UCC overview

The UCC Program operates under a Washington State law governing commercial transactions, RCW 62A.9A and WAC 308-391.

UCC offices support commerce by giving lenders a central place for notices regarding personal property pledged as collateral for loans. In the event the debtor declares bankruptcy, a filing with UCC legally establishes the lender as a preferred creditor in relation to other lenders who file against the same collateral.

The UCC Program files UCC financing statements, agricultural liens, and various federal liens. The office also provides certified searches of its records.

The UCC law is not regulatory and provides its services upon request. The program is entirely fee-supported.

By law, services are to be provided within 2 business days from the date the request reaches the office.

The duties and responsibilities of the UCC Filing Office are ministerial. In accepting for filing or refusing to file a UCC record, the filing office does none of the following:

• Determine the legal sufficiency or insufficiency of a record.
• Determine that a security interest in collateral exists or does not exist.
• Determine that information in the record is correct or incorrect, in whole or part.
• Create a presumption that information in the record is correct or incorrect, in whole or in part.

To learn more about the specific requirements for filing and searching UCC records, please review the information found in WAC 308-391.