Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, an application must be completed along with payment of the required fee.

An application must be completed along with payment of the required fee.

Residents who have their mailbox along a county road may request installation of a mailbox support on-line.  For mailboxes not on a county road, or for those who wish to install a mailbox themselves, hardware is available for purchase and pick up at the office.   The cost is as listed in the current Fee Schedule, plus sales tax.  

Residents are responsible for the maintenance of mailboxes.  However, if a swing-away support is damaged by County equipment (snowplow, mower) contact the Highway Department at (218) 824-1110 or by email.   

For more information read the Mailbox Support policy.

The Highway Department will remove items along county roads (including roads in the 1st and 2nd Assessment Districts). Please call (218) 824-1110 or email for removal services. For township/city roads, call your township/city official. For items along a U.S. or state highway call MnDOT at (218) 828-5700.

For county roads, or roads in the 1st or 2nd Assessment district, contact the Highway Department at 218-824-1110 or by email. For township/city roads, call your township/city official. For US or State highways, call MnDOT at 218-828-5700.

Yes, if the property is along a county road, or roads in the 1st or 2nd Assessment District.  Read the Driveway Policy for more information.  Applications are available online.

 For township/city roads, call your township/city official. For US or State highways, call MnDOT at 218-828-5700.

Contact the Highway Department for county roads, or roads in the 1st or 2nd Assessment District at (218) 824-1110 or by email.  For township/city roads, call your township/city official. For US and State highways, call MnDOT at 218-828-5700.

Click on the link to be directed to the

You must complete an absentee ballot application and return it for a ballot to be mailed. You may also vote by absentee in person at the Courthouse beginning 45 days prior to Election Day.

In most situation, it is because application for the homestead has not been applied for in the Land Services office.

The property owner should immediately contact the Land Services office. There are times when this notice is lost in the mail, returned as undeliverable, or sent to another person because the ownership record and/or mailing address have not been updated by the responsible party. Whatever the cause for not receiving a notice of assessment, Minnesota Statute 273.121 states that in no way is the validity of the assessment, the resulting tax, procedures of any board of appeal and equalization, or the enforcement of delinquent taxes affected.

The Assessor is responsible for valuing property at its Estimated Market value. Estimated Market value can be defined as the most probable price in terms of money which a property will bring in a competitive and open market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, the buyer and seller, each acting prudently, knowledgeably, and assuming that neither is under undue duress. According to state law, the Assessor's Estimated Market value is supposed to represent 100% of real value as expressed in the market place. The Minnesota Department of Revenue and the Minnesota Tax Court sit in judgment annually to determine whether the Land Services Office has done its job according to statute. The performance of the Assessor's Office is measured statistically by the use of sales ratio analysis. By law, assessor's values are to be within 90% and 105% of sale price of the sales period of October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025 for the 2026 Assessment. If this level of assessment is not achieved, the county is subject to valuation adjustments by the Department of Revenue or The Minnesota Tax Court.

Minnesota state law requires that the value and classification of all real and personal property be established as of January 2nd each year. A mass appraisal process is used for estimating market values. Information from all sales that occur within the county is collected and closely analyzed by Land Services Office. The Land Services Office then adjusts the Estimated Market Value accordingly.

Your property is assessed (or valued) in one year and taxed on that value in the next. For example, property valued for the 2024 assessment will pay taxes on that value in 2025.

Property classification for property assessment purposes is based upon actual use or the highest and best use of the property. Classification for zoning is based off of the County Board approved land use map. 

Please contact our office at (218)824-1010 for this information. You will need to have your legal description, address, or parcel identification number to determine whether it is abstract or torrens. 

No, in general, the policy has been to retain the acreage tracts, as shown in the plat book and manage said lands for multiple use public benefits ie: timber management, recreation, wildlife, wetland protection, and similar benefits.

Yes, parcels may be available to be purchased for the starting bid at the Land Services Office. These parcels are available for sale until such time as they are withdrawn from the list by county board action. Sale price is not negotiable.

If you have successfully purchased a tract, you must make payment within 5 business days.  Cash, check, money order, cashiers check and Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards are all acceptable methods of payment.

The project area is required to be staked out prior to the site visit by staff to ensure all standards are met prior to the issuance of the permit.

