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Searching the Uniform Commercial Code Database

If you are using the UCC Database for the first time, we’d like to provide you with basic search criteria information.  A quick read through this section will give you an understanding of the system and the types of results you will receive.

Search Options

  • Financing statements remain in the UCC Information Management System for at least one year after the statement’s lapse (expiration) date. 
  • Lapsed financing statements that exceed their lapse (expiration) date by more than a year can be accessed using the link “to search lapsed filings” at the top of the UCC Public Search page.

Search types

Article 9
+ “Article 9” also known as a standard search:
  • Search is based on the rules of Article 9 standard search logic.
  • Criteria should reflect the exact debtor name you are searching.

EXAMPLE: CUSTOM DESIGN will return “Custom Design Inc” and “Custom Design Co” but not “Custom Eateries” or “Custom Fits.”

Begins with
+ “Begins with” also known as a non-standard search:
  • Searching by individual is only accurate by using the LAST NAME field.
  • Searching by organization will return results that begin with the letters or words that you enter.

EXAMPLE: AB will return results that include “Able” and “Abbot”.

Exact Match
+ Exact Match also known as an informational exact match search.

The exact match search does not ignore corporate endings (Corporation, Corp., Limited Liability Company or LLC) or noise words. Results are based upon the exact organization name that is entered.

EXAMPLE: CUSTOM DESIGN INC will return “CUSTOM DESIGN INC” not “Custom Design Co” or “Custom Design, LLC.”

NOTE: Our office conducts all searches using the “Article 9” or standard search method. All UCC Certified Search requests will return results based on this search method.

To Begin Searching

  • Click on the option button next to the search that you would like to conduct.
  • Click the drop-down (when available) to identify the type of search you would like to run.

Minimum Search Criteria

  • Individual Name – You must enter at least the first two letters of an individual’s last name; however, you do not need to type the entire name. Refining your search criteria will yield a more specific result.  If you would like to limit the search, you may also include “First Name”, “Middle Name”, “Suffix”, “City and State.”  If you are unsure of the debtor’s correct legal name, you may choose to run a “begins with” search to identify the debtor.
  • Organization Name - You must enter at least the first two letters of the organization or company’s name you want to find. If you would like to limit the search, you may also include “City” and “State.”
  • File Number - The exact number must be provided.  File Numbers are 6 or 12 digits long.

Extra Search Criteria

If you generate too many results, you may want to restrict your search by including additional search criteria. Additional search criteria can be added directly below the main search area.

  • If you would like to search for filings that were filed after a specific date, you can select a date for the Filing Start Date. The search is inclusive of the date you select. If you select 01/02/2000, you will return results for filings dated 01/02/2000 and after.
  • You can also limit your search criteria so that the system only displays your search results in relation to a specific party. You can limit your search results to Debtors, Secured Parties or/and Assignees. If you use a last name search criteria of Smith and you also check the option button next to Debtors, your results will only display debtors with a last name of Smith. The system will not return assignees with the last name of Smith (unless in relation to a debtor result with an assignee with the same last name).
  • You can also elect to perform an “exact match” search. The exact match search does not ignore corporate endings (Corporation, Corp., Limited Liability Company or LLC) or noise words. Results are based upon the exact organization name that is entered.

Search Tips

  • All searches are case insensitive. This means that you may type your search criteria in lower case letters, capital letters or both. Your results will be the same.
  • Search results are displayed in alphabetical (ascending) order by individual name or organization name.
  • If you are searching for a word that may also abbreviated, such as St. for Saint, please be sure to perform a search with both spellings. The search function cannot determine that St. may also mean Saint. The same is true for Jr. and junior, Sr. and senior, etc. A company with the name Saint John's Signs may be found only in a search for St. John's Signs.
  • Punctuation will not change your search results. Smith, Jones and Water’s will also return Smith Jones and Waters.
  • The search function ignores the word "The" when it is at the beginning of an organization name. Whether you chose to include or exclude the word "The" in your search criteria, the results will be the same. The search function also ignores noise words and corporate endings as defined by IACA at the end of an organization name (Company, LLC, Inc.). Please note that the search function only ignores noise words at the end of an organization name. Therefore, a search on “Lincoln Packing Company Inc” will not yield the same results as a search for “Lincoln Packing Company”. This is because a search for the first debtor “Lincoln Packing Company Inc” will yield results for “Lincoln Packing Company” while a search for the second “Lincoln Packing Company” will yield results for “Lincoln Packing” due to the corporate ending being stripped at the end of the organization name.