How to check liens and judgments on a property
A lien on real estate is recorded in the same county index as the deed. Liens on business property and equipment (UCC filings) are usually filed with the Secretary of State. Federal tax liens go to one or the other depending on the property. A deed copy alone does not show liens.
On this page
Searching the county index
Search the recording office index by the owner's name for mortgages, releases, judgment liens, mechanics' liens and tax liens. DuPage County, Illinois, points out that a deed copy "does not reflect whether liens have been recorded or released against the property"1. Many offices will not search for you: the Dallas County Clerk says "we do not perform searches for liens under any circumstances"2.
UCC filings and other state-level liens
Financing statements on goods, equipment and accounts are filed with the state's central filing office, usually the Secretary of State, which runs its own search. Fixture filings, which concern goods attached to land, go to the county where the land is recorded. The table gives each state's rule.
When you need certainty
Name searches can miss liens filed under a misspelled name or a business name. For a purchase or a loan, a title search by a title company or attorney is the usual route.
Where liens are filed, by state
| State | UCC filings | Liens on real estate |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | UCC financing statements: Secretary of State, except fixture filings, as-extracted collateral and timber-to-be-cut, which go to the office recording mortgages (county Judge of Probate) | Tax liens, judgments, lis pendens affecting real property are recorded with probate (may be recorded in any courthouse in divided counties) |
| Alaska | UCC financing statements are filed centrally with the DNR UCC Central File, 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 108A, Anchorage (including transmitting-utility filings) | — |
| Arizona | Arizona Secretary of State UCC filings | Fixture filings (and as-extracted collateral/timber) go to the office where a mortgage on the related real property is recorded, i.e. the County Recorder of the county where the real property is located |
| Arkansas | Secretary of State UCC filing and search (new portal bcs.sos.arkansas.gov). UCC-1 $16.00 (includes $6 termination) | — |
| California | Secretary of State is central UCC filing office | — |
| Colorado | UCC financing statements and many statutory liens are filed centrally with the Secretary of State | Federal tax liens against real property are recorded with the county clerk and recorder (C.R.S. 38-25-102) |
| Connecticut | Secretary of the State (Business Services Division) via Business.CT.gov | Real-estate liens (mortgages, attachments, judgment liens, tax liens, mechanic's liens) are recorded in the town clerk's land records |
| Delaware | UCC financing statements are filed centrally with the Division of Corporations (electronic only since December 1, 2015). Filing: $70.00 flat online | Federal liens/judgments affecting real property are recorded with the county Recorder of Deeds (Kent fee schedule lists 'U.S. Judgements'). |
| District of Columbia | DC Recorder of Deeds records UCC documents | — |
| Florida | UCC financing statements: Florida Secured Transaction Registry, operated by private vendor Image API, LLC under the Department of State since Oct. 1, 2001 | Federal tax liens recorded in county official records |
| Hawaii | UCC financing statements are filed with the Bureau of Conveyances (not a Secretary of State/Lt. Governor office): $41.00 per UCC1/UCC3/UCC5 document | Federal (IRS), state tax and CSEA liens are recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances and searchable in the BOC document system (instrument code 'NL' = Notice of Lien) |
| Idaho | Secretary of State UCC Division for most financing statements, federal tax (IRS) liens, state liens, agricultural/seed liens and county medical liens | — |
| Illinois | Illinois Secretary of State, Uniform Commercial Code Division (501 S. Second St., Rm. 350W, Springfield, IL 62756 | State/federal tax liens, mechanic's liens and UCC fixture-related filings recorded with the county recorder/clerk (Cook example: tax liens $38, mechanic's lien $64) |
| Indiana | Indiana Secretary of State is the UCC filing office | Mechanics', HOA, sewer, federal and other real-property liens are recorded with the county recorder |
| Iowa | UCC financing statements (except fixture filings and as-extracted/timber collateral) are filed with the Iowa Secretary of State, which offers an online UCC/Federal lien search that can print a certified lien search report. Federal liens on personal property go to the Secretary of State only when the debtor is a corporation or partnership with its principal executive office in Iowa | — |
| Kansas | Kansas Secretary of State (central UCC filing office except fixture/as-extracted/timber filings at the county Register of Deeds). Searching and filing online require a subscription account | — |
| Kentucky | Secretary of State UCC Division is the central filing office | County clerks record state tax liens, IRS liens, mechanic's liens, lis pendens (KRS 64.012) |
| Louisiana | UCC financing statements are filed with any of the 64 parish clerks of court (not the Secretary of State), regardless of debtor location | Mortgages, liens and privileges on immovables are recorded in the parish clerk's mortgage records |
| Maine | Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC & Commissions | — |
| Maryland | UCC financing statements are filed with SDAT, except fixture filings and as-extracted/timber collateral, which go in the county land records | A money judgment indexed and recorded per the Maryland Rules is a lien on the debtor's land in that county (and other counties where recorded) |
