New York keeps UCC liens in the same place as its business entity records, the Department of State in Albany. The UCC work belongs to the Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code. The New York office guide covers the entity side of that division.
Most of the time, a UCC filing here is simple and cheap. The fee depends on how you file, and the fee for a search depends on what you want back. Our UCC search guide explains what a lien search shows, and the UCC-1 filing guide shows how a financing statement is built.
What do New York UCC records include?
The public inquiry system covers the full UCC database. That means financing statements and their amendments under Article 9, plus notices of federal tax liens and related certificates filed under the Lien Law. Results come as a printable data report and as images of the filed record.
A federal tax lien search runs on its own page. It finds filings against the exact name you type and will not return similar names. If you want variants, use the other debtor search options.
| Who takes UCC filings | Division of Corporations, State Records and UCC, One Commerce Plaza, Albany (dos.ny.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Search fee | $25 per debtor, $50 if the results are issued under seal (dos.ny.gov, checked ) |
| Copies and certified searches | $5 plain copy, $10 certified copy. Same day handling adds $75. (dos.ny.gov, checked ) |
| File a UCC-1 | $20 online, $40 on paper or by fax (dos.ny.gov, checked ) |
| Filing online | Yes, UCC financing statements and amendments can be filed online (dos.ny.gov, checked ) |
| Processing time | Usually 24 to 48 hours (dos.ny.gov, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | The national standard UCC forms are not accepted when the debtor is an organization. New York wants the organization type and jurisdiction. (dos.ny.gov, checked ) |
How much does a New York UCC search cost?
A search of filings against one debtor is $25. A search whose results are issued under seal is $50. Use a separate UCC11 Information Request for each name.
Search results and filing acknowledgments are mailed by first class post. The office does not send them by fax or email. If you want faster delivery, put a prepaid shipping label in the envelope, with your own name as both sender and receiver.
How do you get copies of a UCC filing?
Send a UCC11 with the filing number to the Albany address. A plain copy is $5 and a certified copy is $10. Keep copy and search requests on separate forms with separate fees, and do not pay a copy request by credit card.
How do you file a UCC-1 in New York?
- Complete the financing statement. Where the debtor is an organization, use the New York form or one that states the organization type and jurisdiction.
- Choose a channel. Online filing costs $20. Paper filing, by mail or fax, costs $40.
- Pay. Make checks out to the Department of State. For fax, add a credit card authorization form.
- Mail paper filings to the Division at One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany.
- Wait for the acknowledgment letter, which comes by mail with a copy of the first page of the filed document.
How long does a New York filing stay effective?
Most financing statements last five years before they lapse. After a lapse, the file number and party names stay in the searchable index for one more year. Some filings last longer: manufactured home and public finance transactions run 30 years, and a transmitting utility filing runs until terminated.
To continue a filing, record it in the six months before the lapse date. A continuation outside that window is rejected.
Corrections and rejected filings
A person who believes a record names them wrongly can file a UCC5 information statement. It does not remove the filing. It is added to the record so searchers see it.
Rejections come from wrong forms, wrong fees, unreadable file numbers or missing party details. When several filings arrive with too little payment, all of them are rejected. For questions, call the unit at (518) 473-2492, Monday to Friday.
You can ask our private filing service to prepare a UCC-1. State fees are separate, and you can file with the Department of State yourself.
Sources
- dos.ny.gov/division-corporations-state-records-and-uniform-commercial-code: office name, division. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/about-us: officeholder. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/forming-limited-liability-company-new-york: mailing address, phone, search disclaimer, restricted words. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/certificate-status: street address, good standing certificate, certificate ordering. Checked .
- data.ny.gov/api/views/n9v6-gdp6.json: contact page. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/corporation-and-business-entity-search-database: hours, search tips. Checked .
- apps.dos.ny.gov/publicInquiry/: business search. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/fee-schedules: name check, name reservation fee, LLC filing fee, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, foreign LLC fee, expedite fees, certificate fee. Checked .
- www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/LLC/204: LLC name endings, name rule. Checked .
- www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/BSC/301: corporation name endings. Checked .
- www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/LLC/205: name reservation term. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/biennial-statements-business-corporations-and-limited-liability-companies: report fee, report due date, late penalty. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/forming-business-corporation-new-york: franchise tax. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/e-corp-online-filing-system: online filing. Checked .
- www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/LLC/301: registered agent rule. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/faqs-corporations-business-entities: status terms. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/certificate-assumed-name: assumed names (DBA). Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/ucc-frequently-asked-questions: who takes ucc filings, filing online, processing time, worth knowing. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/ucc-fee-schedule: search fee, copies and certified searches. Checked .
- dos.ny.gov/file-ucc-financing-statement: file a ucc-1. Checked .