A UCC-1 financing statement puts other creditors on notice. Without it, a lender's claim on a borrower's equipment, inventory or receivables may rank behind someone who did file. The form itself is short. The care goes into the debtor's name and the collateral description.
What goes on a UCC-1?
UCC section 9-502 sets the minimum. A financing statement must name the debtor, name the secured party or a representative, and indicate the collateral. States add their own form fields, such as mailing addresses and filing office instructions.
Use the debtor's exact legal name. For an LLC or corporation, copy the name from its record at the state that formed it. A misspelled name can make the filing hard to find in a search.
Where do you file a UCC-1?
You file in the state office that keeps UCC records for the state where the debtor is located. Most of the time that is the Secretary of State, though Georgia works through the clerks of superior court. Our state UCC pages name the office and link to its forms.
How much does it cost to file?
Every state sets its own filing fee, and some charge differently for paper and online. The state pages show the amounts we confirmed on an official page. We leave a fee out if we could not confirm it.
How long does a UCC-1 last, and how do you keep it alive?
A filing is effective for five years under UCC section 9-515. A continuation statement can be filed only in the six months before the five years end. Miss that window and the filing lapses. The UCC-3 guide explains continuations.
What should you do before you file?
- Run a UCC search on the debtor to see existing filings.
- Confirm the debtor's exact legal name and state.
- Write the collateral description from your security agreement.
- File with the state office and keep the acknowledgment.
- Diary the continuation window.
If you would rather have someone prepare it, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can file yourself on the state's own site. This guide describes the process and is not legal advice.
Sources
Rules come from the model law text. State offices, forms and fees come from each state's own pages, listed on the state pages.