| Massachusetts | UCC filings with the Secretary of the Commonwealth Corporations Division | — |
| Michigan | Michigan Department of State (Secretary of State) | — |
| Minnesota | Secretary of State central filing system, in most cases | Real property: county recorder. Personal property: Secretary of State for corporations and partnerships |
| Mississippi | UCC financing statements are filed with the Secretary of State | Chancery Clerk records construction liens, federal tax liens, lis pendens (DeSoto example) |
| Missouri | Secretary of State UCC Division is the central filing office | Fixture filings (and filings for as-extracted collateral or timber to be cut) go to the office where a mortgage on the real property is recorded - the county Recorder of Deeds |
| Montana | UCC financing statements filed with the Secretary of State, except fixture filings, as-extracted collateral and timber, which go to the county office that records mortgages (clerk and recorder) | County clerk files and indexes liens and other instruments required to be filed: $5 each |
| Nebraska | Secretary of State is the central UCC and EFS (farm products Effective Financing Statement) filing office | — |
| Nevada | UCC financing statements: Nevada Secretary of State, except fixture filings and as-extracted collateral/timber, which go to the county recorder where a mortgage would be recorded | Mechanics' lien notices, judgment transcripts that are liens on real estate, and attachments are recorded with the county recorder |
| New Jersey | NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (State Treasurer is filing officer) | County recording office records federal tax liens, construction liens, lis pendens, tax sale certificates, and UCC financing statements. Camden: federal tax lien $25.00 |
| New Mexico | Secretary of State | County clerk: where real property lies, or where the owner resides for personal property |
| New York | UCC Article 9 financing statements: NYS Department of State (UCC filings $40 paper / $20 electronic | Mortgages, liens and other real-property documents are recorded with the County Clerk (NYC: City Register / Richmond County Clerk) |
| North Carolina | NC Secretary of State UCC Section | Secretary of State records federal tax liens on corporations and partnerships |
| North Dakota | Secretary of State via the North Dakota Central Indexing System (NDCIS): UCC, transmitting utilities, farm products (CNS), miscellaneous and agricultural statutory liens, state tax liens, federal liens. Fixture filings and as-extracted or timber collateral go to the mortgage-record office | — |
| Ohio | UCC financing statements filed with the Ohio Secretary of State, except fixture filings/as-extracted collateral/timber at the county recorder (mortgage records) | — |
| Oklahoma | Central UCC filing office is the County Clerk of Oklahoma County (not the Secretary of State) | — |
| Oregon | UCC financing statements are filed with and searched at the Oregon Secretary of State (UCC Record Search: secure.sos.state.or.us/…). | County clerk records liens and other interests affecting real property (ORS 205.130). Example: Multnomah County's Recorder's Office records liens |
| Pennsylvania | Department of State (Secretary of the Commonwealth) | Fixture filings at the office that records mortgages (county Recorder of Deeds) |
| Rhode Island | RI Department of State, Business Services Division (UCC filings) | Liens affecting real estate (federal tax liens, attachments, mechanics' liens, executions) are recorded in the city/town land evidence records |
| South Carolina | Secretary of State is the central filing office | — |
| Tennessee | Secretary of State: file and search UCC records online via TNCaB (tncab.tnsos.gov/portal) | Fixture filings are recorded with the county Register of Deeds: $15 per record (+$0.50 per page over ten), $15 per additional name indexed, $1.00 per page for UCC copies (T.C.A. § 47-9-525) |
| Texas | Texas Secretary of State is the central UCC filing office | Fixture filings, as-extracted collateral and timber-to-be-cut go to the county clerk where a mortgage on the real property would be recorded. |
| Utah | UCC financing statements are filed with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, except fixture filings and as-extracted collateral/timber, which go to the county recorder where a mortgage would be recorded. | Federal tax liens on real property and their discharges are recorded at the county recorder ($40 each). |
| Vermont | Secretary of State statewide UCC registry | Liens on real estate are recorded with the town clerk ($15.00/page) |
| Virginia | — | Federal liens on real property: circuit court clerk |
| Washington | Department of Licensing UCC filing office | Fixture filings, as-extracted collateral and timber: county office where a mortgage on the real property is recorded (county auditor). |
| West Virginia | Secretary of State UCC Division | — |
| Wisconsin | Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate & Consumer Services, maintains the statewide UCC lien system | Federal tax liens (Uniform Federal Lien Registration Act, s. 779.97): on real property, the register of deeds of the county where the land is |
| Wyoming | Secretary of State for most UCC financing statements | — |
Each state links to its guide, where every office and fee carries its official source and check date. Fees shown are the state’s fee for a copy; the state guide lists the others.
Get copies from the office, not a look-alike site
Searching an official index costs nothing or the fee the office sets. Some commercial sites that rank for record searches sell subscriptions or reports that are not certified copies. How to tell them apart.
Sources
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 2 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.
- Recorder FAQsDuPage County Recorder, Illinois
- Recording FAQsDallas County Clerk, Texas