UCC lien search

Short answer: search the UCC records of the state where the company was formed, not where it operates. Most Secretary of State offices let you search free online by debtor name. Each filing names the lender and the assets it claims.

A UCC-1 financing statement is the public notice a lender files when it takes a security interest in a business's assets: equipment, inventory, receivables or "all assets". It does not prove the company is in trouble. Most businesses with a bank line of credit have one. It does tell you who gets paid first if the company fails, and whether the assets you are buying or relying on are already pledged.

Which state to search

For an LLC, corporation or limited partnership, the UCC rule is simple: the filing belongs in the state where the entity was organized (UCC section 9-307). A Delaware LLC with a warehouse in Ohio is searched in Delaware. If you do not know the home state, find the company's record first; the nationwide search guide explains how. Liens on real-estate fixtures and some crops are filed with the county instead.

Reading a filing

Field or document	What it tells you
Debtor name	Must match the exact legal name on the state record; a search on a trade name can miss filings
Secured party	The lender, lessor or seller with the claim
Collateral	Specific equipment, inventory and receivables, or a blanket "all assets" claim
File date	A filing lapses five years after this date unless continued (UCC section 9-515)
UCC-3 amendment	Changes, continuations, assignments to a new lender, or a termination that ends the claim

Search the exact legal name from the state record, then the name without punctuation. Most states apply a standard search logic that ignores endings like "LLC" and "Inc.", so small spelling differences matter more than suffixes.

Where to run a UCC search by state

Most states keep UCC filings with the same office as the business register, but not all. These are the offices people search for most often.

State	UCC filing office
New York	Department of State, Division of Corporations
Pennsylvania	Department of State
Texas	Secretary of State
North Carolina	Secretary of State
Virginia	State Corporation Commission
Wisconsin	Department of Financial Institutions
Washington	Department of Licensing
Georgia	Any county superior court clerk, searched in one statewide index
Oklahoma	Oklahoma County Clerk, as the central filing office

States with unusual rules

State	How UCC searching works
Delaware	No public online search. Official searches are run by certified UCC searchers listed by the Division of Corporations, for a fee.
California	Free search of UCC filings in bizfile Online, the same portal as the business search.
Florida	UCC filings are kept by the Florida Secured Transaction Registry, not on Sunbiz; the Division of Corporations lists its contact details.

Federal tax liens against a business are also recorded under state law, usually with the Secretary of State for corporations and LLCs. A clean UCC search is one part of vetting a company; the full checklist is in how to verify a business.

UCC search questions

What is a UCC lien search?

A search of financing statements filed under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Each one shows a lender, lessor or seller with a claim on a debtor's assets.

Where do I run a UCC search?

In the state where the debtor is located. For an LLC or corporation that is the state where it was formed, not where it operates.

How long does a UCC filing last?

Five years from the filing date, unless the secured party files a continuation in the six months before it lapses.

Does a UCC filing mean the business is in trouble?

Not by itself. Equipment leases and ordinary bank loans create UCC filings. Several new filings in a short time, or a blanket all-assets lien from an unusual lender, deserve a closer look.

Sources

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