UCC 11 search Indiana - confused about information request forms vs regular filings
I'm trying to understand the difference between a UCC-11 information request and regular UCC searches in Indiana. My compliance team needs to verify some existing liens before we can proceed with a new secured transaction, but I'm getting mixed results when I search the Indiana SOS database. Some people mentioned UCC-11 forms but I can't find clear guidance on when to use those versus the standard search function. The debtor name variations are making this even more complicated - should I be searching under the exact legal name or can I use trade names? Any Indiana filers dealt with this before?
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Mia Green
UCC-11 is the information request form - it's different from just doing a search on the portal. You file a UCC-11 when you need an official response from the filing office about what's on record for a specific debtor. The regular search gives you results but UCC-11 gives you a certified response that you can rely on legally.
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Emma Bianchi
•This is helpful but I'm still confused about the debtor name requirements. Do I need to match exactly what's in the charter documents or can I search variations?
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Mia Green
•Always use the exact legal name from the charter or articles of incorporation. Trade names won't give you complete results and you might miss important filings.
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Lucas Kowalski
I ran into this same issue last month with an Indiana filing. The UCC-11 costs more but gives you an official response that you can use for due diligence. Regular searches are fine for preliminary checks but not for final verification.
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Olivia Martinez
•How long does the UCC-11 response take in Indiana? We're on a tight closing timeline.
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Lucas Kowalski
•Usually 2-3 business days for electronic requests, longer if you mail it in. Plan accordingly.
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Charlie Yang
•I had a situation where manual searches missed a filing that showed up on the UCC-11 response. The debtor name had a slight variation that I didn't catch. Now I always cross-check with Certana.ai's document verification tool first - you can upload your charter documents and it helps catch name inconsistencies before you submit official requests.
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Grace Patel
Why is this so complicated?? I've been trying to figure out Indiana's system for weeks. The portal search gives different results than what other people are telling me about UCC-11 forms. Which one should I trust for a real estate transaction?
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ApolloJackson
•For real estate you definitely want the UCC-11 official response, especially if there are fixtures involved. The portal search might miss something.
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Isabella Russo
•Real estate can be tricky because of fixture filings. Make sure you're searching in the right place - some fixture filings go in the real estate records, not just UCC records.
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Rajiv Kumar
The Indiana SOS website has a FAQ section that explains UCC-11 vs regular searches. Basically: regular search = preliminary research, UCC-11 = official verification you can rely on in court if needed.
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Aria Washington
•Thanks for pointing to the FAQ. I found it but it's still not clear about debtor name variations. Do DBA names show up in UCC searches?
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Liam O'Reilly
•DBA names usually don't appear in UCC searches unless someone filed using the DBA instead of the legal name, which would be incorrect anyway.
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Chloe Delgado
I learned this the hard way - did a regular search, thought everything was clear, then found out later there was a continuation filing I missed. Cost us thousands in extra due diligence. Now I always use UCC-11 for anything important.
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Ava Harris
•That's exactly why I started using Certana.ai for these searches. You upload the corporate documents and it cross-references everything to make sure you're searching correctly. Caught two name mismatches that would have caused problems.
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Jacob Lee
•How much does that service cost compared to just doing UCC-11 requests?
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Ava Harris
•It's worth it for the peace of mind. Much faster than waiting for official responses and catches issues before you even submit.
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Emily Thompson
Indiana's portal has been glitchy lately anyway. I submitted three searches last week and two came back with system errors. At least UCC-11 gives you something official to work with.
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Sophie Hernandez
•The portal issues are so frustrating! Especially when you're trying to meet a deadline.
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Daniela Rossi
•I've had better luck calling their office directly when the portal acts up. They can usually run searches over the phone.
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Ryan Kim
For anyone still confused: UCC search = quick look, UCC-11 = official answer. If you need to rely on the results legally, use UCC-11. If you're just checking before you draft documents, regular search is fine.
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Zoe Walker
•This should be the top answer. Simple and clear.
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Elijah Brown
•Agree, but don't forget about debtor name accuracy. That's where most people mess up regardless of which type of search they use.
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Maria Gonzalez
•Name accuracy is huge. I use Certana.ai's verification tool to double-check debtor names against charter documents before submitting any search requests. Saves time and prevents expensive mistakes.
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Natalie Chen
The key difference in Indiana is that UCC-11 responses are legally binding statements from the filing office. Regular searches are just what you see in the database at that moment. For secured transactions, you want the UCC-11.
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Santiago Martinez
•Good point about the legal binding aspect. That's especially important for lender requirements.
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Samantha Johnson
•Most lenders I work with require UCC-11 responses, not just portal searches. It's part of their due diligence checklist.
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Nick Kravitz
One more thing to watch out for - make sure you're searching the correct entity type. LLC vs Corporation vs Partnership affects how the debtor name should appear in the search.
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Hannah White
•This is why I hate UCC searches. Too many ways to mess up the name.
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Michael Green
•It gets easier with practice, but the consequences of getting it wrong are expensive. That's why tools like Certana.ai are helpful - they catch these entity type issues automatically.
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Mateo Silva
Bottom line for Indiana: Use regular search for preliminary research, use UCC-11 for official verification. Always use exact legal names from charter documents. Allow 2-3 days for UCC-11 responses. Hope this helps!
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Victoria Jones
•Perfect summary. This should be pinned at the top of every UCC discussion.
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Cameron Black
•Agreed. Wish I had seen this advice six months ago when I was struggling with the same issues.
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Emma Davis
As someone who just went through this exact confusion with Indiana UCC searches, I can confirm what others have said - the distinction is crucial. I made the mistake of relying on portal searches initially and nearly missed a critical filing that only showed up clearly in the UCC-11 response. The extra cost and time for UCC-11 is worth it when you need certainty. One tip I learned: if you're unsure about debtor name variations, consider running both the exact charter name AND common variations through separate searches. Indiana's system can be finicky with punctuation and abbreviations like "Inc." vs "Incorporated.
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