 |
| If the system fails | Failed system: upgrade/replace within 1 year; imminent threat: within 10 months; replacement plan due within 20 days of notice; no property may be transferred unless the ordinance is complied with (Subd. 10) Source: web.archive.org via wayback 2003-10-22 (county ordinance PDF); county page read via wayback 2026-09-26 |
| Who may inspect | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) licensing of SSTS businesses. official list (webapp.pca.state.mn.us) Source: webapp.pca.state.mn.us |
| Official forms | martincountymn.gov Source: martincountymn.gov via wayback 2026-09-26 |
This is our summary of the official rule as we read it. The ordinance or code and the health department decide: confirm with them before you list, sign or close. Rule set by: Martin County.
Checked on November 9, 2026: read in a web-archive copy of the official page (the live site was blocked from our connection).
Septic systems in Martin County: the state’s count
MPCA counts 2,680 septic systems (SSTS) in Martin County in 2025, the 56th highest number of Minnesota’s 87 counties. Licensed inspectors and the county did 21 compliance inspections of existing systems that year: 0.8% of the county’s systems, against 2.11% statewide (the 67th highest share). The county issued 56 construction permits in 2025 and 1,362 from 2002 to 2025. MPCA’s table marks the county as requiring a compliance inspection at property transfer, which matches the rule on this page.
Source: MPCA, 2025 Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems Annual Report (April 2026), Appendix A, as reported by each county; ranks among the 87 counties in the table (1 = highest). MPCA counts all compliance inspections of existing systems, whatever the trigger (property transfer, building permit and others).
Private wells in Martin County
In 2015 about 4,272 of Martin County’s 20,022 residents (21%) got their drinking water from a private well, by the USGS estimate. That is the 68th highest share of the 87 Minnesota counties in the USGS table, and the 59th highest number of private-well users.
As we read it, this rule covers the septic system, not the well.
Source: USGS county water use 2015 (Dieter et al., 2018). Ranks count the Minnesota counties in the USGS table (1 = highest).
Soils and septic systems here
USDA soil surveys rate 93% of Martin County’s rated land “very limited” for a conventional septic drain field, 7% “somewhat limited” and 0% “not limited”, the 64th highest “very limited” share of 85 Minnesota counties with survey data. The most common limits: a high water table (saturated soil near the surface) on 98%; slow percolation (dense or clay soil) on 96%; ponding on 18%.
Where soils are limited, inspections more often find drain fields that sit in seasonally wet soil, and replacement systems are often mounds or other engineered designs. A county-wide rating, not a test of one lot: a site evaluation decides. Source: USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), via Soil Data Access, rating “ENG - Septic Tank Absorption Fields”, read November 15, 2026.
Certified labs nearest to Martin County for a well water test
Labs on the Minnesota certified drinking-water list that the list marks as taking samples from homeowners or outside clients, certified for coliform bacteria, nearest first. All of them are outside Martin County.
| Lab | Town | Distance | Certified on the list for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratories, Inc. | New Ulm, MN | 44 miles | coliform bacteria, nitrate, arsenic |
| Worthington Public Utilities Laboratory | Worthington, MN | 49 miles | coliform bacteria |
| UC Laboratory | Janesville, MN | 53 miles | coliform bacteria, nitrate, arsenic (subcontracted) |
Source: MDH Accredited Labs in Minnesota Accepting Drinking Water Samples from Private Well Users (October 2026; read November 15, 2026). Straight-line distance from the centre of Martin County (the average of its Census ZIP-area points); “approx.” = lab placed at its ZIP centre. Call the lab first: lists do not say which household tests each lab takes or what it charges.
Nearest other sale-time rules
Buying or selling near a county line? These are the closest other local rules in our census to Martin County.
| Rule | State | Distance | Covers | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watonwan County | Minnesota | about 21 miles | Septic system | November 9, 2026 |
| Jackson County | Minnesota | about 29 miles | Septic system | November 9, 2026 |
| Faribault County | Minnesota | about 33 miles | Septic system | November 9, 2026 |
| Cottonwood County | Minnesota | about 34 miles | Septic system | November 9, 2026 |
| Brown County | Minnesota | about 37 miles | Septic system | November 9, 2026 |
Straight-line distance between county centres (the average of each county’s Census ZIP-area points). Townships, villages and health districts are placed at the centre of their county.