California UCC Filing Validity Period - How Long is a UCC Filing Good For
Hey everyone, I'm dealing with a situation where I need to know exactly how long a UCC filing remains valid in California. We have some equipment financing agreements from 2019 and I'm trying to figure out if our UCC-1 filings are still good or if we need to file continuations. The original filings were done through the California Secretary of State portal but I'm getting conflicting information about the timeline. Some sources say 5 years, others mention different periods. Can anyone clarify the exact validity period for UCC filings in California? I really don't want to let these lapse accidentally and lose our security interest. Thanks in advance for any help!
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Liam O'Reilly
UCC filings in California are good for 5 years from the date of filing, just like most other states. If your filings were done in 2019, you'll need to file UCC-3 continuation statements before they expire in 2024 to keep them effective. You can file the continuation up to 6 months before the expiration date.
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Chloe Delgado
•Wait, are we already in 2025? If they filed in 2019 wouldn't they have already expired?
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Liam O'Reilly
•You're absolutely right - if they filed in 2019 and didn't continue, those filings would have lapsed in 2024. They'd need to file new UCC-1s at this point, not continuations.
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Ava Harris
I just went through this exact situation with our SBA loan collateral. California follows the standard 5-year rule for UCC effectiveness. The tricky part is making sure you file your continuation statements in time - you have a 6-month window before expiration, but if you miss it, you're starting over with new UCC-1 filings.
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Aria Washington
•That's exactly what I was worried about. So if I understand correctly, 2019 filings would have expired in 2024 and I'd need new UCC-1s now, not continuations?
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Ava Harris
•Correct. Once a UCC filing lapses, you can't revive it with a continuation. You have to start fresh with new UCC-1 statements.
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Jacob Lee
I had a similar panic when I realized some of our filings might have lapsed. Found this tool called Certana.ai that lets you upload your original UCC documents and it checks all the dates and filing numbers to make sure everything aligns properly. Saved me hours of manual checking through the SOS database.
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Aria Washington
•That sounds really helpful. Did it catch any issues you missed?
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Jacob Lee
•Yeah, it found a couple debtor name inconsistencies between our original loan docs and the UCC filings that I never would have noticed. Really straightforward - just upload the PDFs and it does the cross-checking automatically.
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Emily Thompson
The 5 year rule is standard but dont forget about fixture filings - those have different rules if any of your collateral is attached to real estate. Also make sure your debtor names match exactly or the whole filing could be ineffective regardless of timing.
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Aria Washington
•Our collateral is mostly equipment, no real estate attachments. But good point about debtor names - how exact do they have to be?
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Emily Thompson
•Pretty exact. Even minor differences like Inc vs Incorporated or missing punctuation can cause problems. The SOS search logic is pretty strict.
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Sophie Hernandez
•This is why I always double-check everything. Had a filing rejected once because we had 'LLC' instead of 'L.L.C.' - one little period made all the difference.
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Daniela Rossi
ugh the california sos system is such a pain. why cant they just send reminders when filings are about to expire instead of making us track everything manually? seems like basic functionality in 2025
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Ryan Kim
•I know, right? Most states have moved to automated reminders but California is still stuck in the stone age.
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Zoe Walker
•Some of the commercial UCC tracking services will send reminders, but they charge monthly fees. Worth it for larger portfolios though.
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Elijah Brown
Just to be crystal clear on the timeline: UCC-1 effective date + 5 years = lapse date. You can file a UCC-3 continuation anytime in the 6 months BEFORE that lapse date. If you miss that window, the filing lapses and you need new UCC-1s. California doesn't have any special extensions or grace periods.
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Aria Washington
•Perfect explanation, thank you. So for 2019 filings, I'm definitely looking at new UCC-1s at this point.
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Elijah Brown
•Exactly. And make sure to use the current versions of the forms - they update occasionally and old versions might get rejected.
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Maria Gonzalez
I've been doing UCC filings for 15 years and the 5-year rule has been consistent the whole time. The bigger issue is keeping track of multiple filings across different dates. We use spreadsheets but even then things slip through the cracks sometimes.
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Natalie Chen
•Spreadsheets are a nightmare for this stuff. One typo and you miss a critical deadline.
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Santiago Martinez
•We started using Certana.ai's document checker after missing a continuation deadline last year. It cross-references all your UCC docs and flags any inconsistencies or approaching deadlines. Much more reliable than manual tracking.
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Maria Gonzalez
•I might have to look into that. Manual tracking is getting unmanageable as we add more equipment loans.
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Samantha Johnson
Quick question - does the 5 year period start from when you file or when the SOS processes it? Sometimes there's a delay between submission and official filing date.
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Liam O'Reilly
•It's from the official filing date that appears on the filed document, not your submission date. Usually same day for electronic filings but can be different if there are processing delays.
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Samantha Johnson
•Good to know, thanks. I always wondered about that timing.
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Nick Kravitz
Pro tip: when you're calculating the 5-year deadline, use the exact date shown on your filed UCC-1. Don't guess or use approximations. I've seen filings rejected because people miscalculated by a few days and tried to file continuations after the lapse date.
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Aria Washington
•That's a great point. I need to pull the actual filed documents to get the exact dates.
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Nick Kravitz
•Yep, and keep copies of everything. The SOS database is usually reliable but having your own records is always smart.
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Hannah White
Does California charge different fees for continuation vs new UCC-1 filings? Might be worth knowing for budgeting purposes.
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Liam O'Reilly
•UCC-3 continuations are typically cheaper than new UCC-1 filings, but since the original poster is past the continuation window, they'll be paying UCC-1 fees anyway.
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Aria Washington
•Yeah, at this point I'm resigned to paying for new filings. Lesson learned about tracking deadlines better.
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Michael Green
Been there with the lapsed filings situation. It's frustrating but not the end of the world. Just file new UCC-1s with current debtor information and you'll be back in business. The good news is California's electronic filing system makes it pretty quick once you have all your info together.
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Aria Washington
•Thanks for the reassurance. I was worried this was going to be a major disaster.
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Michael Green
•Nah, happens more often than you'd think. Just get the new filings done promptly and set up better tracking for the next round.
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Mateo Silva
•Definitely recommend some kind of automated tracking system. Whether it's calendar reminders, commercial software, or document verification tools like Certana.ai, anything is better than trying to remember deadlines manually.
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Miguel Hernández
Just wanted to add another perspective from someone who manages UCC filings for a credit union. The 5-year rule is definitely standard, but I always recommend setting up reminders at 4.5 years to give yourself plenty of cushion. California's system can sometimes have delays or maintenance windows, and you don't want to be scrambling at the last minute. For your 2019 filings, you're definitely looking at new UCC-1s at this point. On the bright side, it's a good opportunity to clean up any debtor name issues or collateral descriptions that might have been problematic in the original filings.
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Dylan Wright
•That's really smart advice about the 4.5 year reminder! I'm definitely going to implement something like that going forward. And you're right about it being an opportunity to clean things up - I've been wondering if some of our original collateral descriptions were too vague anyway. Better to get it right this time around.
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