Free tool · Directory
UCC lien search in Wisconsin
Central filing office
Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Opens wims.dfi.wi.gov in a new tab
- Online access
- Anyone can search debtor names online at no cost, with no account.
- Fees
- Online uncertified search free; online UCC-11 search listing $7.00; IFS copies $4.00 each; certification $10.00; secured party search $7.00; paper UCC-11 search listing $50.00; electronic filing $10; paper filing $20.00
- Certified search
- Online UCC-11 Certified Search (account required): $7.00 search plus $10.00 certification, plus $4.00 each IFS for copies. Paper UCC-11 certified search: $50.00 plus $10.00 certification.
- Last verified
What to know in Wisconsin
- The free UCC Search needs no account; paid UCC-11 and secured party searches require a free account.
- Free search offers starts with, contains, exact match and standard search logic (IACA model rules, the standard used for the paid UCC-11).
- Filings before 7/1/2001 followed older keying rules and lack organization or individual identifiers, so try both name fields.
- Copies can be bought while a filing is active or until 1 year after lapse.
About this tool
Is Wisconsin the right filing office to search?
Search Wisconsin when the carrier is located there for UCC purposes, which is not always where its trucks run. An LLC or corporation organized in Wisconsin is located in Wisconsin (UCC §9-307), wherever it dispatches from. A sole proprietor is located at their principal residence, so an owner-operator who lives in Wisconsin is searched here.
If the carrier was organized somewhere else but operates in Wisconsin, search its formation state first, then Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin debtor search
Open the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer 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 Wisconsin?
In Wisconsin, UCC records are kept by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer 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 Wisconsin?
Online uncertified search free; online UCC-11 search listing $7.00; IFS copies $4.00 each; certification $10.00; secured party search $7.00; paper UCC-11 search listing $50.00; electronic filing $10; paper filing $20.00. 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 Wisconsin?
Online UCC-11 Certified Search (account required): $7.00 search plus $10.00 certification, plus $4.00 each IFS for copies. Paper UCC-11 certified search: $50.00 plus $10.00 certification.
How long does a UCC-1 filed in Wisconsin 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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