How many states have failed to adopt any portions of the UCC - need help with multi-state filing strategy
I'm working on a complex secured transaction that spans multiple jurisdictions and need to understand which states haven't adopted UCC provisions. My lender is requiring UCC-1 filings in several states where we have equipment locations, but I'm getting conflicting information about whether all states have actually adopted the uniform code. Some of our collateral is in what I thought were non-UCC states, but our attorney mentioned something about Louisiana being different. Has anyone dealt with multi-state filings where you had to navigate states that haven't fully adopted UCC provisions? I'm particularly concerned about perfection requirements and whether our security interests will be valid everywhere. The loan closes next month and I need to make sure we're filing in the right places with the right procedures.
33 comments


Eve Freeman
Actually, all 50 states have adopted some version of the UCC, but Louisiana is the tricky one since they only adopted certain articles. Louisiana follows civil law rather than common law, so they adopted Articles 1, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 7, 8, and 9 but not Article 2 (Sales). For your UCC-1 filings, Article 9 (Secured Transactions) is what matters and Louisiana did adopt that, so you should be able to file there. The real issue isn't whether states adopted the UCC, but rather which version they adopted and any non-uniform amendments they made.
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Clarissa Flair
•This is exactly right. I've done filings in Louisiana and while their civil law system makes some things different, UCC-9 filings work the same way. You file with the Louisiana Secretary of State just like other states.
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Caden Turner
•Wait, so every state has UCC-9? I thought some smaller states might not have adopted it yet. Good to know for my own multi-state deals.
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McKenzie Shade
You're overthinking this - the UCC has been around since the 1950s and every state has adopted the secured transactions article by now. Your bigger concern should be the non-uniform amendments each state has made. Some states have different rules for fixture filings, agricultural liens, or debtor name requirements. I'd focus on making sure your debtor names match exactly across all states rather than worrying about adoption.
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Harmony Love
•Debtor name consistency is huge! I had a filing rejected in Texas because the entity name on the UCC-1 didn't match the exact legal name on file with the Secretary of State. One extra comma and they bounced it back.
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Rudy Cenizo
•This happened to me too but with an LLC suffix issue. The charter said 'LLC' but I filed with 'L.L.C.' and got rejected. These name match requirements are brutal across all states.
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Natalie Khan
I ran into similar multi-state headaches last year with equipment scattered across 8 states. After getting two filings rejected for name inconsistencies, I started using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your corporate documents and UCC-1 forms, and it automatically cross-checks debtor names, entity types, and other critical details before you file. Saved me from several more rejections and the stress of manually comparing documents across multiple states.
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Daryl Bright
•How does that tool work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs and it tells you if there are mismatches?
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Natalie Khan
•Exactly - you upload your charter documents and UCC forms, and it flags any inconsistencies in entity names, addresses, or other key fields. Much faster than trying to manually compare everything, especially when you're dealing with multiple entities across different states.
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Sienna Gomez
•That sounds really helpful. I'm always paranoid about making mistakes on these filings since the consequences can be so severe if the security interest isn't perfected properly.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
The real answer is zero states have failed to adopt UCC provisions, but each state's implementation varies. Puerto Rico and other territories might be different, but all 50 states have UCC Article 9. What you need to worry about is the effective date differences and non-uniform amendments. Some states require additional information on fixture filings, others have different rules for farm products or consumer goods.
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Abigail bergen
•What about territories like Guam or Virgin Islands? Do they follow UCC rules for secured transactions?
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
•Good question - I'm not sure about all territories. Most of my experience is with the 50 states. You'd need to check each territory's commercial code separately.
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Ahooker-Equator
I think the confusion comes from people mixing up different articles of the UCC. Like Article 2 (Sales) wasn't adopted by Louisiana, but Article 9 (Secured Transactions) was. So for UCC-1 filings and security interests, you can file in all 50 states. The procedures might vary slightly, but the basic framework is there everywhere.
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Anderson Prospero
•This makes sense. I was getting confused because I read somewhere that Louisiana was a non-UCC state, but that must have been referring to other articles.
