Oregon Secretary of State

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UCC Search Logic Help

​Choosing the Best Search of UCC Records

There are two basic ways to perform a search with the Oregon UCC office. You can conduct an uncertified search yourself through our site or request our office to perform a certified search for you for a fee.

Use an Expanded UCC Information Search to find names that may not come up when using the standard UCC Information search logic. It can mimic the standard UCC Information search logic to find the same results a certified search in our office would. If you have the filing number of a document held in our office, select the File Number Search tab and retrieve the specific file you want.

We recommend that you use the Expanded UCC Information Search before a standard search to ensure you know the exact debtor name used on the filing.

What Is the Standard UCC Information Search Logic?

​The filing office is required to enter information into the database exactly as it is written in the form. For example, when a filer submits

Last name:   Brown
First name:  John and Mary​
Middle:         [blank]

the database will show a single debtor named John and Mary Brown. Clearly, the filer needs to be careful about how the name is presented to our office, and the searcher must use care as well.

How Does It Work?

Because the legal name of an individual debtor can be uncertain, the search needs to cast a wide net. Searches on business names are more restrictive, because the legal name of a business is easily determined. Search rules are automated: Human judgment does not play a role in determining results.

Some rules apply to both businesses and individual names: punctuation, case and spaces are disregarded. Results show only filings related to exact names given, as interpreted by 502.7, in the case of individuals. Business names are fairly straightforward, with details left out of search criteria, such as entity types (Inc., LP) at the end of a name. Individual names are more complex, but revolve around the name field: if there's a hit in each name field (last, first and middle initial) and all the fields together, it will show up in the search report.

Given the last name, a hit in the remaining name fields will be made if the initial letter of the name, if no name or initial is listed, or all the letters are matched. For example, "B" will show "B," "Bill" and "Bob," yet "Bob" will show "B" or "Bob" only. The lack of middle initial brings up all middle names and initials.

Anything reasonably similar to the search name will be found. But what about other names that are close yet easily distinguishable? Under the rules, some will be found, others will not. For more detail, continue reading.

General Requirements

The filing officer maintains for public inspection a searchable index for all Active Records in the UCC information management system. Active Records will be retrievable by the name of the debtor or by the file number of the related initial financing statement, and each Active Record related to an initial financing statement is retrieved with the initial financing statement using either retrieval method.

OAR 160-040-0501

UCC Search Requests

Search requests need to​ contain the following information:

  1. Name searched
    • ​A search request must include the name of the debtor to be searched using designated fields for organization and individual first, middle and last names. A search request is processed exactly as you submit it, right down to the submission of no data in a given field.
  2. Requesting party 
    • The requesting party is the name and address of the person to whom the search report is to be sent.
  3. Fee 
    • ​​The appropriate fee must be paid by a method described in rule 160-040-0105.

OAR 160-040-0502

Search Requests - Optional Information

A UCC search request can contain any of the following information:
  1. Copy request 
    • ​The request may ask for copies of UCC records identified on the primary search response.
  2. Mode of delivery 
    • ​A search request can specify a mode of delivery for search results. That request is honored if the requested mode is made available by the filing office and all requisite fees are paid.
  3. Scope of search 
    • ​​A search request can retrieve all active records rather than only unlapsed records.

OAR 160-040-0503

Rules Applied to Search Requests

All search results are derived in the same way, using the same standardized search logic. Human judgment plays no role in search results. 

The following rules apply to searches:

