What Stearns County MN does

Stearns County, Minnesota is a county government entity established in 1855 and headquartered at 705 Courthouse Square in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It is the 7th most populous county and the 14th largest by area in the state, operating 15 departments including the Sheriff's Office, Court Administration, Attorney's Office, Human Services, Environmental Services, Highway Department, Parks, and License Center. The county serves county residents, local businesses, and visitors through both physical service locations and a CivicPlus-powered digital portal offering GIS mapping, ePermitting, Virtual License Center transactions, property tax access, and vital records services. It manages over 2,600 acres of parks and trails and maintains an extensive road network across the jurisdiction.

Name

Stearns County MN

Legal name

Stearns County, Minnesota

Website

https://stearnscountymn.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1855

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Stearns County is a Minnesota county government headquartered in St. Cloud that delivers mandated public services — including law enforcement, courts, property taxation, licensing, permitting, parks, and human services — to its residents and businesses through 15 departments and a CivicPlus digital portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

County Government Services

NAICS

Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Administration of Economic Programs (926), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK), Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• County government services
• Public administration
• Property tax administration
• Public safety services
• Licensing and permitting

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Cloud

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Taxes: Collection of property taxes for county services including assessment, billing, and collection through Auditor-Treasurer's office.
2. License and Permit Fees: Fees collected for driver's licenses, marriage licenses, passports, business licenses, liquor licenses, gambling licenses, environmental permits, building permits, and various other licenses and permits.
3. Motor Vehicle Registration: Fees collected through License Center for motor vehicle tabs and titles.
4. Environmental Services Fees: Fees for environmental permits, feedlot permits, food service licenses, lodging licenses, and environmental health inspections.
5. Highway/Road Fees: Transportation sales tax, wheelage tax, and highway permit fees.
6. Vital Statistics: Fees for birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates through the License Center.
7. Housing and Rental Fees: Section 8 rental assistance program fees and housing-related services through Housing & Redevelopment Authority.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stearns County MN operates as a county government providing statutory public services to residents and businesses within its jurisdiction in central Minnesota. Core offerings include property assessment and tax collection, law enforcement, court administration, vital records, driver's licensing, environmental permitting, highway maintenance, parks and recreation, human services, veteran services, and election administration, delivered through physical offices and online self-service portals.

Product overview

Stearns County MN operates a unified digital government portal providing comprehensive public services across multiple domains. The core offering is the official county website (powered by CivicPlus platform) which serves as the central hub connecting residents and businesses to county departments and services. The platform includes License Center services for driver's licenses and vital records; Property & Taxes Hub for assessment and tax services; Parks & Recreation managing over 2,600 acres of parks; Environmental Services for land use and health; Human Services portal for social programs; Sheriff's Office public safety services; Highway Department road services; GIS mapping; and Housing & Redevelopment Authority programs. This is a government service platform rather than a commercial product portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• License Center Services
• Property & Tax Services
• Parks & Recreation Services
• Environmental Services
• Human Services Programs
• Sheriff's Office Public Safety Services
• Highway Department Services
• GIS Mapping Services
• Housing & Redevelopment Authority Services
• Veteran Services
• Election Administration

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Career SolutionssupportingOthersCareer Solutions is a partner in the WorkForce Center in St. Cloud, providing services to employers and job seekers in Stearns and Benton Counties.
• Central Minnesota EMS RegionsupportingOthersThe Central Minnesota EMS Region exists to improve planning, coordination, and implementation of emergency medical services within 14 counties.
• Housing & Redevelopment AuthoritycoreOthersStearns County Housing and Redevelopment Authority handles the housing and economic/community development needs for Stearns County, including Section 8 rental assistance.
• Law Help CentersupportingOthersThe Law Help Center maintains a core collection for research in most legal subject areas.
• Regional Rail AuthoritysupportingOthersThe Stearns County Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is a body comprised of County Commissioners and St. Cloud Council members. The SCRRA owns and manages land in previous railroad corridors.
• Seventh Judicial DistrictcoreOthersThe Seventh District Judicial Court administrates and coordinates all Seventh Judicial District activities including court administration, case processing, and judicial services.
• Soil and Water Conservation DistrictsupportingOthersPartnership with Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District for environmental conservation services.
• Stearns County Court AdministrationcoreOthersCourt Administration staff conducts and manages the daily administrative, technical, and support operations of the court and the processing of cases.
• Stearns History MuseumsupportingOthersPartner organization for historical preservation and museum services.
• Tri-County Solid Waste Management CommissionsupportingOthersTri-County Solid Waste Management Commission manages recycling education, waste reduction, and waste-to-energy programs for the region.
• University of Minnesota ExtensionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Stearns County Extension Office helps people access research-based knowledge from the University of Minnesota, providing agricultural, youth, and community development programs.
• Central Minnesota Human Trafficking Task ForcesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty Attorney's Office participates in the Central Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force for community outreach and law enforcement coordination.
• Central MN Healthcare CoalitionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency Management department participates in the Central MN Healthcare Coalition for coordinated emergency preparedness.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hennepin County, MN: Largest county in Minnesota by population, serving Minneapolis and surrounding areas. Comparable as a county-level general government entity delivering the full range of statutory services including public safety, property taxation, human services, environmental programs, and parks, though at substantially larger scale than Stearns.
• Ramsey County, MN: Second-largest Minnesota county by population, encompassing St. Paul. Provides the same statutory county services — sheriff, courts, property assessment, human services, environmental, parks — and operates a comparable CivicPlus-based digital portal, making it a closely analogous general-purpose county government peer.

Peers

• Dakota County, MN:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stearns-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stearns County MN