Free tool · Directory
UCC lien search in Montana
Central filing office
Montana Secretary of State, Business Services (UCC liens)
Opens help.sosmt.gov in a new tab
- Online access
- Online search costs money per search or needs a paid subscription.
- Fees
- Debtor or secured party search $7 per name; copies $5 per request; certified copies $7 per request; non-standard search $5 (certification $2); unlimited lien search subscription $25 per month.
- Certified search
- File a UCC11 Information Request online at biz.sosmt.gov (Copy/Search Requests): $7 per debtor name for a downloadable debtor search certificate; "List and Copies" adds $5; certified copies $7 per request.
- Last verified
What to know in Montana
- Lien searches run through the UCC11 Information Request form on biz.sosmt.gov; a standard search returns debtor and secured party names and addresses, filing number and date.
- Choose "List and Copies" to see collateral on a filing (additional $5).
- Each UCC11 search returns all liens filed with the office: UCC, EFS, Title 71, federal tax and child support liens.
- Tax ID numbers are redacted on public lien images.
About this tool
Is Montana the right filing office to search?
Search Montana when the carrier is located there for UCC purposes, which is not always where its trucks run. An LLC or corporation organized in Montana is located in Montana (UCC §9-307), wherever it dispatches from. A sole proprietor is located at their principal residence, so an owner-operator who lives in Montana is searched here.
If the carrier was organized somewhere else but operates in Montana, search its formation state first, then Montana 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 Montana, 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 Montana debtor search
Open the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services (UCC 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 Montana?
In Montana, UCC records are kept by the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services (UCC 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 Montana?
Debtor or secured party search $7 per name; copies $5 per request; certified copies $7 per request; non-standard search $5 (certification $2); unlimited lien search subscription $25 per month. 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 Montana?
File a UCC11 Information Request online at biz.sosmt.gov (Copy/Search Requests): $7 per debtor name for a downloadable debtor search certificate; "List and Copies" adds $5; certified copies $7 per request.
How long does a UCC-1 filed in Montana 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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