Ohio puts its UCC fees in the law, so they do not move around like a fee schedule. Section 1309.525 of the Revised Code names three amounts: twelve dollars to file, twenty dollars for a written search request, and five dollars for each copy. The Ohio Secretary of State is the office behind them, and its online portal is free to search.
This page covers UCC lien records. Company records sit in a different system, and the Ohio office guide explains it. For the wider picture, read our UCC search guide and the UCC-1 filing guide.
How do you search UCC records in Ohio?
You have two routes. You can search the database yourself in the Online UCC Filing Portal. Or you can ask the office to respond to a request for information, which costs money.
| Who takes UCC filings | Ohio Secretary of State (codes.ohio.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Search UCC records | bsportal.ohiosos.gov/UccFilings.aspx (bsportal.ohiosos.gov, checked ) |
| Search fee | Twenty dollars for a written search request, five dollars if it only asks whether a financing statement names the debtor (codes.ohio.gov, checked ) |
| Copies and certified searches | Five dollars per copy of a financing statement (codes.ohio.gov, checked ) |
| File a UCC-1 | Twelve dollars to file and index a record (codes.ohio.gov, checked ) |
| Filing online | The Online UCC Filing Portal takes UCC1, UCC3 and UCC5 filings and UCC11 information requests (bsportal.ohiosos.gov, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | No fee is required for remote access searching of the filing office database (codes.ohio.gov, checked ) |
The portal search is free. It finds filings, including document images, by financing statement number, debtor name or secured party name. Start there if you only need to see what is on file.
The second route gets you an answer from the office itself. The response tells you whether any financing statement naming a particular debtor is on file. A narrower request returns only that match and the name of the secured party or the related record.
What do search requests and copies cost?
Here are the amounts the statute names:
- A written search request, or a request by another medium that the office has authorized, is twenty dollars.
- A request limited to whether a financing statement names a particular debtor, and the secured party's name or the related record, is five dollars.
- A copy of a financing statement naming a particular debtor, owner or lessee, or of a statement of assignment, is five dollars for each copy.
Count the copies you want before you send the request. A debtor with several filings can turn a five dollar copy into a longer bill.
How much does a UCC-1 cost in Ohio?
Twelve dollars. The statute says that is the fee for filing and indexing a record. It applies to a financing statement and to the other records the filing rules cover. Mortgages that are effective as fixture filings, or as filings covering as-extracted collateral or timber to be cut, do not pay it. They pay the usual recording and satisfaction fees.
You can file the UCC1, the UCC3 amendment and the UCC5 statement in the same portal. Our UCC-1 guide explains what goes on the form, and the amendment and termination guide covers later changes.
Why the statute matters
Most states publish a fee table that the office can change. Ohio writes the amounts into the law. If another site quotes a different figure, check section 1309.525 first. The code site shows the amounts directly.
Who to call
Ohio Business Services lists 877-767-3453 as its number. Ask there about a record you cannot find, or about how to submit a filing.
If you want help with a lien search or filing, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can search and file with the state yourself.
Sources
- www.ohiosos.gov/business: office name, division. Checked .
- www.ohiosos.gov/office: officeholder. Checked .
- www.ohiosos.gov/assets/615.pdf: phone. Checked .
- businesssearch.ohiosos.gov/: business search, search fields, status terms. Checked .
- www.ohiosos.gov/business/ohio-business-roadmap/starting-a-business/guide-to-name-availability: name check. Checked .
- codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1701.05: name rule. Checked .
- www.ohiosos.gov/assets/534b.pdf: name reservation fee, name reservation form. Checked .
- www.ohiosos.gov/assets/business-start-a-llc.pdf: name reservation term. Checked .
- www.ohiosos.gov/business/business-filing-forms: LLC filing fee, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, foreign LLC fee, expedite fees, online filing, good standing certificate, certificate fee. Checked .
- www.ohiosos.gov/business/ohio-business-roadmap/frequently-asked-questions: report fee, report due date. Checked .
- bsportal.ohiosos.gov/UccFilings.aspx: filing online, search ucc records. Checked .
- codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1309.525: who takes ucc filings, file a ucc-1, search fee, copies and certified searches, worth knowing. Checked .