Free tool · Directory
UCC lien search in California
Central filing office
California Secretary of State, Uniform Commercial Code (Business Programs)
Opens sos.ca.gov in a new tab
- Online access
- Anyone can search debtor names online at no cost, with no account.
- Fees
- Debtor search certificate: $5 online, $10 paper. Certification: $5. Copies: $1 first page, $0.50 each additional page. In-person special handling: $6. The Forms and Fees page still lists legacy UCC Connect inquiry fees ($5 standard-logic debtor search, wildcard search free, $1 per image view).
- Certified search
- Order a debtor search certificate with an Information Request (Form UCC11): $5 online through bizfile Online (formerly UCC Connect), $10 on paper. Certification: $5 per certification in addition to copy fees. A separate request is required for each debtor name or name variation.
- Last verified
What to know in California
- Online UCC search and filing run on bizfile Online (bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov); old UCC Connect links redirect there. The Secretary of State's 2020 launch release says the portal offers free searches and free copies.
- Lapsed financing statements stay in the searchable index for one additional year before removal.
- For paper UCC11 requests, pre-approval is required for copy orders estimated over $50; the office suggests a check marked "not to exceed $____" (usually $35 is sufficient).
- The Secretary of State also files judgment liens, attachment liens, and federal and state tax lien notices.
About this tool
Is California the right filing office to search?
Search California when the carrier is located there for UCC purposes, which is not always where its trucks run. An LLC or corporation organized in California is located in California (UCC §9-307), wherever it dispatches from. A sole proprietor is located at their principal residence, so an owner-operator who lives in California is searched here.
If the carrier was organized somewhere else but operates in California, search its formation state first, then California as well. A filing in the wrong state may not perfect anything, but it still shows that another funder believes it has a claim.
How to search UCC filings in California, step by step
- 1
Confirm the exact legal name
Copy the carrier's name from its formation record, entity suffix and punctuation included. A financing statement against a registered organization has to use the name on its public organic record (UCC §9-503).
- 2
Run the California debtor search
Open the California Secretary of State, Uniform Commercial Code (Business Programs) search and search the exact name. Its online debtor search is free and needs no account.
- 3
Repeat with the variations
Search the DBA, former names, the owner's individual name for a sole proprietor, and the name with and without "LLC" or "Inc.". Each filing office applies its own search logic (UCC §9-506), so one search is rarely enough.
- 4
Open every hit's full history
Read the UCC-1 collateral description, then every UCC-3 filed against the same initial file number: amendments, assignments, continuations and terminations.
- 5
Record what you found
Save the results with the search date and time in the carrier's file. When you need an official record, order the certified search described above.
What to look for in the results
- Blanket liens: collateral described as "all assets" or "all personal property" reaches accounts, so it covers the invoices you plan to buy.
- Accounts and receivables: a description naming "accounts" or "receivables" usually means another factor or an asset-based lender.
- Lapse dates: a UCC-1 is effective for five years after filing unless a continuation is filed in the six months before it lapses (UCC §9-515).
- Assignments and terminations: an assignment changes who you ask for a release, and a filed termination ends the financing statement's effectiveness (UCC §9-513).
If you find a lien
Contact the secured party on a number you find yourself, and ask for a letter of release covering the accounts or a UCC-3 termination before you fund. The free NOA and release letter generator drafts the letter. If the prior factor has already notified the carrier's brokers, read two NOAs, one carrier.
For the full process, see UCC lien searches before you fund a carrier and the UCC-1 glossary entry.
Frequently asked questions
How do I search UCC filings in California?
In California, UCC records are kept by the California Secretary of State, Uniform Commercial Code (Business Programs). Its online debtor search is free and needs no account. Use the official search, enter the carrier's exact legal name, then repeat with its DBA and name variations.
How much does a UCC search cost in California?
Debtor search certificate: $5 online, $10 paper. Certification: $5. Copies: $1 first page, $0.50 each additional page. In-person special handling: $6. The Forms and Fees page still lists legacy UCC Connect inquiry fees ($5 standard-logic debtor search, wildcard search free, $1 per image view). These figures come from the official sources listed on this page as of October 19, 2026; confirm them on the filing office's site before you order.
How do I get a certified UCC search in California?
Order a debtor search certificate with an Information Request (Form UCC11): $5 online through bizfile Online (formerly UCC Connect), $10 on paper. Certification: $5 per certification in addition to copy fees. A separate request is required for each debtor name or name variation.
How long does a UCC-1 filed in California stay effective?
Generally five years from the filing date under UCC §9-515, unless the secured party files a continuation in the six months before it lapses. Each continuation adds another five years, so check the lapse date and look for continuations on every hit.
For factoring companies
Stop paying the wrong account.
CarrierKYC verifies that the person onboarding controls the carrier and that the bank account belongs to it, then re-verifies every remit-to change before the next ACH. Free 60-day pilot for small factors.
Monthly · free
The Freight Identity Risk Report
New authorities, revocations, insurance cancellations, and shared-contact clusters from FMCSA data, every month. One email. Unsubscribe in one click.