Practice Tip: If you are not certain you have the exact name of the individual or organization you are researching, use the Non-standard RA9 search tool.

Practice Tip: A UCC search may be useful to you or your client if there is a concern about the financial viability of an organization or individual with whom you or your client is dealing.

There are two types of searches that can be done in the UCC database: a “Standard RA9” search and a “Non-standard RA9” search. The UCC Administrative Code requires the Secretary of State, as the filing office, to provide the “Standard RA9” search method. 18 NCAC 05B .0503. As a matter of customer service, we choose to provide the “Non-standard RA9” search method. More specifically:

• Standard RA9 search logic gives exact matches only. It excludes what are called “noise words” such as “Corp” and “Inc”. It also excludes abbreviations such as: LLC, etc.
• Non-standard RA9 search logic is simply an additional tool we provide to help searchers find UCC filings. Non-standard RA9 search logic allows a search using name variations, such as: “starting with”, “sounds like”, “all words”, “exact match”, or any words.