Free tool · Directory
UCC lien search in Minnesota
Central filing office
Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services (UCC and Tax Liens)
Opens mblsportal.sos.mn.gov in a new tab
- Online access
- Online search costs money per search or needs a paid subscription.
- Fees
- UCC Debtor Name Look-Up subscription: $250.00 per 25 names. UCC Standard Search: $20 per name, with or without copies. UCC Limited Search: $20 per name. Copy by filing number: $3 per file number, plus $5 per certification.
- Certified search
- Order a UCC Standard Search (Information Request, UCC11) online through UCC / Tax Liens Online (account required) or on paper: $20 per name, with or without copies.
- Last verified
What to know in Minnesota
- File Number Search is free and needs no account; debtor name look-ups require an account and a paid subscription.
- Debtor Name Look-Up results are real time but are not a certified search; order a Standard Search for official results.
- Copies of lien records found in a look-up cost an additional $3.00 per record.
About this tool
Is Minnesota the right filing office to search?
Search Minnesota when the carrier is located there for UCC purposes, which is not always where its trucks run. An LLC or corporation organized in Minnesota is located in Minnesota (UCC §9-307), wherever it dispatches from. A sole proprietor is located at their principal residence, so an owner-operator who lives in Minnesota is searched here.
If the carrier was organized somewhere else but operates in Minnesota, search its formation state first, then Minnesota 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 Minnesota, 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 Minnesota debtor search
Open the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services (UCC and Tax Liens) search and search the exact name. Its online search charges per search or needs a paid subscription.
- 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 Minnesota?
In Minnesota, UCC records are kept by the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services (UCC and Tax Liens). Its online search charges per search or needs a paid subscription. 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 Minnesota?
UCC Debtor Name Look-Up subscription: $250.00 per 25 names. UCC Standard Search: $20 per name, with or without copies. UCC Limited Search: $20 per name. Copy by filing number: $3 per file number, plus $5 per certification. 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 Minnesota?
Order a UCC Standard Search (Information Request, UCC11) online through UCC / Tax Liens Online (account required) or on paper: $20 per name, with or without copies.
How long does a UCC-1 filed in Minnesota 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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