  1. Number of matches 
    • There is no limit to the number of matches that can be returned in response to the search criteria.
  2. Case 
    • ​Capitalization doesn't matter. No distinction is made between uppercase and lowercase letters.
  3. “&” (and)
    • ​The character “&” (the ampersand) is deleted and replaced with the characters “and” each place it appears in the name.
  4. Punctuation
    • Punctuation marks and accents are disregarded. For this rule, punctuation and accents include all characters other than the numerals 0 - 9 and letters A - Z (in any case) of the English alphabet.
      Note: For optimal results, search any/all applicable names using both "and" and "&."
  5. Organization names 
    • ​Noise words are ignored. Words and abbreviations at the end of an organization name which indicate the nature of the organization are disregarded. The list of noise words is determined by how the filing office programs its UCC information management system. See the Oregon Ending Noise Words List.​​
  6. "The" 
    • ​​The word “the” at the beginning of an organization debtor name is disregarded.
      ​Note: If the business name you are searching has "The" at the beginning, include it in your search criteria. Results will reflect matching business names with and without "The"  at the beginning.
  7. Spaces 
    • ​All spaces are disregarded.
  8. First and middle names 
    • For first and middle names of individual debtor names, initials are treated as the logical equivalent of all names that begin with such initials, and first name and no middle name or initial is equated with all middle names and initials. For example, a search request for “John A. Smith” would cause the search to retrieve all filings against all individual debtors with “John” or the initial “J” as the first name, “Smith” as the last name, and with the initial “A” or any name beginning with “A” in the middle name field. If the search request were for “John Smith” (first and last names with no designation in the middle name field), the search would retrieve all filings against individual debtors with “John” or the initial J as the first name, “Smith” as the last name and with any name or initial or no name or initial in the middle name field.
  9. Last name only 
    • ​If the name being searched is the last name of an individual debtor name without any first or middle name provided, the search will retrieve from the UCC information management system all Unlapsed Records or, if requested by the searcher, all Active Records that pertain to financing statements with individual debtor names that consist of such last name, any or no middle name or initial and no first name.
  10. Suffixes 
    • ​​Suffixes of individual names, such as "Jr." and "III" will be disregarded as search criteria.
  11. After using the preceding rules to modify the name being searched, the search will retrieve from the UCC information management system all Unlapsed Records, or, if requested by the searcher, all Active Records, that pertain to financing statements with debtor names that, after being modified as provided in this rule 503, exactly match the modified name being searched.

OAR 160-040-0504​

Notice of Changes

Changes in standard search logic. If the filing office changes its standard search logic or the implementation of its standard search logic in a manner that could alter search results, the filing office will provide public notice of such change.

OAR 160-040-0505

UCC Search Responses

Reports created in response to a search request shall include the following:

  1. Filing officer 
    • ​​Identification of the filing officer responsible for search report.
  2. Report date 
    • ​The date and time the report was generated.
  3. Name searched 
    • ​Identification of the name searched.
  4. Unique search report identification number 
    • ​Unique number which identifies the search report.
  5. Through date
    • ​The date at or prior to which a UCC record must have been filed with the filing office in order for it to be reflected on the search.
  6. Copies
    • ​​Copies of all UCC records revealed by the search and requested by the searcher. Copies of all UCC records retrieved by the search will reflect any redaction of personal identifying information required by law.

OAR 160-040-0506

UCC Search Reports

The search report contains the following:
  1. Identification of financing statement
    • Identification of each initial financing statement, including a listing of all related amendments, correction statements, or filing officer notices, filed on or prior to the through date corresponding to the search criteria (including whether the searcher has requested Active Records or only Unlapsed Records). Financing statement information shall include, but is not limited to the following:
      • Initial financing statement file number. The initial financing statement file number.
      • Initial financing statement filing date. The date it was filed.
      • Lapse date. Provide lapse date as calculated as of the through date established under rule 505(5).
  2. ​Debtor name
    • ​The debtor name(s) that appear(s) of record.
  3. Debtor address
    • ​The debtor address(s) that appear(s) of record.
  4. Secured party name
    • ​The secured party name(s) that appear(s) of record.
  5. Secured party address 
    • ​The secured party address(es) that appear(s) of record.
  6. Amendment type
    • ​An indication of type of each amendment, if any.
  7. Amendment filing date and time
    • ​The date and time each amendment, if any, was filed. 
  8. Amendment file number
    • ​The amendment file number of each amendment, if any.
  9. Correction statement filing date and time
    • ​The date and time a correction statement, if any, was filed.
  10. Filing officer statement filing date and time
    • ​The date and time a filing officer statement, if any, was filed.
  11. Filing Type 
    • ​The type of filing, including UCC financing statement, type of statutory lien or warrant, or EFS filing.
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UCC Public Records Image Information

Online access to UCC images is available for documents filed after July 1, 2007. To request a copy of UCC filings that are not available, please complete and submit form UCC-11​.

Oregon law changed in 2007 to allow the Corporation Division to reject filings containing unredacted Social Security numbers. All filings are inspected for redaction of personal information, such as SSN and account information.

OAR 160-040-0500​