How to look up UCC filings - complete beginner needs help
I'm totally new to this whole UCC thing and I need to figure out how to look up UCC filings. My company is considering acquiring another business and our lawyer mentioned we need to check for existing liens. I've never done a UCC search before and honestly don't even know where to start. Do I search by company name? Filing number? Is there a central database or do I have to check each state separately? Any guidance would be really appreciated - I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed by all the different forms and terminology I'm seeing online.
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Raul Neal
Welcome to the world of UCC searches! It's actually not as complicated as it seems once you get the hang of it. For your acquisition due diligence, you'll primarily be doing debtor name searches. Each state maintains its own UCC database - there's no national registry unfortunately. You'll search using the exact legal name of the business entity as it appears on their corporate filings. Most states have online portals where you can search for free or for a small fee.
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Jenna Sloan
•This is super helpful! So if the company operates in multiple states, I need to search each one individually?
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Raul Neal
•Exactly! You'll need to search in every state where they have assets or do business. Also pay attention to the debtor name variations - sometimes companies file under slightly different names or include/exclude suffixes like LLC, Inc., etc.
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Christian Burns
The key thing to remember is that UCC searches are debtor-name dependent. You're looking for UCC-1 financing statements that list your target company as the debtor. Most Secretary of State websites have search functions, but the interfaces vary wildly between states. Some are intuitive, others are... well, let's just say they haven't been updated since 2005. Start with their state of incorporation and any states where they have significant operations or assets.
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Heather Tyson
•Are there any tricks to make sure I'm not missing filings due to name variations? This seems like something that could really trip me up.
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Christian Burns
•Great question! Try searching with and without corporate suffixes, with different punctuation, and even common abbreviations. For example, search 'ABC Company LLC', 'ABC Company, LLC', 'ABC Co LLC', etc. The search logic varies by state.
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Sasha Reese
•I learned this the hard way - also search for any DBAs or trade names the company might use. Found a major lien that way that almost killed a deal.
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Muhammad Hobbs
I've been doing UCC searches for years and honestly, the manual approach gets tedious and error-prone real quick. Last month I discovered Certana.ai's document verification tool and it's been a game changer. You can upload the target company's charter documents and it automatically cross-checks against UCC databases to catch name variations you might miss. Saved me from a major oversight on a recent acquisition where there was a filing under a slightly different corporate name.
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Heather Tyson
•That sounds really useful! Is it just for name matching or does it do other verification too?
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Muhammad Hobbs
•It does comprehensive document consistency checks. You can upload multiple documents and it verifies that debtor names, filing numbers, and other details all align properly. Really helps catch those small discrepancies that can indicate problems.
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Noland Curtis
Don't forget about continuation statements! When you find active UCC-1 filings, check the filing dates. UCC-1s are only effective for 5 years unless continued with a UCC-3 continuation statement. A lot of people miss this and assume old filings have expired when they might actually still be active due to continuations.
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Diez Ellis
•Wait, so I need to look for both UCC-1 and UCC-3 filings? This is getting complicated...
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Noland Curtis
•The UCC-3 continuations should show up in the same search results, but yes, you need to pay attention to the filing dates and whether continuations were filed within the proper timeframe.
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Raul Neal
•Most state databases will show you the complete filing history for each UCC record, including any amendments, continuations, or terminations. Look for the 'lapse date' - that's when the filing expires if not continued.
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Vanessa Figueroa
THE STATE PORTALS ARE ABSOLUTE GARBAGE. Sorry for yelling but I just spent 3 hours trying to get search results from three different states and two of them kept timing out. One state charges $25 per search and then gives you a PDF that's barely readable. It's 2025 and these systems still look like they were built in the 90s.
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Abby Marshall
•I feel your pain! Some states are definitely better than others. Delaware and Nevada have pretty decent systems, but don't get me started on some of the smaller states.
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Vanessa Figueroa
•Right?! And don't even think about trying to do searches on mobile. Half these sites don't even load properly on a phone.
