UCC Liens Search

How UCC filings show up in the public record, and a way to order the search.

UCC Liens Search

What Is A UCC Lien

Quick answer. A UCC lien, in ordinary speech, is the public notice from a financing statement that a secured party claims an interest in personal property. It is not a mortgage and not a court judgment. A UCC lien search looks for financing statements against a debtor in the state office that files them. Use the legal name. A tax lien search is a different record unless that state parks both in one system and you filter the type.

Steps

  1. Get the legal name from the charter

    Organization debtor names should match the public organic record. Do not search the slogan on the truck.

  2. Open that state’s UCC index

    Use the state page link. Entity search and UCC search are often different buttons.

  3. Read lapse and amendments

    A UCC-1 without a timely continuation lapses. A termination is a UCC-3, not a deleted row.

  4. Separate tax liens

    If the office mixes types, filter. Say which type you actually opened.

A UCC filing is notice, not a judgment

Article 9 financing statements are filed so later creditors can see the claim. The filing does not prove the debt’s current balance. Termination is a later filing, usually a UCC-3.

Tax liens and judgment liens follow other statutes and often other offices. A UCC search does not clear title to real estate.

Search the financing-statement index

The phrase “ucc lien” usually means an Article 9 financing statement. The UCC-1 starts the file. A UCC-3 continues, assigns, amends, or terminates it. The search result should show the file number, dates, and the secured party, then the image if you need the collateral words.

Each state page names the central filing office. County land records are for real-property claims. Mixing those books produces a false clear.

Common mistakes

  • Searching a DBA instead of the legal debtor.
  • Treating a lapsed filing as never filed.
  • Calling every lien a UCC lien.
  • Using a charter number as a UCC file number.

Questions

What is a UCC lien?

In common use, the public notice from a financing statement that a secured party claims personal-property collateral.

How do I remove a UCC lien?

The secured party files a termination, or the filing lapses. A search site cannot erase it.

Is a UCC search a tax lien search?

Not unless you are in an office that stores both and you looked at the tax-lien type. Say which index you used.

Sources reviewed