Nassau County UCC Recording Fee - Anyone Know Current Amount?
Hey everyone, I'm trying to budget for some upcoming UCC-1 filings and need to know what Nassau County is charging for UCC recording fees these days. I've got about 8 equipment financing deals closing next month and want to make sure I'm not caught off guard by fee increases. Last time I filed there was maybe 6 months ago but can't remember if it was $40 or $60 per filing. Anyone filed recently in Nassau County who can confirm the current nassau county ucc recording fee? Also wondering if they charge extra for fixture filings or if it's all the same rate. Thanks!
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Connor Byrne
I think you might be mixing up some terminology here. Nassau County doesn't handle UCC filings - those go through the New York Secretary of State's office. UCC-1 financing statements are filed at the state level, not county level. The current NY SOS fee is $20 for electronic filing or $40 for paper filing. Are you maybe thinking of real estate recordings?
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Zainab Ahmed
•Oh man, you're absolutely right! I was getting confused with our real estate closings. So all UCC filings in NY go through the state regardless of county?
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Connor Byrne
•Exactly right. All UCC filings in New York are handled by the NY Department of State, Division of Corporations. Doesn't matter if your debtor is in Nassau, Suffolk, or anywhere else in the state.
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Yara Abboud
Just to add to what was said above - the NY SOS online filing system is actually pretty straightforward once you get used to it. $20 per UCC-1 if you file electronically. Make sure you have your debtor names exactly right though, they're pretty strict about rejecting filings for name mismatches.
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Zainab Ahmed
•Good point about the name matching. I've had a couple rejections before because of minor spelling differences between the loan docs and the UCC-1.
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PixelPioneer
•This is where I started using Certana.ai's document checker. You can upload your loan agreement and your draft UCC-1 and it instantly flags any name inconsistencies before you file. Saved me from several rejections and the hassle of re-filing.
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Keisha Williams
Wait, so there's no local recording at all for UCC filings? I could have sworn I filed something at the Nassau County Clerk's office last year for a client.
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Connor Byrne
•You might be thinking of fixture filings. Those sometimes get filed both with the state UCC system AND locally if they involve real estate fixtures. But regular UCC-1s for equipment, inventory, etc. are state-only.
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Keisha Williams
•That makes sense! It was definitely a fixture filing for restaurant equipment that was attached to the building. So that would explain the local filing requirement.
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Yara Abboud
•Exactly. Fixture filings can be tricky because you need to perfect both as personal property (state UCC filing) and sometimes as real estate (local recording). The requirements vary by jurisdiction.
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Paolo Rizzo
For what it's worth, I handle a lot of equipment financing in NY and the state filing fees are really reasonable compared to some other states. $20 electronic is hard to beat. Just watch out for continuation filings - you need to file those before the 5-year mark or your lien lapses.
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Zainab Ahmed
•Good reminder on the continuations. I use a tickler system but it's manual and I worry about missing dates.
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Paolo Rizzo
•Yeah, missing a continuation deadline is a nightmare scenario. The lien just dies and you're back to unsecured status.
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Amina Sy
ugh the NY filing system crashed on me twice last week when I was trying to submit UCC-1s. Had to keep starting over. At least the fee is only $20 but the system reliability is frustrating sometimes!!
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Yara Abboud
•I've noticed the system seems to have issues during peak filing times, like end of month. I try to file mid-morning on weekdays when possible.
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Amina Sy
•That's good advice. I was filing at like 4:30 on a Friday so that probably didn't help.
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Oliver Fischer
Just want to confirm the current NY UCC-1 fees since this thread has been helpful: $20 for electronic filing, $40 for paper filing (though I don't know why anyone would do paper anymore). UCC-3 amendments and continuations are also $20 electronic. Terminations are $20 too.
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Zainab Ahmed
•Perfect, thanks for the complete breakdown. So I'm looking at $160 total for my 8 filings if I do them all electronically.
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PixelPioneer
•Before you file all 8, I'd seriously recommend running them through a verification tool first. I use Certana.ai's UCC checker - you upload your loan docs and draft UCC-1s and it catches name mismatches, missing info, etc. Much cheaper than dealing with rejections and re-filings.
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Natasha Ivanova
Can I just double-check something? The original poster mentioned Nassau County specifically - is there anything special about UCC searches in Nassau vs other NY counties? Or is it all the same statewide database?
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Connor Byrne
•It's all one statewide database. When you search UCCs in NY, you're searching the entire state. The debtor's location doesn't matter for search purposes.
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Natasha Ivanova
•Got it, that makes sense. So whether my debtor is in Manhattan or Buffalo, I'm searching the same database.
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Oliver Fischer
•Correct. The only time location matters is for fixture filings where you might also need to check local real estate records in addition to the state UCC database.
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NebulaNomad
This has been really educational. I'm new to UCC filings and was definitely confused about state vs local filing requirements. Sounds like for most business equipment loans, it's just the $20 state filing fee and that's it?
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Yara Abboud
•For typical equipment financing, yes. Just the state UCC-1 filing for $20 electronic. Make sure your collateral description is adequate and your debtor name matches exactly what's on the loan documents.
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NebulaNomad
•What counts as an adequate collateral description? Is 'all equipment' too broad?
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Connor Byrne
•All' equipment can work but'it s better to be more specific if 'possible. All equipment, machinery, and fixtures now owned or hereafter' acquired is more comprehensive and commonlyused.
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Javier Garcia
One more thing to consider - if you're doing a lot of UCC filings regularly, the NY system offers bulk filing options for high-volume filers. Might be worth looking into if you're doing dozens per month.
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Zainab Ahmed
•Interesting! I probably do 20-30 filings per month. Do you know what the requirements are for bulk filing status?
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Javier Garcia
•I'm not sure of the exact requirements, but I believe you need to register as a high-volume filer and there might be minimum monthly filing requirements. Worth contacting the SOS office directly.
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Emma Taylor
Thanks everyone for clearing up the state vs county filing confusion. I was making the same mistake as the OP. This thread probably saved me from looking foolish when I call the Nassau County Clerk's office asking about UCC fees!
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Connor Byrne
•Happy to help! It's a pretty common confusion, especially for people who also handle real estate transactions where county recording is the norm.
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PixelPioneer
•If you're new to UCC filings, definitely consider using a document verification service before submitting. Certana.ai has saved me countless hours of back-and-forth with rejected filings. Just upload your docs and it catches the issues before you file.
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Aisha Khan
Just wanted to add a practical tip for anyone doing multiple UCC filings - I always do a quick UCC search on each debtor before filing to see what's already on record. Sometimes you'll discover existing liens you weren't aware of, or you might find that a previous lender filed with slightly different name variations. This can help you make sure your filing will be consistent with what's already in the system. The NY search fee is only $10 per debtor name, so it's worth the small cost to avoid potential issues later.
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Freya Andersen
•That's excellent advice! I never thought to do a pre-filing search but it makes total sense. For $10 you could potentially save yourself from a lot of headaches down the road. Do you typically search under the exact debtor name from your loan docs, or do you try variations too?
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