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Sadie Benitez
Pro tip from someone who does this regularly: keep a spreadsheet of your searches. Track the state, search terms used, date of search, and results. For due diligence purposes, you'll want documentation of exactly what you searched and when. Also, some states let you sign up for monitoring services that alert you to new filings against specific debtors.
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Heather Tyson
•That's smart! I hadn't thought about the documentation aspect. Our lawyers will probably want to see exactly what was searched.
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Sadie Benitez
•Exactly! And if you find active liens, you'll want to get certified copies of the actual filings, not just the search results. Most states charge extra for certified copies but it's worth it for important transactions.
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Drew Hathaway
Been there! My first UCC search took me forever because I was overthinking it. Here's the basic process: 1) Get the exact legal name from corporate records, 2) Search in state of incorporation first, 3) Search in states where they have significant assets/operations, 4) Look for active UCC-1 filings, 5) Check lapse dates and continuation history. Most searches cost $10-25 per state, and you usually get results immediately online.
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Jenna Sloan
•This breakdown is super helpful! How do I know which states count as having 'significant operations'?
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Drew Hathaway
•Good question! Generally anywhere they have real estate, major equipment, inventory, or substantial business operations. When in doubt, search it - better safe than sorry in due diligence.
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Laila Prince
•Also check where their bank accounts are located. Sometimes lenders file in the state where the collateral account is maintained.
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Isabel Vega
Just want to add - don't forget about fixture filings! If the target company has equipment or improvements attached to real estate, there might be fixture filings in the real estate records rather than the central UCC database. These are easy to miss but can be just as important as regular UCC filings.
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Heather Tyson
•Oh wow, I had no idea about fixture filings. So I need to check real estate records too?
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Isabel Vega
•For a thorough search, yes. Fixture filings are filed in the real estate records of the county where the property is located. They're used for things like attached equipment, built-in systems, etc.
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Dominique Adams
I use a commercial service for most of my UCC searches now. Yes, it costs more than doing it yourself, but they have access to multiple state databases and can catch things you might miss. For a major acquisition, the extra cost is usually worth the peace of mind. That said, learning to do basic searches yourself is still valuable for smaller matters.
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Heather Tyson
•Any recommendations for commercial services? This acquisition is pretty significant so accuracy is crucial.
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Dominique Adams
•There are several good options - CT Corporation, Wolters Kluwer, and others. Shop around and compare coverage and pricing. Some specialize in certain types of searches.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Before going with a full service, you might want to try Certana.ai's verification tool first. It's more affordable than full-service providers but still automates a lot of the tedious cross-checking work.
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Marilyn Dixon
One more thing to keep in mind - UCC search results are only as good as the date you run them. New filings can be made at any time, so if there's a gap between your search and closing, you may want to run updated searches closer to the transaction date. Some attorneys require searches to be no more than 30 days old at closing.
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Heather Tyson
•That makes sense. So this isn't a one-and-done thing - I need to think about timing relative to when we actually close?
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Marilyn Dixon
•Exactly! And if you find any liens, you'll need to understand what they cover and whether they'll be satisfied at closing or remain as encumbrances on the assets you're acquiring.
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Louisa Ramirez
•Also make sure you understand the difference between purchase money security interests and other types of liens. PMSI can have priority even if filed later.
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Ethan Clark
This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone just starting with UCC searches, I'm realizing there's a lot more to consider than I initially thought. One question that's come up as I'm reading through all these responses - when you find active UCC filings, how do you actually interpret what the collateral description means? Some of the filings I've seen in practice searches have really broad language like "all assets" or very specific equipment descriptions. How do I know what's actually covered and whether it affects the assets we're looking to acquire?
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Andre Dupont
•Great question! Collateral descriptions can be tricky to interpret. "All assets" filings are blanket liens that typically cover everything the debtor owns - inventory, equipment, accounts receivable, etc. These are the most concerning for acquisitions since they potentially encumber all the assets you want to buy. More specific descriptions like "2019 Ford F-150 VIN 1FTFW1E50KFA12345" only cover that particular item. The key is understanding UCC Article 9's collateral categories and how broadly or narrowly the secured party drafted their description. When in doubt, have your attorney review the actual filing language - what looks specific might actually be broader than it appears, and vice versa.
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