Pennsylvania runs UCC records through the Department of State, in the same department that files companies. Within it, a dedicated Uniform Commercial Code section takes the filings and the search requests. The Pennsylvania office guide covers the business side of the department.
The state publishes a short fee list, so the cost of any step is easy to work out. Our UCC search guide explains what a lien search shows, and the UCC-1 filing guide covers how a financing statement is built.
Where do Pennsylvania UCC records live?
They sit with the UCC section of the Department of State in Harrisburg. You file with the Department, and you ask the Department for searches.
The Department points filers to its Business Filing System for online UCC filings. Phone contact for the UCC section is 717-787-1057, option 3.
| Who takes UCC filings | Department of State UCC section, PO Box 8721, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8721, phone 717-787-1057 option 3 (pa.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Search fee | $12.00 per debtor name (pa.gov, checked ) |
| Copies and certified searches | $3.00 per page, plus $28.00 if the copies are certified (pa.gov, checked ) |
| File a UCC-1 | $84.00 per form: financing statement, amendment or statement of claim (pa.gov, checked ) |
| Filing online | Online through the Business Filing System, but attachments cannot be uploaded (pa.gov, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | Debtor names are indexed exactly as typed on the form, never taken from attachments (pa.gov, checked ) |
How much does a Pennsylvania UCC search cost?
A search request is $12.00 for each debtor name. Checking three debtor names means three searches at that price.
For copies, the Department adds $3.00 for each page copied. If you want those copies certified, the charge is $28.00 more. Plan on that when a lender or a court asks for certified pages.
How do you file a UCC-1 in Pennsylvania?
- Use the national UCC financing statement. Pennsylvania accepts the national forms and no others, and you submit one copy.
- List every debtor and secured party on the financing statement and its addendum. The Department does not pull names from attachments.
- Pay $84.00 per form. Checks must have a pre-printed name and address.
- File online through the Business Filing System, or mail the paper form to the UCC section at PO Box 8721, Harrisburg.
- Wait for the computerized acknowledgment with the filing details.
Online filing is the quicker path, but the system has no upload for attachments. A filing that needs one has to go in on paper.
Amendments and the statement of claim
The fee for an amendment is $84.00, the same as for a new financing statement. The statement of claim costs the same. There is no extra fee for attachments or for adding more debtors.
Privacy and indexing
The Department redacts Social Security numbers and bank account and credit card numbers where it can spot them. This applies to filings it received on or after August 7, 2002. You can lower the risk by leaving that information off the form.
Indexing follows what you type. Debtor names are indexed exactly as they appear on the financing statement, and several debtors in one block are indexed as one. A small typo can make a filing hard to find.
If you want to hand the paperwork to someone else, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can file with the Department of State yourself.
Sources
- www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business: office name, street address, phone, contact page, business search, online filing. Checked .
- www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/department-and-offices/bcco: division. Checked .
- www.pa.gov/governor/administration/cabinet/state: officeholder. Checked .
- www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/information-services/record-searches: mailing address, hours, search fields, search tips. Checked .
- www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dos/programs/business/guides/Business-Guide.pdf: name check, search disclaimer, LLC name endings, corporation name endings, restricted words, name rule, name reservation term, processing time, good standing certificate, certificate fee, certificate ordering, registered agent rule. Checked .
- www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/fees-and-payments: name reservation fee, LLC filing fee, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, foreign LLC fee, expedite fees. Checked .
- www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/types-of-filings-and-registrations/annual-reports: report fee, report due date, late penalty, status terms. Checked .
- www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/types-of-filings-and-registrations/fictitious-names: assumed names (DBA). Checked .
- www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/resources/business-resources/uniform-commercial-code: who takes ucc filings, file a ucc-1, search fee, copies and certified searches, filing online, worth knowing. Checked .