We know there is a UCC on file but Baselayer returns no liens — why?

There are three common reasons.

Scope. A lien search only covers the states you selected. Check which states were searched (searched_states). The UCC may be filed in a state you did not include, for example an officer’s state or a state where the business has a non-domestic registration. Baselayer searches by default only in the domestic state of the business.

Also check whether the filing falls outside our coverage:

• Washington, DC does not publish UCC data or partner with data providers, so DC filings are not available.

• US territories are not covered. Puerto Rico has partial Secretary of State coverage but no UCC coverage.

Name matching. If the debtor name on the UCC differs materially from the searched business name, it may fall below our match threshold.

Data recency by state. Most states are refreshed daily, but a few come from a monthly bulk source, Delaware being the main one.

Delaware is a special case. The state does not make recent filings available to any data provider, so filings under roughly 3-4 months old can only be found through a Delaware certified search. Certified searches carry a state fee that we pass through at cost, so most customers do not run them by default. If you need one, contact us and we will run it for you and share the current fee.