Requirements for land use permits vary. Please visit Microsoft Word - Land Use Permits FAQ 1.22.2025.docx for more details. 

Please call or email the Land Services Department at 218-824-1010 or landservices@crowwing.gov 

Public Defender's Office 11610 Andrew St. Brainerd, MN 56401 Phone:(218) 828-6134.

Yes, we are available to provide you with assistance and to give you one-on-one help. Please call our office to schedule your appointment. Office Hours: Monday - Friday (8:00am - 5:00pm)

Please visit the Minnesota Department of Health

Please visit the Minnesota Deptartment of Health

Please visit the Minnesota Department of Health

Please visit our Parenting & Child Development page for information.

Please contact the Financial Assistance department at (218)-824-1250 or visit their website Crow Wing County Financial Assistance for more contact information. 

Women who are: Pregnant, breastfeeding, or recently had a baby. You can stay on WIC for 1 year after you baby is born if you are breastfeeding or for 6 months if non breastfeeding. Infants from birth to 1 year or children from 1 year old till to age 5.

Please visit the MN WIC website for eligibility details. To apply, contact Crow Wing County WIC Program by calling 218-824-1073. Or Click here to apply online.

• Proof of Minnesota Residence such as bill or letter addressed to you in the past 30 days.
• Proof of total household income
• Identification: Infants: Crib Card, Birth Commemoration, etc. Children: Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, etc. Adults: Driver’s License, Photo ID, Social Security Card, etc.
• Please have the person or child for whom the appointment is for present at the appointment.

• The Minnesota WIC App has many useful features including the ability to view your current and future benefits. You can also use this app to scan items to see if it is WIC-allowed, find WIC allowed stores, view upcoming appointments, and more.
• You can call the phone number on the back of your card or get a receipt print out at a WIC allowed store during your transaction.  

Yes. To apply for cash assistance, SNAP (food support), emergency help, and child care assistance programs, please visit the MNbenefits website at mnbenefits.mn.gov. To apply for health care coverage, please visit the MNsure website at mnsure.org.

Any Crow Wing County resident that does not have enough funding to cover the cost of a basic funeral and burial and meets the required asset limitations may qualify for help with the cost of a funeral. There is a maximum the county can pay. A family member or friend can apply for this program. Please contact the county office for more information and to receive an application.

Emergency help gives aid to a family with a defined emergency such as an eviction, utility disconnect, foreclosure, or loss from a fire. If you quality, this funding can be provided once in a 12-month period. For more information on emergency assistance, please call our office at (218) 824-1250 or stop in our office Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to see if you qualify.

The EW program funds home and community-based services for people age 65 and older who are eligible for MA and require the level of care provided in a nursing home but choose to live in the community.

Yes. The MNbenefits website (for cash assistance, food assistance, emergency assistance, and child care assistance) and the MNsure website (for health care) provides guidance on required verifications for each program. Applicants are given the option to electronically attach verifications to the application before they submit it.

Child abuse/neglect reports can be made Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by calling Crow Wing County Social Services at (218) 824-1140 and asking for Child Protection Intake. After hours reports can be made by calling the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department at (218) 829-4749. Reports can be made anonymously with the exception of a Mandated Reporter (Individual's working directly with children i.e. teachers, daycare providers, doctors, etc.)

If you are interested in applying to become a child care provider or would like someone to discuss the child care licensing with you, please call Michelle Tautges at (218) 895-4120.

Because they are a danger to themselves or others due to their mental illness or chemical dependency. Minnesota Statute has clearly defined criteria regarding what constitutes a danger to self or others. Click below to download the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) publication regarding the commitment process.

• Helps cover inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice, and home health care.
• Most people don’t have to pay a premium for Medicare Part A because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes while working in the United States. If you don’t automatically get premium-free Part A, you may still be able to enroll, and pay a premium.

• Helps cover doctors’ and other health care providers’ services, outpatient care, durable medical equipment, and home health care.
• Helps cover some preventive services.
• Most people pay up to the standard monthly Medicare Part B premium. Note: You may want to get coverage that fills gaps in Original Medicare coverage. You can choose to buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy from a private company.

