Most states keep UCC liens at the Secretary of State. Georgia does not. Liens are filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in a county, and the GSCCCA collects them into one statewide index. The Georgia office guide covers the Secretary of State, which handles company filings only.
That split changes where you go for each job. You file at a clerk's office, you search the Authority's index, and you order a certified search from the Authority itself. Our UCC search guide explains what a lien search shows, and the UCC-1 filing guide covers how a financing statement is built.
Who holds Georgia UCC records?
The county clerks take in the paper, and the Authority holds the index. A law passed in 1993 set up the statewide system. Under it, a secured party files in one county and gets notice of lien position across the state.
Before 1995 you had to file in all 159 Georgia counties. Today you pick one.
| Who takes UCC filings | Clerk of Superior Court in any Georgia county, indexed by the GSCCCA, not the Secretary of State (gsccca.org, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Search fee | $15.00 per debtor name for a certified search report from the Authority (gsccca.org, checked ) |
| File a UCC-1 | $25.00 per filing, $50.00 with an initial assignment, paid to the clerk (gsccca.org, checked ) |
| Filing online | Optional: some clerks offer UCC eFile (gsccca.org, checked ) |
| Processing time | Clerk sends it on in 24 hours, then the Authority indexes it within 24 hours (gsccca.org, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | One county filing gives statewide notice. Before 1995 you had to file in all 159 counties. (gsccca.org, checked ) |
How do you run a Georgia UCC search?
The Authority offers free statewide access at search terminals installed in the clerk of Superior Court offices. Online access is also sold by subscription. Search by the debtor name, and use the linking feature to open related amendments for a filing.
Amendments always carry the original file number, so the index ties them to the first filing. Select the option to view related documents and you see the whole chain.
What does a certified search cost?
A certified search report comes from the Authority only, not from the clerks. It costs $15.00 for each debtor name searched. Use it when a lender, court or buyer wants a formal result rather than a screen.
Copies of filed pages come from the clerk, and each clerk's fee for copies is set in the Authority's fee list. Check that list before you order.
How do you file a UCC-1 in Georgia?
- Fill in the Georgia UCC forms. They are fillable PDFs on the Authority's site, and older versions are rejected.
- Choose one county and deliver the form to its Clerk of Superior Court, by mail or in person.
- Pay $25 to the clerk. Attaching a copy of the security agreement costs nothing extra, and the agreement itself does not have to be filed.
- Keep the acknowledgment. The filing is indexed statewide once the clerk and the Authority have done their parts.
Georgia has one form quirk. For some consumer goods debts the financing statement must carry a maturity date. The form has no box for it, so the Authority suggests writing it in Block 8.
Online filing and timing
Online filing is optional. Clerks of Superior Court may opt to offer UCC eFile, so it depends on the county.
On timing, the clerk has 24 hours to send the filing to the Authority, and the Authority then has 24 hours to add it to the index. A filing made today should show up in search about two days later.
Changes, terminations and mistakes
To end a lien, file a UCC3 amendment that refers to the initial file number. Amendments are $25. Only one action is allowed on each UCC3, so a continuation and a party change need two forms.
Anyone who thinks a record is wrong can file a UCC5 information statement with the clerk. Georgia charges nothing when the record is simply inaccurate.
When you need help with the paperwork, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can file with the clerk yourself.
Sources
- georgia.gov/register-llc: office name, division, mailing address, street address, LLC filing fee, report due date, expedite fees, processing time, registered agent rule. Checked .
- sos.ga.gov/page/about-secretary-raffensperger: officeholder. Checked .
- ballotpedia.org/Georgia_Secretary_of_State: officeholder party. Checked .
- georgia.gov/contacts/secretary-state-georgia-corporations-division: phone. Checked .
- ecorp.sos.ga.gov/Home/ContactUs: contact page. Checked .
- georgia.gov/register-corporation: hours, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, report fee. Checked .
- ecorp.sos.ga.gov/Home/UseFulLinks: business search, online filing. Checked .
- ecorp.sos.ga.gov/BusinessSearch: search fields, search tips. Checked .
- georgia.gov/reserve-business-name-georgia-secretary-state: name check, name reservation fee, name reservation term, name reservation form. Checked .
- law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-14/chapter-11/article-2/section-14-11-207/: LLC name endings, name rule. Checked .
- rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/590-7-3: corporation name endings. Checked .
- sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/forms/Reference%20-%20Filing%20Fees_0.pdf: foreign LLC fee, good standing certificate, certificate fee. Checked .
- georgia.gov/renew-llc: late penalty. Checked .
- sos.ga.gov/page/business-division-faq: status terms. Checked .
- georgia.gov/file-dba-doing-business: assumed names (DBA). Checked .
- www.gsccca.org/learn/projects-programs/ucc-system: who takes ucc filings, file a ucc-1, search fee, filing online, processing time, worth knowing. Checked .