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Tyrone Hill
•Yeah Louisiana gets called a 'civil law state' which makes people think they don't follow UCC rules, but they adopted most of it including the secured transactions parts we care about.
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Toot-n-Mighty
For your multi-state filing strategy, focus on these key variations rather than worrying about adoption: 1) Debtor name requirements (some states are stricter about exact matches), 2) Fixture filing procedures (varies by state), 3) Agricultural lien priorities, 4) Filing fees and processing times. Every state will accept your UCC-1 filings for equipment, but the details matter.
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Lena Kowalski
•This is great practical advice. I wish someone had told me this before I started my first multi-state deal. I spent weeks researching adoption when I should have been focused on the filing requirements.
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DeShawn Washington
•Processing times definitely vary! Some states turn around filings in 24 hours, others take a week or more. Plan accordingly if you have tight closing deadlines.
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Mei-Ling Chen
Just to close the loop on your original question - the number is zero. No states have failed to adopt UCC provisions for secured transactions. Every state has Article 9 in some form. Your lender is right to require filings in all equipment locations, and you can proceed with confidence that the UCC framework exists everywhere you need to file.
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Val Rossi
•Thanks everyone! This really helps clarify things. Sounds like I should focus on getting the debtor names exactly right across all states rather than worrying about whether the UCC applies. Going to double-check all my entity documentation before filing.
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Sofía Rodríguez
•Smart approach. Good luck with your closing next month!
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Aiden O'Connor
One more tool recommendation - after dealing with multiple rejected filings last quarter, I discovered Certana.ai's verification system. It's been a lifesaver for catching document inconsistencies before submission. You upload your corporate docs and UCC forms, and it immediately flags any mismatches in names, addresses, or entity information. Much better than the manual review process I was doing before.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•How accurate is the name matching? I'm always worried about missing subtle differences that could invalidate the filing.
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Aiden O'Connor
•It's very thorough - catches things like extra spaces, punctuation differences, abbreviation inconsistencies. Basically anything that could cause a state filing office to reject your UCC-1.
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Jamal Brown
The historical context might help here - the UCC was created specifically to harmonize commercial law across states. By the 1960s, adoption was pretty much universal because businesses needed consistent rules for interstate commerce. So while there are variations in implementation, the core secured transactions framework exists everywhere in the US.
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Fatima Al-Rashid
•Interesting history. Makes sense that states would want to adopt it to facilitate business across state lines.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Right, and that's why even Louisiana with their civil law system adopted the commercial articles - they needed to participate in the broader US commercial system.
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Aaliyah Jackson
Bottom line for your multi-state strategy: File UCC-1s in every state where you have collateral, use exact entity names from state records, and allow extra time for processing in slower states. The UCC framework is there everywhere you need it, but the devil is in the details of each state's specific requirements and procedures.
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KylieRose
•This thread has been super helpful. I was overthinking the adoption question when I should have been focused on execution details.
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Miguel Hernández
•Same here. Good reminder that sometimes the basic legal framework is less of an issue than getting the paperwork details right.
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Ella rollingthunder87
As someone who's handled dozens of multi-state UCC filings, I can confirm what others have said - all 50 states have adopted UCC Article 9 for secured transactions. The key issue isn't adoption but rather state-specific variations. I always recommend creating a filing checklist for each state that includes: 1) Exact debtor name requirements from their Secretary of State database, 2) Required attachments (some states need additional schedules), 3) Filing fees and accepted payment methods, 4) Processing timeframes. Also, consider filing a few days early in states known for slower processing - Delaware and California can sometimes take longer during busy periods. One last tip: keep digital copies of all your corporate formation documents easily accessible since you'll need to reference them constantly to ensure name consistency across all filings.
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Connor Murphy
•This is incredibly helpful, especially the state-specific checklist idea! I'm definitely going to implement that approach. Quick question - when you mention Delaware and California taking longer during busy periods, are there certain times of year that are typically more congested for filings? I want to make sure I'm planning appropriately since our equipment is in both of those states.
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