• Offers health plan options run by Medicare-approved private insurance companies.

• Helps cover the cost of prescription drugs
• May help lower your prescription drug costs and help protect against higher costs
• Run by Medicare-approved private insurance companies
• Costs and benefits vary by plan

All visits at the Crow Wing County Jail are done via video communication. Please log in to an approved account at www.videovisit.ncic.com and use the scheduling tool provided.

Onsite visitation is Monday through Friday from 8 am - 11 am, 1 pm - 4:30 pm, & 6:30 pm - 10 pm. Remote visitation is available every day from 7:30 am - 11 am, 1 pm - 4:30 pm & 6:30 pm - 10 pm.

You must have an account set up with NCIC Inmate Communications prior to contacting an inmate. Please call NCIC Inmate Communications at 1-844-724-2076 to set up a phone account or visit www.ncic.com to set up an account online. If you would like to set up text messaging and video visitation, please visit www.videovisitation.ncic.com. 

This service is offered Tuesday through Thursday, between the hours of 10:00 am. and 4:00 pm. An appointment is required and can be made by calling 218-822-7050 at least one day in advance of the requested date and time.

A complete list of inmates in the Crow Wing County Jail can be found by viewing the In Custody Report.

For information regarding Permits to Carry and Permits to Purchase, please visit the handgun permit page.

For a copy of the house watch/property watch form, please visit House Watch Form.

It depends. If you have a written lease, read through the terms to see whether it requires a specific kind of notice. If you plan to bring an eviction case because the tenant has broken any of the terms of the lease, you generally do not have to give notice before starting the case. However, if the tenant has not broken the terms of the lease, notice is usually required. If you give the tenant a proper written notice to vacate and they do not leave by the date in your notice, you may be able to bring an eviction case based on their failure to leave.   

Yes, you can list a tenant as "John Doe" or "Jane Doe" if you do not know their name.

Even if your houseguest never signed a lease or paid rent, it is possible that they may still be considered a tenant under MN law. If you have established a landlord-tenant relationship with your houseguest, then you will need to go through the eviction process to remove the tenant. If you have not established a landlord-tenant relationship, there may be other non-court options you could try. Visit the MN Courts website for more information.

The plaintiff will have to request a new court date from Court Administration and have the updated documents served.

The Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) creates wellness across Minnesota’s communities through community-driven, evidence-based, and equity-focused programs that tackle the root causes of chronic diseases. SHIP funding expands opportunities for active living, healthy eating, and commercial tobacco-free living for everyone.

SHIP policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) work supports and advances sustainable changes. The PSE approach is a long-term approach to achieve equitable health outcomes in Minnesota.

SHIP is funded through the Minnesota Health Care Access Fund, which was established to increase access to health care, contain rapidly accelerating health care costs and improve the quality of health care services for Minnesotans.

SHIP impacts the whole community. SHIP creates PSE changes that are long-term and sustainable. SHIP builds relationships with local partners in schools, worksites, community centers, churches, childcare, governments, and more.

SHIP is NOT a program. Programs have a beginning and end. SHIP is and ongoing, evidence-based, community-driven partnership that depe4nds upon local-level leadership, knowledge and engagement to create sustain change that will outlive and go beyond our funding.

Some of the activities SHIP supports is FoodRX, SuperShelf, Commercial Tobacco Point of Sale, Quite Partner Referral, improving safety and access for active transportation and mobility, breastfeeding in the workplace, Safe Routes to School, park planning, social connection, trauma-informed principles, and commercial tobacco free youth.

Please visit the Minnesota Department of Health

Please visit the Minnesota Department of Health

Please visit the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General

North Country Aquacare – 218-828-2118 or 888-689-6070 and A.W. Research Laboratories – 218-829-7974

Personalized support and guidance for families, earlier intervention for infant/child development, and helps to strengthen the parent-child bond.

Anyone who is pregnant, recently delivered, age birth to two years, or children with special needs

There is no out-of-pocket cost for you!

You can make a referral on our Family Home Visiting page by clicking on the referral link. You can also give us a call at (218) 824-1170 or email public.health@crowwing.gov

We are unable to perform the cares, but we can help to connect you with services that can help with care on a regular basis for your child.