Free tool · Directory
UCC lien search in Connecticut
Central filing office
Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division
Opens service.ct.gov in a new tab
- Online access
- Anyone can search debtor names online at no cost, with no account.
- Fees
- Online lien search and most filing PDFs: free. Request for information: $50. Copy of lien: $40. Certified copy of lien: $55. UCC active lien bulk data: $0. Expedited service is not available for UCC.
- Certified search
- File a Request for information (UCC search) online through a Business.CT.gov account: $50. Certified copy of a lien: $55 (plain copy $40).
- Last verified
What to know in Connecticut
- The Secretary of the State lien index includes UCC financing statements plus vessel and aircraft liens and liens filed by the IRS, the Connecticut Department of Labor and municipalities.
- Most records download free as PDFs from the UCC search; if no digital copy is listed, log in to Business.CT.gov to request one.
- A free dataset of active liens (and liens less than one year past lapse) is published on data.ct.gov; liens with a lapse date of 12/31/9999 have no lapse date.
- Real property liens and mortgages are filed with the local town clerk, not the Secretary of the State.
About this tool
Is Connecticut the right filing office to search?
Search Connecticut when the carrier is located there for UCC purposes, which is not always where its trucks run. An LLC or corporation organized in Connecticut is located in Connecticut (UCC §9-307), wherever it dispatches from. A sole proprietor is located at their principal residence, so an owner-operator who lives in Connecticut is searched here.
If the carrier was organized somewhere else but operates in Connecticut, search its formation state first, then Connecticut 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 Connecticut, 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 Connecticut debtor search
Open the Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division 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 Connecticut?
In Connecticut, UCC records are kept by the Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division. 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 Connecticut?
Online lien search and most filing PDFs: free. Request for information: $50. Copy of lien: $40. Certified copy of lien: $55. UCC active lien bulk data: $0. Expedited service is not available for UCC. 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 Connecticut?
File a Request for information (UCC search) online through a Business.CT.gov account: $50. Certified copy of a lien: $55 (plain copy $40).
How long does a UCC-1 filed in Connecticut 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.
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