MONTGOMERY- Secretary of State Beth Chapman continues to honor her campaign promises to make the processes of the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office more efficient and effective for Alabama businesses. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) public records search capability has been improved to allow business users to purchase images of the searched filings online based on the recommendations of the UCC Advisory Board established by Chapman at the beginning of her term. The search-with-images system has been the most requested service from UCC public records users in this decade.
“In the second year of this administration, my staff and I, along with the great help of business advisors and leaders across Alabama, have continued to bring the Secretary of State’s office into the 21st century,” Chapman stated. “I am thrilled to offer this online searching service to those business men and women who have waited for this opportunity and convenience. My staff and I will continue to provide more services of convenience for UCC and Corporate filers in the near future” she continued.
The UCC Advisory Board recommended changes that will make the public records more easily accessible to UCC search users working with 21st Century technology at no additional cost to the taxpayers. For the UCC search users who are more comfortable with the traditional search method of mailing in a paper search request, the traditional method of processing search request is still available. Some of the benefits of the new Electronic UCC Search System are:
· The increased cost to the UCC searcher for a name or number search involving a copy of the filing image is less than $10 more per transaction per customer, and no additional cost to the state.
· The free search without images is still available.
· The new electronic search saves businesses at least one week in mailing and processing time.
· Businesses may search the records according to the information that they require and print only those filings that they need in their own offices, making the information available immediately, twenty-four hours a day, and seven days a week.
· There will never again be a need to reschedule a closing because the lien search cannot be obtained within the time frame desired.
· A secured party search capability has been added to accommodate the businesses who have requested the ability to search their own records for audit purposes or following mergers.
Secretary of State Chapman states that by implementing this new records search system, “We are not forcing anyone to change the way they do business, we are simply providing opportunities to speed up business processes at no additional cost to the taxpayers of the State of Alabama.”
To learn more about the UCC system, please visit the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.alabama.gov.
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