UCC filing fee california - what's the actual cost breakdown?
Getting ready to file a UCC-1 in California and trying to figure out the total cost. I've seen different numbers thrown around and want to make sure I budget correctly. Anyone know the current California Secretary of State fee structure? Also wondering if there are additional fees for things like fixture filings or if you need to amend later with a UCC-3. My lender is pushing for a quick filing and I don't want any surprises when I submit.
39 comments
Join the conversation
Chad Winthrope
Last time I filed in CA it was $10 for the basic UCC-1. But that was like 6 months ago so double check the SOS website. Fixture filings are more expensive I think.
0 coins
Paige Cantoni
•Yeah the basic fee is still $10. Fixture filings are $20 though, so make sure you know which type you need.
0 coins
Ellie Lopez
•Thanks! It's not a fixture filing so $10 should be fine. Do you know if there are any processing fees on top of that?
0 coins
Kylo Ren
California UCC-1 filing fee is $10 for standard filings. Here's the breakdown: Regular UCC-1 is $10, Fixture filings are $20, UCC-3 amendments/continuations are $10 each. The fees are paid through the California Secretary of State's online portal. No additional processing fees from the state, but if you're using a service company they might charge extra.
0 coins
Ellie Lopez
•Perfect breakdown, thanks! Using the online portal directly so no service fees to worry about.
0 coins
Nina Fitzgerald
•One thing to watch out for - if your filing gets rejected you don't get the fee back. Make sure your debtor name matches exactly what's on their articles of incorporation.
0 coins
Kylo Ren
•Good point about rejections. California is pretty strict about debtor name matching. Worth double-checking everything before you submit.
0 coins
Jason Brewer
I just went through this nightmare last month. Filed a UCC-1, got rejected because the debtor name didn't match their corporate records exactly. Lost my $10 fee and had to refile. Then found out about Certana.ai which lets you upload your corporate documents and UCC form to verify everything matches before filing. Wish I'd known about it earlier - would have saved me the hassle and extra fee.
0 coins
Ellie Lopez
•That's exactly what I'm worried about! How does Certana.ai work? Is it expensive?
0 coins
Jason Brewer
•Super easy - you just upload your articles of incorporation and your UCC-1 form as PDFs and it automatically checks for name mismatches and other issues. Way cheaper than having to refile multiple times.
0 coins
Kiara Fisherman
•Honestly the $10 fee isn't that bad if you mess up. I've refiled before and it's not the end of the world.
0 coins
Liam Cortez
WHY is it so hard to find this info on the SOS website?? I spent 20 minutes looking for fee schedules and it's buried in some PDF from 2019. The whole system is backwards.
0 coins
Savannah Vin
•lol tell me about it. California's website is terrible for finding anything useful.
0 coins
Kylo Ren
•The fee info is actually on the UCC search page if you scroll down. But yeah, their site navigation could be better.
0 coins
Mason Stone
Just to add - if you need to do a continuation later (which you'll need to do before the 5-year expiration), that's another $10. And terminations are also $10 when you're done with the lien. Plan ahead for the full lifecycle costs.
0 coins
Ellie Lopez
•Good thinking! I hadn't considered the continuation fee. This is a 3-year loan so I'll definitely need to continue before it expires.
0 coins
Makayla Shoemaker
•Most people forget about continuations until it's almost too late. Set a calendar reminder for 6 months before the 5-year mark.
0 coins
Mason Stone
•Exactly! And make sure you continue with the exact same debtor name or you'll have problems.
0 coins
Christian Bierman
I use a service company for all my UCC filings. They charge like $45 total but handle everything including checking for errors. Worth it for the peace of mind IMO.
0 coins
Ellie Lopez
•Which service do you use? $45 seems reasonable if they catch mistakes.
0 coins
Jason Brewer
•For error checking you might want to try Certana.ai first - it's way cheaper than $35 markup and does the same verification.
0 coins
Christian Bierman
•I use CT Corporation but there are others. The markup is worth it to me since I file a lot of these.
0 coins
Paige Cantoni
Don't forget you can search existing UCC filings for free on the California SOS website. Good to check if there are any existing liens on your debtor before you file.
0 coins
Ellie Lopez
•Already did that - came up clean. Thanks for the reminder though!
0 coins
Nina Fitzgerald
•Smart move. Always good to know what you're getting into with the collateral.
0 coins
Emma Olsen
Been filing UCCs in California for 15 years. The $10 fee hasn't changed in forever which is nice. Just make sure you have the right collateral description and you'll be fine.
0 coins
Ellie Lopez
•Any specific tips for collateral descriptions? I'm doing equipment financing.
0 coins
Emma Olsen
•For equipment be specific but not too specific. Something like 'all equipment, machinery, and fixtures now owned or hereafter acquired' usually works well.
0 coins
Kylo Ren
•Good advice. Too specific and you might miss something, too general and it might not be enforceable.
0 coins
Kiara Fisherman
Wait, do you need to pay the fee even if you're just doing a UCC search? Or is that free?
0 coins
Paige Cantoni
•UCC searches are free in California. You only pay when you're actually filing a document.
0 coins
Kiara Fisherman
•Oh good, I was worried I'd been searching for free illegally or something lol
0 coins
Makayla Shoemaker
Pro tip: if you're doing multiple filings in a batch, California doesn't give volume discounts. Each UCC-1 is $10 regardless of how many you file at once.
0 coins
Lucas Lindsey
•That's different from some other states. Good to know.
0 coins
Makayla Shoemaker
•Yeah, some states have bulk pricing but California keeps it simple with flat fees.
0 coins
Sophie Duck
Just wanted to mention that I started using Certana.ai after seeing it mentioned here. Uploaded my corporation's charter and UCC-1 form and it caught a middle initial mismatch I would have missed. Saved me from a rejection and having to pay twice. Really simple to use.
0 coins
Ellie Lopez
•That's exactly the kind of mistake I'm worried about making. Glad you found something that works!
0 coins
Jason Brewer
•Yeah it's pretty handy for catching those tiny details that can kill your filing.
0 coins
Wesley Hallow
One more thing to consider - if you're filing multiple UCCs for the same debtor, make sure you use the exact same debtor name format on all of them. I've seen situations where someone filed a UCC-1 with "ABC Corp." and then later filed a continuation with "ABC Corporation" and it created issues. California treats these as different debtors even though it's the same company. Better to be consistent from the start than deal with headaches later.
0 coins