Free tool · Directory
UCC lien search in Iowa
Central filing office
Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services
Opens filings.sos.iowa.gov in a new tab
- Online access
- Anyone can search debtor names online at no cost, with no account.
- Fees
- Online search free. Information request lien search $5 per debtor; UCC copies $1 per page; UCC certified copies $3 plus copy charge per page. Filing $5 online through Fast Track Filing; paper $10 (1 or 2 pages) or $20 (3 or more pages).
- Certified search
- The free online UCC Certified/Federal Liens Search lets you print a certified lien search report. By mail, use the Information Request Form: lien search $5 per debtor (federal lien search $6 per debtor).
- Last verified
What to know in Iowa
- The online search uses the filing office standard search logic for UCC or federal liens.
- By default results show only liens that have not reached their lapse date; tick the option to include UCC liens that lapsed within the past year (federal liens do not lapse).
- Search by person, business or filing number; the page shows the date filings are current as of.
About this tool
Is Iowa the right filing office to search?
Search Iowa when the carrier is located there for UCC purposes, which is not always where its trucks run. An LLC or corporation organized in Iowa is located in Iowa (UCC §9-307), wherever it dispatches from. A sole proprietor is located at their principal residence, so an owner-operator who lives in Iowa is searched here.
If the carrier was organized somewhere else but operates in Iowa, search its formation state first, then Iowa 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 Iowa, 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 Iowa debtor search
Open the Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services 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 Iowa?
In Iowa, UCC records are kept by the Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services. 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 Iowa?
Online search free. Information request lien search $5 per debtor; UCC copies $1 per page; UCC certified copies $3 plus copy charge per page. Filing $5 online through Fast Track Filing; paper $10 (1 or 2 pages) or $20 (3 or more pages). 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 Iowa?
The free online UCC Certified/Federal Liens Search lets you print a certified lien search report. By mail, use the Information Request Form: lien search $5 per debtor (federal lien search $6 per debtor).
How long does a UCC-1 filed in Iowa 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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