A UCC record shows that a lender or seller has a claim on a business's personal property. In Virginia the public file for those claims belongs to the Clerk's Office of the State Corporation Commission. The Commission calls the office the central filing office in the Commonwealth for UCC documents.
That sets Virginia apart from states where the Secretary of State runs the file. Here the same Clerk's Office also holds corporation and LLC records, so you can look up a debtor's company record and its liens through the same portal. The Virginia office guide covers the wider business register. This page covers UCC only.
What a Virginia UCC search returns
The Clerk's Office describes a search report in plain terms. It shows the date of the search, the criteria you used and how many records turned up. It also names the type of search and lists each filing chain it found.
A filing chain starts with the initial file number. It then lists the debtor names, the secured party names and every later filing tied to that first one, such as an amendment or a continuation. Read the chain from the first filing forward. A termination at the end means the claim was released.
The search can cover tax liens too. UCC and tax lien searches can be done alone or together, so tell the clerk which one you need. Our UCC search guide explains how to read the results.
How to run a UCC search in Virginia
Start in CIS, the Clerk's Information System. You can view and download unofficial images of UCC and federal tax lien filings there. Unofficial means the image is for your information and carries no certification.
For a formal search, send a UCC-11 Information Request. You can make the request online in CIS. You can also mail a paper UCC-11 with a check made out to State Corporation Commission. The online route skips the mailing time.
Virginia UCC search and copy fees
Pricing is short. A noncertified search response is $7.00. A search with all copies is $7.00 plus nothing for 25 or fewer pages, and $10.00 more once the copies reach 26 pages. Copies without a search follow the same page rule.
When a lender or a court wants proof, ask for certification. That is $6.00 on top. The table below shows the Clerk's Office figures with their sources.
| Who takes UCC filings | Virginia State Corporation Commission, Clerk's Office, UCC Section (scc.virginia.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Search UCC records | cis.scc.virginia.gov (scc.virginia.gov, checked ) |
| Search fee | $7.00 noncertified search; copies of 26 or more pages add $10.00 (scc.virginia.gov, checked ) |
| Copies and certified searches | $6.00 to certify the information provided (scc.virginia.gov, checked ) |
| File a UCC-1 | $20.00 each; amendments also $20.00 each (scc.virginia.gov, checked ) |
| Filing online | Filed online in CIS; credit card only, no convenience fee (scc.virginia.gov, checked ) |
| UCC forms | scc.virginia.gov/pages/UCC-Forms-Fees (scc.virginia.gov, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | UCC and tax lien searches can be run separately or combined (scc.virginia.gov, checked ) |
How to file a UCC-1 in Virginia
Use the current national UCC-1 form, with the addendum or additional party sheets if you need them. File it through CIS and pay by card, since cards are the only online payment the office takes. Mailing is allowed too. Send the form with a check payable to State Corporation Commission to the UCC section of the Clerk's Office.
The fee is $20.00 for a financing statement. The Commission charges the same $20.00 for an amendment and for an information statement. After filing, the office returns a receipt letter and a copy of your filing.
Our UCC-1 filing guide walks through the form boxes. A filing guide is not legal advice, so check the secured party name and the debtor name against the CIS company record before you submit. The debtor name on the form must match exactly.
Virginia details worth knowing
Only the national forms with the latest revision date are accepted. Earlier versions are rejected as not sent in an authorized way. Check the form revision date before you send anything.
Online filing has no extra charge, but you need a CIS account. Setting one up takes a few minutes. If you plan to file often, create the account before you need it.
If you would like help, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can file at the state yourself.
Sources
- www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/about-the-clerks-office/bus-service-of-process/: office name. Checked .
- cis.scc.virginia.gov/EntitySearch/Index: division, business search. Checked .
- www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/business-faqs/cis-faq/: search fields, online filing. Checked .
- law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title13.1/chapter10/article5/: LLC name endings, certificate fee. Checked .
- www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/business-faqs/business-entity-names/: name reservation fee, name reservation term. Checked .
- www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/forms-and-fees/virginia-limited-liability-companies/: LLC filing fee. Checked .
- www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/business-faqs/annual-registration-fees/: report fee, report due date. Checked .
- law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title13.1/chapter10/section13.1-809/: good standing certificate. Checked .
- scc.virginia.gov/pages/UCC-Forms-Fees: who takes ucc filings, file a ucc-1, ucc forms. Checked .
- www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/ucc/ucc-guidelines-faq/: search ucc records, filing online, worth knowing. Checked .
- www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/ucc/ucc-tax-lien-searches,-copies-certificates/: search fee, copies and certified searches. Checked .