How much does it cost to file a UCC-1 in Florida - rates changed recently?

Yep $20 is right. And definitely double-check that debtor name - learned that lesson the hard way when a filing got rejected because we had 'Inc.' instead of 'Incorporated' in the business name.

The name matching thing is so frustrating! Spent hours trying to figure out why our UCC-1 kept getting bounced back until we realized the official corporate name had a comma that we missed.

Agreed on the timing. We had a deal almost fall apart because of a 3-day delay in getting the UCC-1 filed and recorded. Lender was NOT happy about the gap.

Wait, is there really expedited processing in Florida? I've never seen that option when I'm filing through their portal.

You know what, I might be thinking of another state. Florida's system is pretty quick as-is so maybe they don't offer expedited. My bad if I confused things there.

This is so important! We had a UCC-3 amendment rejected because our original collateral description was too vague. Now I always err on the side of being more specific rather than less.

What's considered too vague vs too specific? I'm always second-guessing myself on these descriptions.

Generally you want to be specific enough that someone could identify the equipment but not so specific that minor model variations would fall outside the description. Like 'John Deere Model X Manufacturing Equipment' rather than just 'equipment' or the full 25-digit serial number.

Never heard of that tool but sounds useful. How does it work exactly? Just upload the docs and it compares them?

Yeah exactly - you can do like a Charter to UCC-1 check or UCC-3 to UCC-1 comparison workflow. It flags any inconsistencies so you can fix them before filing instead of getting rejection notices later.

Good catch! There are definitely some sketchy third-party sites out there that make it look like they're the official filing portal.

Ugh yes! Almost got caught by one of those sites myself. Always double-check you're on the actual state website.

What's the official URL? Want to bookmark it so I don't make that mistake.

Interesting - how does the batching work? Is that just filing multiple UCC-1s at once or something different?

You can include multiple pieces of collateral on the same UCC-1 form as long as they're all under the same debtor. Saves you from having to file separate forms for each piece of equipment.

California is even worse - think it's close to $60 now for a basic UCC-1. Florida definitely has reasonable rates.

Texas isn't bad either, similar to Florida. It's the coastal states that really hit you with high filing fees.

That's reassuring. I was worried about the timing but sounds like Florida is pretty efficient with their processing.

Thanks everyone! This is exactly what I needed to know. Going to get the filing done today with the $20 fee and standard processing. Really appreciate all the tips about debtor names and collateral descriptions too.

Good point! We use a spreadsheet to track all our UCC filings and their expiration dates. Nothing worse than having a lien lapse because you forgot to continue it.

I've seen deals where the security interest was lost because someone forgot to file the continuation. Definitely worth setting up a tracking system.

We actually had a close call with that exact scenario. Now I use Certana.ai's tracking features along with my own calendar reminders. Belt and suspenders approach but worth it for peace of mind.

Florida generally accepts PO boxes for mailing addresses but I think they prefer street addresses for the debtor location. Check their filing guide to be sure.

I always use street addresses when possible just to avoid any potential issues. Better safe than sorry with UCC filings.

Welcome to equipment financing! The Florida DOS website has a pretty decent UCC filing guide in their forms section that walks through each field. Also, don't be afraid to call their help line if you get stuck - they're surprisingly helpful for government workers. One tip that saved me on my first filing: print out a copy of your completed form before submitting, just in case there are any technical glitches during the online submission process.

@AstroAce Welcome to the community! Great question about resources. In addition to what @Christopher Morgan mentioned about the DOS guide, I d'also recommend doing a test run on their system first if possible - you can start the filing process and see all the required fields without actually submitting. That way you can prepare all your information beforehand. Also, double and triple check that debtor name against the official corporate documents - as others have mentioned, even small punctuation differences can cause rejections. Good luck with your first deal!