UCC filing rejected due to UCC1-201 issue - need help understanding this code
Got my UCC-1 filing bounced back from the secretary of state office yesterday with a UCC1-201 rejection code. This is for a equipment loan on some manufacturing machinery we're financing for a client. The debtor name on our loan documents matches exactly what we put on the UCC-1 form, but somehow it's still getting kicked back. Has anyone dealt with this specific rejection code before? I'm worried we're going to miss our perfection window if I can't figure out what's wrong. The loan closed two weeks ago and we need to get this filed ASAP. Any insight would be really helpful.
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Sophia Russo
UCC1-201 usually means there's an issue with the debtor name format or the way it's entered in their system. Even if your loan docs match, the SOS database might be looking for something specific. Did you check if the business entity is active and in good standing? Sometimes if there's a corporate status issue it can cause these rejections.
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Mason Kaczka
•I didn't think to check the corporate status. The entity name is ABC Manufacturing Solutions LLC and that's exactly what we used on the UCC-1. I'll look up their status on the SOS website.
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Evelyn Xu
•Yeah definitely check that first. I've seen filings get rejected when the LLC was administratively dissolved or had name changes that weren't reflected in our docs.
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Dominic Green
UCC1-201 can also be triggered by punctuation issues or spacing problems. The SOS systems are really picky about exact formatting. Try removing all punctuation from the business name except what's absolutely required. So instead of 'ABC Manufacturing Solutions, LLC' try 'ABC Manufacturing Solutions LLC' without the comma.
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Mason Kaczka
•Interesting point about punctuation. We did include the comma before LLC. I'll try resubmitting without it.
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Hannah Flores
•This is exactly the kind of formatting nightmare that drives me crazy about UCC filings. Why can't they just accept reasonable variations of the same name?
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Dominic Green
•I know it's frustrating but the rules exist for a reason. Searchers need to be able to find filings reliably, so exact name matching is important for the system to work.
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Kayla Jacobson
I ran into similar issues last month and ended up using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your loan agreement and UCC-1 form and it'll automatically flag any inconsistencies between the debtor names. Saved me from making the same mistake twice when I was dealing with a complex corporate structure.
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Mason Kaczka
•That sounds useful. How does the verification work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs?
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Kayla Jacobson
•Yeah exactly - just drag and drop your loan docs and UCC forms. It cross-checks all the debtor information and highlights any mismatches. Really helpful for catching those subtle formatting differences that cause rejections.
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William Rivera
Before you resubmit, also double-check that you're using the debtor's exact legal name as it appears in their organizational documents. Sometimes what they use on invoices or contracts isn't their actual registered name. Pull their articles of incorporation or LLC formation docs to verify.
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Mason Kaczka
•Good call. I have their operating agreement but should probably get the actual formation documents from the state.
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Sophia Russo
•The SOS business search function usually shows the exact registered name format. That's your gold standard for UCC filings.
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William Rivera
•Exactly. And if there have been any amendments to the name since formation, those would show up in the search results too.
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Grace Lee
UCC1-201 rejections are the worst because they're so vague. I've had filings rejected for issues that had nothing to do with the debtor name - like missing address components or formatting problems with the collateral description. Did you include a complete street address for the debtor?
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Mason Kaczka
•Yes, we included their full business address. It's the same address that's on file with the secretary of state.
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Grace Lee
•Hmm, then it's probably the name formatting issue others mentioned. These systems are just really finicky.
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Mia Roberts
I deal with equipment financing UCCs all the time and see this code frequently. Nine times out of ten it's either punctuation (commas, periods) or extra spaces in the debtor name field. The system is looking for an exact match to what's in their corporate database. Try stripping out ALL punctuation and see if that works.
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Mason Kaczka
•So you're saying remove the periods after 'LLC' too? Just make it 'ABC Manufacturing Solutions LLC' with no punctuation at all?
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Mia Roberts
•That's what I'd try first. If the official name has punctuation you might need it, but start with the cleanest version possible.
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The Boss
•This is why I hate the UCC system. Too many arbitrary rules that aren't clearly documented anywhere.
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Evan Kalinowski
Have you considered calling the SOS office directly? Sometimes they can tell you exactly what the issue is rather than guessing from the rejection code. Their UCC division usually has someone who can look up your filing and explain what went wrong.
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Mason Kaczka
•I didn't think they'd give specific guidance over the phone. Worth a try though.
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Evan Kalinowski
•Most states are pretty helpful as long as you're not asking them to do legal research. They can usually tell you formatting requirements.
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Victoria Charity
Another thing to check - are you filing in the right state? The debtor has to be a domestic entity or have their chief executive office in the filing state. If ABC Manufacturing Solutions LLC is actually organized in Delaware but operating in your state, you might need to file the UCC in Delaware instead.
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Mason Kaczka
•They're organized in the same state where I'm filing. I double-checked that before we started.
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Victoria Charity
•Good, that eliminates that possibility. Sounds like it really is just a name formatting issue then.
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Jasmine Quinn
•The jurisdiction rules for UCC filings can be tricky. Always good to verify.
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Oscar Murphy
I've been using a systematic approach for these rejection issues. First I verify the exact registered name through the state's business entity search. Then I use that EXACT format including any punctuation shown in their database. If that doesn't work, I try the version without punctuation. Usually one of those two approaches resolves UCC1-201 rejections.
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Mason Kaczka
•That's a good methodical approach. I'll start with the business entity search to see exactly how their name appears in the state records.
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Oscar Murphy
•Yeah, that database is usually the authoritative source. Whatever format they use there should work for your UCC filing.
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Nora Bennett
UPDATE: I checked the secretary of state business entity database and found the issue. The registered name shows as 'ABC Manufacturing Solutions, LLC' WITH the comma, but apparently their UCC system doesn't like the comma even though that's the official name format. I resubmitted without the comma and it was accepted. Thanks everyone for the help!
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Dominic Green
•Glad you got it resolved! These formatting quirks are so frustrating but at least now you know for future filings.
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Kayla Jacobson
•That's exactly the kind of inconsistency that Certana.ai would have caught upfront. Good to know you got it sorted though!
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Hannah Flores
•Typical bureaucratic nonsense. The official name has a comma but their system rejects it. Makes perfect sense...
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Sophia Russo
•At least you figured it out quickly. I've seen people struggle with rejection codes for weeks.
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