Frequently asked questions: UCC

This office does not provide legal advice or interpretation of the law. Please consult your attorney for advice on how to make your filing legally effective.

General Questions about UCC

Can I use my credit card to pay UCC fees?
Yes, when using the electronic filing and search application, you will be able to pay by credit card. Credit cards are not accepted for transactions made at the public service counter or through the mail.
How current are the UCC records?
An online search of our records will reveal all filings on record as of the date and time of your search. However, the report will give the date through which we can certify that all records received via the mail have been processed and show on the search report. The certified-through date lags behind the report date by about 2 days.
What are the benefits of filing or searching online?
Please see Filing options for information about online files and searches.
Does Washington have the same rules as other states?

Washington uses the same accept/reject rules as the majority of states. These rules are described in the chart developed by the International Association of Commercial Administrators (IACA). PLEASE REVIEW FULLY. In those few instances where our system requires more specific information in order to file the financing statement, it will be noted in the far right column on the chart.

To view current rules, please see Laws and rules.

What is XML?

A new Internet service is available for those organizations that file numerous financing statements. This is an XML application that allows direct computer-to-computer interface for bulk filing. It will require development at the filer's end of the process that will be compatible with the national XML standards.

If you want technical information about this option, please contact us at UCC@dol.wa.gov.

Can I file and search online?

Yes, you may file initial financing statements and amendments online. You will receive an immediate acknowledgment that your filing was accepted and posted to the database.

You also may search online and get immediate, certified results for a fee. To determine whether we have a record for a particular debtor, you can look for as many different name variations as you need in the free Browse Names option. If you want copies of documents, you may request them for an extra fee and they will be mailed to you.

Do you accept filings and search requests by fax or email?
No, we do not provide this service.
How can I expedite my filing or search request?
Use our electronic filing service! If you send in your documents, we are usually able to return your acknowledgment of filing or search results within 2 days. However, you can save mail time by delivering your requests to our office. You may want to contact a data service company for assistance; they are listed in the yellow pages under Attorneys' Service Bureaus.

UCC Filing

Are UCC forms available for downloading from the Internet?
Yes. They are now available for download on our Forms page.
  • The national UCC-1 is used for filing initial financing statements, agricultural liens, and preparer or processor liens.
  • The national UCC-3 is used for making amendments to all currently effective filings. Use the amendment form for continuations, assignments, terminations, and amendments to debtor and secured party information.
  • A search form (UCC-11) and a debtor correction statement are also available on this website. These are the only forms that Washington State will accept.
I can’t download your forms. How can I get one?

We do not provide printed forms. The National UCC forms should be available in stationary or office supply stores where legal forms are sold. Just remember, our automated system does not read handwriting so you will have to type the information.

If you can open our forms on your computer, you will be able to fill it out and print it without saving it. Then mail it to:

Department of Licensing
PO Box 9660
Olympia, WA 98507-9660

Do I need to submit the Addendum page?
No, submit one UCC-1 Addendum or one UCC-3 Addendum only as needed to complete the information from the front page of the related form. Please do not attach a UCC-1 Addendum to a UCC-3 Amendment form and vice versa. Your filing will be rejected.
Can I attach extra pages to the form?
Yes, we will continue to accept attachments through the mail. However, all information on the attachment pages will be kept as an image only and will not be added to the index. Therefore, you must use the national Addendum page or Additional Party page for every additional party you want indexed. If you name them in an attachment they will not be found on a search of that name. There is no charge for the first addendum or attachment page, but all subsequent addenda and attachment pages require $1 extra per page. The number of UCC-1-Ad and UCC-1-Ap pages that can be submitted and indexed is limited. See WAC 308-390-201 for a complete explanation.
How many copies of the filing form do I need to submit?
It is important that you submit one copy only — The Filing Officer Copy. Your acknowledgment will be machine-generated so we don't need or want a second copy for acknowledgment purposes. Extra copies will be treated as additional filings and your request may be refused for insufficient payment.
Are debtor and secured party signatures required?
Beginning July 1, 2001 you do not need signatures for any of the parties and the national forms do not have signature lines on them. However, the name of the party authorizing the filing is requested.
Can I alter the form to better meet my needs?
If you want to create your own form, please see the International Association of Commercial Administrators (IACA) — Forms Approval Process. The format (field locations) must match our forms exactly for the information to be machine readable in Washington. Forms that are not machine readable will be refused.
If the debtor is an organization, do I have to give the type, jurisdiction, and ID number?
Yes, all 3 are required by law. Some online resources for finding this information are:
My amendment was refused because the initial filing number was invalid. How is this possible when I am using the number stamped on the form?
There are several possibilities:
  • You may be submitting the file number of a previous amendment.
  • You may be submitting the 7-digit revenue number stamped on the document rather than the file number.
  • You may be submitting a file number that has lapsed.
  • You may be submitting a file number that was terminated prior to July 1, 2001.
If I check the box “This record is to be filed in the Real Estate Records”, will it really be filed with the county real estate records?
No, it will remain on file with the Department of Licensing and the county will not be informed. Please be certain that this is the correct office for filing.
I got my acknowledgement copy back and there is no collateral shown. Why isn't it there when I submitted it correctly on the form?
The form you submitted is the official record and is retained as an image in our office until 1 year past the lapse date. The computer-generated acknowledgement is a notice that we filed your record, but we display only the data we added to the index. Even though the acknowledgement does not show the collateral statement, the image of the form is provided to anyone who requests a copy search of the record.
What can I do to make sure my filing is accepted?
The most important tip for successful filing is to fully complete debtor and secured party information every time, including name, address, and debtor organizational information. For instance, you must complete all of box 7 for amendments to either the debtor or secured party information.

UCC Searches

Do I have to pay for a search of UCC records?

It depends. There is no fee for online searches, but you must pay a fee if you want copies or order your search using the Adobe PDF iconUCC-11 Information Request form. To find out how much your search will cost, see Fees and payment options.

What is included on a search response?

It depends on which option you select. If you select a Search Response, you will get a list of all current records filed under the debtor name you specify. The certified report will also give you all debtor and secured party names and addresses associated with each record. It will include filing dates and numbers, but will not display collateral and other information provided on the financing statement or lien.

If you select a Copy Request, you will get the report described above plus copies of each record listed including all attachments.

You may also ask that we limit the search by city or file number.

If you request a search report in box 7 of the UCC-1 form or in the Miscellaneous section of the online financing statement, the Search Response mailed to you will not include descriptions of collateral or copies of the filings. The fee for this search is $18.80 for each debtor name searched. This fee does not include the filing fee.

Do I have to include the debtor’s full legal name on a search request?

No, you can search any name variation you think a filing may be under. However, we conduct exact name searches only, so a partial name or wild card search will not return any matches. The one exception is that certain “noise words” at the end of organization names are ignored in the search process. You can view the Adobe PDF iconlist of noise words, but it won’t make any difference if you choose to include them in the name to be searched.

Hint: Try our free Browse Names function to help determine the likely name to search.

Can I search by secured party name?
No, we are not able to provide searches of secured party names.