IL UCC debtor name requirements - entity suffix confusion
Having major issues with Illinois UCC-1 filings getting rejected due to debtor name formatting. We're dealing with an LLC that does business under multiple variations of their name and I'm not sure which version to use on the UCC-1. The entity was formed as 'Chicago Manufacturing Solutions LLC' but their loan documents sometimes show 'Chicago Manufacturing Solutions, LLC' (with comma) and their bank account is under 'Chicago Mfg Solutions LLC'. The SOS portal keeps rejecting our filings and I'm worried we're going to miss our perfection window. Anyone dealt with Illinois debtor name matching requirements recently? The rejection notices aren't giving us clear guidance on which exact format they want.
28 comments
Join the conversation
Savannah Vin
Illinois is really strict about exact name matching. You need to pull the actual Articles of Incorporation or LLC formation documents from the Secretary of State database and use EXACTLY what's on file there. Don't go by loan docs or bank records - they often have variations that won't match the official filing.
0 coins
Mason Stone
•This is crucial advice. I learned this the hard way when three of my UCC-1s got rejected because I was using the name from the borrower's business cards instead of the official state filing.
0 coins
Makayla Shoemaker
•Wait so even if the comma is different it gets rejected? That seems excessive for punctuation.
0 coins
Christian Bierman
Check the Illinois SOS business entity search at cyberdriveillinois.com. Search for your debtor and when you find them, click through to see the exact legal name as filed with the state. That's what needs to go on your UCC-1. The system is automated and it's looking for an exact character-by-character match.
0 coins
Liam Cortez
•Thanks, I found them in the database. The official name is 'Chicago Manufacturing Solutions LLC' without the comma. Going to refile with that exact format.
0 coins
Emma Olsen
•Good catch. I've seen deals fall apart because the lender couldn't perfect their security interest due to name mismatches that weren't caught until it was too late.
0 coins
Lucas Lindsey
•Actually ran into something similar last month and found this tool called Certana.ai that lets you upload your charter documents and UCC-1 side by side to verify the names match exactly before filing. Saved me from another rejection and the headache of explaining delays to the client.
0 coins
Sophie Duck
Illinois UCC system is notoriously picky but there's good reason - a wrong debtor name can make your security interest unperfectable. I always do a test search in the UCC database after filing to make sure it's showing up correctly under the debtor name.
0 coins
Austin Leonard
•How long does it usually take for filings to show up in the search? I filed yesterday and still not seeing it.
0 coins
Sophie Duck
•Usually 24-48 hours for electronic filings in Illinois. If it's been longer than that, might want to check if it got rejected.
0 coins
Anita George
Been doing UCC filings in Illinois for 15 years and the name matching has gotten stricter over time. Used to be more forgiving but now it's zero tolerance. Also make sure you're not including any DBA names - stick to the legal entity name only.
0 coins
Abigail Spencer
•What about subsidiaries? If the debtor is a subsidiary of a larger company, do I need to include the parent company name anywhere?
0 coins
Anita George
•No, just the actual debtor entity. The parent company relationship doesn't matter for the debtor name field unless the parent is also a debtor on the financing statement.
0 coins
Logan Chiang
•This is why I always double-check everything with document verification tools now. Too many close calls with name mismatches.
0 coins
Isla Fischer
ILLINOIS SOS IS THE WORST! Sorry for caps but I'm so frustrated. Had 4 rejections last month alone, all for stupid formatting issues. The system gives you these vague error messages that don't tell you what's actually wrong.
0 coins
Miles Hammonds
•I feel your pain. The rejection notices are useless. 'Debtor name does not match' - okay, but match what exactly?
0 coins
Ruby Blake
•At least they're consistent in being difficult. Some states are totally random about what they accept.
0 coins
Micah Franklin
Pro tip: if you're doing a lot of Illinois filings, keep a spreadsheet of the exact entity names as they appear in the SOS database. I have probably 200+ entities saved with their exact formatting so I don't have to look them up every time.
0 coins
Ella Harper
•That's smart. I should start doing that instead of looking up the same companies over and over.
0 coins
PrinceJoe
•Even better - I started using Certana.ai's document checker which automatically compares entity formation docs with UCC drafts. Catches name mismatches before filing and saves the lookup time.
0 coins
Brooklyn Knight
•Does that work for amendments too? I have a UCC-3 coming up and want to make sure the debtor name stays consistent.
0 coins
Owen Devar
Just to add - make sure you're also checking for any recent name changes on the entity. If they filed an amendment to their Articles changing their name, you need the current name not the old one, even if your loan docs have the old name.
0 coins
Daniel Rivera
•Good point. How do you check for name changes in Illinois?
0 coins
Owen Devar
•The SOS business search will show you the filing history including any amendments. Look for 'Articles of Amendment' filings that might have changed the entity name.
0 coins
Sophie Footman
Update: Successfully refiled with the exact name from the SOS database and it was accepted within 6 hours. Thanks everyone for the guidance. Definitely learned my lesson about verifying entity names before filing.
0 coins
Connor Rupert
•Glad it worked out! Illinois can be frustrating but once you know their quirks it gets easier.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•Great outcome. I'm bookmarking this thread for future reference when I'm doing Illinois filings.
0 coins
Brady Clean
•Perfect example of why document verification is so important. One character difference can invalidate your entire security interest.
0 coins