Michigan splits its records in a way that trips people up. Business entities live at LARA, but UCC financing statements are kept by the Michigan Department of State. If a lender asks for a UCC search on a Michigan company, you go to the Department of State's UCC section, not to the Corporations Division. Our Michigan office guide covers the LARA side. This page covers liens.
A UCC financing statement is a public notice that a lender has a security interest in a borrower's collateral. A search shows whether anyone has filed against a given debtor. Our UCC search guide explains the idea in general terms, and the UCC-1 filing guide covers the form.
Who holds Michigan UCC records?
The Department of State runs the UCC Online Service. It has two ways in. One is a free debtor name quick search, which is the fast way to see what is on file. The other is the formal UCC-11 information request, which produces a results report with a certification statement.
| Who takes UCC filings | Michigan Department of State, UCC section (michigan.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Search UCC records | ucc.michigan.gov (michigan.gov, checked ) |
| Search fee | $6 per debtor name (michigan.gov, checked ) |
| Copies and certified searches | Search fee plus $2 per page; official seal adds $6 (michigan.gov, checked ) |
| File a UCC-1 | $15 per filing, for UCC-1 and UCC-3 alike (michigan.gov, checked ) |
| Filing online | UCC Online Service, with a free debtor name quick search (michigan.gov, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | A search can return All records, which includes lapsed or terminated filings for one year after lapse, or Unlapsed records only. (michigan.gov, checked ) |
How do you run a Michigan UCC search?
The state says UCC-11 searches must be done at ucc.michigan.gov. Follow these steps.
- Decide whether the debtor is an organization or an individual.
- Get the exact legal name. For a Michigan company, look it up in the LARA business entity search first.
- Open the UCC Online Service and try the free quick search to see what appears.
- If you need a formal report, submit the UCC-11 and choose All or Unlapsed records.
- Pay the fee for each debtor name you request.
Each debtor name is a separate search, so a borrower with two legal names costs twice. Plan for that when you order.
What does a Michigan UCC search cost?
The search fee is $6 for each debtor name. Copies of filings cost the search fee plus $2 per page. If a court or a counterparty wants a certified result, the official seal costs the search fee plus $6.
So a sealed result for one debtor is the search fee plus the seal fee, before any copies. The state publishes these amounts on its UCC page, and the table above shows them with their source.
All records or only unlapsed ones?
The UCC-11 asks you to pick. If you choose Unlapsed, you get only active records that have not lapsed. If you choose All, the report also includes lapsed or terminated filings for one year after the date the filing would have lapsed.
Lenders usually care about active liens, so Unlapsed is enough for most credit checks. Choose All when you are tracing a recent payoff or checking whether a lien ended on time. The results include a statement certifying that they list all financing statements and tax liens for the debtor name on file as of the certification date.
How much does it cost to file a Michigan UCC-1?
Every UCC-1 and UCC-3 filing costs $15 per filing, and the state says the fee applies to terminations as well. That means a continuation, an amendment and a termination each carry their own $15.
Keep the debtor name exact. A financing statement filed under a wrong name can fail to give the notice it was meant to give. If the debtor is a Michigan LLC, copy the name from its record at LARA.
Before you search or file
Check the debtor's status at LARA, since an LLC that is no longer in good standing can still owe money. Then run the UCC search. The two lookups work together. LARA tells you whether the company exists and who its agent is. The Department of State tells you who has a lien on its assets.
If you want help with a filing, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can always file at the state yourself.
Sources
- www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps: division. Checked .
- www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps/mibrp/new-system: business search, online filing. Checked .
- www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-450-4204: LLC name endings, restricted words, name rule. Checked .
- www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/cscl/NonImages_new/Corps/forms/llc/540-0725.pdf: name reservation fee, name reservation term, name reservation form. Checked .
- www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps/michigan-business-roadmap/annual-reports-and-annual-statements: report fee. Checked .
- www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps/how-do-i/renewals/renew-my-corporation: late penalty. Checked .
- www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps/frequently-asked-questions: good standing certificate, certificate ordering. Checked .
- www.michigan.gov/sos/industry-services/ucc: who takes ucc filings, search ucc records, search fee, copies and certified searches, file a ucc-1, filing online, worth knowing. Checked .