United States
UCC Financing Statement Filings
The US uses UCC Article 9 financing statements filed at the state level to record security interests in personal property.
The United States uses a system based on Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) to govern secured transactions in personal property. While the UCC is a model code, each state has adopted its own version, and financing statements (UCC-1 forms) are filed at the state level — typically with the Secretary of State.
A UCC-1 financing statement serves as public notice that a secured party has a security interest in a debtor's personal property. This can include inventory, equipment, accounts receivable, and other commercial assets.
Key features of the US system:
- State-level filings — each state maintains its own filing office
- UCC-1 forms — the standard document used to perfect a security interest
- UCC-3 forms — used for amendments, continuations, and terminations
- 5-year effectiveness — financing statements lapse after 5 years unless a continuation is filed
Unlike the Australian or New Zealand systems, the US does not have a single centralised register. However, several commercial services aggregate UCC filing data across states.