New Jersey does not file UCC records with a Secretary of State. The Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, known as DORES, in the Department of the Treasury, keeps the UCC index.
That is the main surprise here. Business entity records are held by the same division. Read the New Jersey office guide for how the division works. For the basics of a UCC search, see the UCC search guide.
Where do you search New Jersey UCC records?
At the state portal's UCC section, at njportal.com/UCC. You choose the action you want from the home page: search, file, amend or order. A Payment Management Services account lets you save a business and payment details, and approved employees can use them.
You can search on two things: the debtor name and the filing number. Debtor name works for certified and non-certified searches. Filing number can also be used to order copies. A bulk data search works by date range.
| Who takes UCC filings | New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, UCC Section, Trenton (njportal.com, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Search UCC records | njportal.com/UCC (njportal.com, checked ) |
| Search fee | Certified search certificate $25.00 plus $1.00 per page, plus $5.00 portal fee (njportal.com, checked ) |
| Copies and certified searches | Copies only $1.00 per page plus $0.20 per page portal fee (njportal.com, checked ) |
| File a UCC-1 | $25.00 per filing plus a $5.00 portal fee. UCC-3 is the same (njportal.com, checked ) |
| Filing online | A UCC-1 with an assignor cannot be filed online and must be mailed (njportal.com, checked ) |
| Processing time | A new filing shows in the online search the next business day (njportal.com, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | You cannot search by secured party name. Debtor name and filing number only. Certified searches match the exact name. (njportal.com, checked ) |
Certified search or non-certified search?
A non-certified search is the quick look. It lets you add a wildcard to the end of the name, so a search for Smith also returns Smithson. Use fewer letters to see more results.
A certified search matches the exact name only. It produces a Certified Search Certificate, which lists the debtor and secured party names and addresses, filing number and date, maturity date and filing history. It carries the seal and signature of the State Treasurer.
A status report sits between the two. It gives an overview of one filing at $5.00 per report, and it is not a certified document.
What does a New Jersey UCC filing cost?
A UCC-1 is $25.00 per filing, plus a $5.00 portal administration fee. A UCC-3 amendment costs the same. Copies only cost $1.00 per page plus $0.20 per page for the portal. A bulk record is $0.0185 per record.
The portal fee is non-refundable. You can review every fee before you finalize, and cancel before payment.
Online or paper?
Most filing is online. There are limits. A UCC-1 with an assignor cannot be processed in the online system, so it goes by mail with payment to the UCC Section in Trenton. UCC-5 information statements are also mailed at this time.
Documents you buy online are PDF files. Links stay active for 14 days from purchase, so download them at once. The portal logs you out after 30 minutes of inactivity, and everything you entered is lost.
A quirk worth knowing
Filings do not appear in the search at once. Wait until the next business day before you search for a filing you just made. A termination does not change the status shown in the list: Active and Lapsed refer to the maturity date. To confirm that a filing was terminated, order a status report or a certified search certificate.
You can search and file at the state yourself, and state fees are separate from anything we do. If you want help, you can ask our private filing service.
Sources
- www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/: office name, division. Checked .
- www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/gettingregistered.shtml: mailing address, name check, online filing. Checked .
- www.njportal.com/dor/businessrecords/: business search, search fields, certificate ordering. Checked .
- www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/checkbusiness.shtml: name check, name rule. Checked .
- www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/fees.shtml: name reservation fee, LLC filing fee, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, foreign LLC fee, report fee, expedite fees, good standing certificate, certificate fee. Checked .
- www.njportal.com/dor/businessnamesearch/: name reservation form. Checked .
- www.njportal.com/DOR/AnnualReports/Home/FAQ: report due date. Checked .
- www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/reinstate.shtml: late penalty. Checked .
- www.njportal.com/UCC/Help.aspx: who takes ucc filings, search ucc records, file a ucc-1, search fee, copies and certified searches, processing time, filing online, worth knowing. Checked .