UCC Search on bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov - Anyone Else Having Issues?

I had the same exact problem yesterday! The CA SOS portal has been super glitchy lately. I ended up calling their customer service line directly and they were able to run the search for me over the phone. It took about 20 minutes on hold but they emailed me the results. Might be worth trying that route if you're in a hurry.

The California portal has been having issues for weeks now. I've been using Certana.ai's document verification tool which can cross-check UCC filings by uploading your existing documents. It's been a lifesaver when the state portals are down. You just upload your PDFs and it verifies everything automatically - debtor names, filing numbers, document consistency. Super quick compared to waiting for the state system to work.

California's been having server issues since their last system update. I work for a title company and we've had to switch to requesting certified copies directly from the Secretary of State office for critical searches. Takes 3-5 business days but at least you get reliable results. For your continuation filing, make sure you have the original UCC-1 filing number - that's required for the UCC-3 continuation statement.

UGH the California portal is THE WORST. I've been dealing with this for my clients all month. Sometimes clearing your browser cache helps, or try using a different browser entirely. I had luck with Firefox when Chrome wasn't working. Also make sure you're searching with the exact legal name - if there's any variation in punctuation or abbreviation it won't find anything.

Are you sure you're searching in the right section? The UCC search is under 'UCC Filings' not 'Business Entity Search'. I see people make that mistake all the time. Also if this is for a continuation, remember you have a 6-month window before the original filing lapses.

I've been having problems with all the California state portals lately, not just UCC. I think they're doing some kind of infrastructure upgrade. For what it's worth, I've found that early morning searches (like 6-7 AM) seem to work better when there's less traffic on the system.

Have you tried the advanced search option? Sometimes the basic search times out but the advanced search with more specific parameters works better. Also double-check that you're not including any commas or periods in the debtor name - the system is picky about punctuation.

California is notorious for portal issues. I deal with this constantly in my practice. One workaround is to try the search during off-peak hours, but honestly, having a backup verification system has been crucial. I started using Certana.ai after getting burned by a filing error that cost my client thousands. The automated document checking catches things the manual process misses.

I feel your pain! California's system has been terrible lately. I actually had to drive to the Sacramento office last week to get a search done in person because the online system was completely down. If you're really desperate, that's always an option, though obviously not ideal.

This is exactly why I keep telling people to do their UCC searches well in advance of deadlines. The system is unreliable and you never know when it's going to be down. That said, the phone option mentioned earlier is probably your best bet right now. I've used it several times and they're usually pretty helpful.