Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What types of documents are filed with the Secretary of State or county clerk?

Information on filing documents with the Secretary of State or the county clerk is available within this UCC Section.
Where can I file my documents?

Documents must be submitted online through the SOS Portal web access system.
What are the filing fees?

UCC filing fees are available on the fees page.
What forms are required?

Forms prescribed by the International Association of Commercial Administrators and adopted by rule by the Secretary of State. The prescribed forms are located on the Agency web site for reference only.

This applies to only Article 9 records filed as: Financing Statement, Agricultural Lien, Contract Agricultural Lien, Manufactured-Home Transaction, Public-Finance Transaction, and Transmitting Utility. This does not apply to records filed as: Notice of Federal Lien, Utility Security Instrument, Aircraft Maintenance Lien, Restitution Lien, or Transition Property Notice.
Is there a charge for additional debtor names?

No.
Do you provide online access for filing documents and information on filed documents?

Yes. Filing and searching is available and must be done online at: SOS Portal.

Which filing office is the correct place to file?
1. A Texas county clerk for the filing or recording of a mortgage on the related real property if:
  1. the collateral is as-extracted collateral or timber to be cut; or
  2. the financing statement is filed as a fixture filing and the collateral is goods that are or are to become fixtures; or
2. The Texas Secretary of State in all other cases.
Where does the debtor sign on the UCC1 form?

There is no signature requirement on any of the financing statement filing forms and the forms were not designed to accommodate a signature. Under Article 9, it is the responsibility of the filer to ensure the proper authority exists to submit and file the documents. The Government Code, Subchapter J, Sections 51.901-51.905, relates to filing a fraudulent document and a decision would be made by the court, not the filing office.
Where do I locate the organizational debtor information, including the ID number?

For Texas corporations, email the Public Information Section of the Corporations Section.

Can an Assignment and Amendment be filed on the same form?

No. When filing an assignment or amendment, item 7 is necessary for either type of filing, so only one filing can be accomplished when using the form. Please submit separate filings for these types of amendments.
What boxes need to be checked in item 5?

Check the Party Information Change box, only one of the party types that is either Debtor or Secured Party, and check only one of the action types that is either Change, Delete, or Add.

How can I request copies if I need them quickly?

UCC searches and orders are done online through the SOS Portal on the Search and Orders page.
Where do I locate the ‘Ending Noise Words’ list?

The Ending Noise Words (Word, PDF) list, as promulgated and adopted by the Office of the Secretary of State of Texas, provides business endings that will be ignored in a UCC search.

How do I do a Filing Number Search?

For Initial Financing Statement file numbers for filings filed through July 30, 2001, enter the two digit year and eight digit number. Example for 1999 is 99-00123456 and for 2000 is 00-00123456.

For Initial Financing Statement file numbers for filings filed on or after July 31, 2001, enter the two digit year and ten digit number. Example for 2002 is 02-0012345678.

For all Amendment Filings: enter the two digit year and eight digit number. Example for 1999: 99-00722285 and 2002 is 02-00123456.

PLEASE DO NOT USE THE HYPHEN OR WHEN INPUTTING THE NUMBER INTO THE SYSTEM. IF THE FILING NUMBERS BEGINGS WITH A ZERO, OMIT IT WHEN DOING A SEARCH.
When do I get charged for an inquiry?

The $1 search fee must be paid for before performing the search. Searches will include results that state: “No records found.”