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This website publishes administrative rules on their effective dates, as designated by the adopting state agencies, colleges, and universities.

Rule 111:1-3-40 | Search methodology.

 

(A) Search results are produced by the application of search logic to the name presented to the filing office. Human judgment does not play a role in determining the results of the search.

(B) Standard search logic.

The following rules describe the filing office's standard search logic and apply to all searches except for those where the search request specifies that a non-standard search logic be used:

(1) There is no limit to the number of matches that may be returned in response to the search criteria.

(2) No distinction is made between upper and lower case letters.

(3) The following rules apply only to organization names:

(a) The character "&" (the ampersand) is deleted and replaced with the characters "and" each place it appears in the name.

(b) Punctuation marks and accents are disregarded. For the purposes of this rule, punctuation and accents include all characters other than the numerals 0 through 9 and the letters A through Z (in upper and lower case) of the English alphabet.

(c) The following words and abbreviations at the end of an organization name that indicate the existence or nature of the organization are "disregarded" to the extent practicable as determined by the filing office's programming of its UCC information management system:

Association

Assn

Associates

Assc

Assoc

Bank

National bank

Business trust

Charter

Chartered

Company

Co

Corporation

Corp

Credit

Union

CU

Federal savings bank

FSB

General partnership

GP

Incorporated

Inc

Limited

Ltd

Ltee

Limited liability company

LC

LLC

Limited liability partnership

LLP

Limited partnership

LP

National association

NA

Partnership

Professional association

Prof assn

PA

Professional corporation

Prof corp

PC

Professional limited Liability

Company

Professional limited liability co

PLLC

Real estate investment trust

REIT

Registered limited liability

Partnership

RLLP

Savings association

SA

Sole proprietorship

SP

SPA

Trust

Trustee

As trustee

The search logic will disregard all words, phrases or abbreviations from the preceding list beginning at the end of the name and working back until an unlisted word, phrase or abbreviation appears.

(d) The word "the" at the beginning of an organization debtor name is disregarded.

(e) All spaces are disregarded.

(4) The following search rules apply to individual debtor names:

(a) Surname: The individual debtor surname on a filed record must exactly match the surname of the search request. The search logic does not provide equivalencies for the surname field, nor does the search logic disregard [spacing,] [punctuation,] titles, suffixes or ending noise words of any type if entered in the surname field.

(b) First personal name. The following equivalencies apply:

(i) A first personal name is the logical equivalent of the first initial of the name.

(ii) An initial (a single letter) is the logical equivalent of all first personal names that begin with that letter.

(iii) No first personal name or initial is the logical equivalent of all first personal names and initials.

(c) Additional names/initials. The following equivalencies apply:

(i) A name is the logical equivalent of the first initial of the name.

(ii) An initial (a single letter) is the logical equivalent of all names that begin with that letter and no entry in the additional names/initials field.

(iii) No entry in the additional names/initials field is the logical equivalent of all names and initials.

(d) Search results. Only records that exactly match the surname field under paragraph (B)(4)(a) of this rule; exactly match the first personal name after application of the equivalency rules in paragraph (B)(4)(b) of this rule; and that exactly match the additional names/initials field after application of the equivalency rules in paragraph (B)(4)(c) of this rule will be reported.

(e) Single names. If the name being searched is the surname of an individual debtor name without any first personal name or additional name(s)/initial(s) provided, the search will retrieve from the UCC information management system all financing statements with individual debtor names that consist of only the surname.

(f) Search result examples.

(i) A search request for "John A. Smith" (first personal name and surname with an initial in the additional name(s)/initial(s) field) would cause the search to retrieve all filings against all individual debtors with

(a) "John" or the initial "J" as to the first name,

(b) "Smith" as the surname, and

(c) no name or initial, the initial "A" or any name beginning with "A" in the additional name(s)/initials field.

(ii) A search request for ".A. Smith" (initial for first personal name, surname and an initial for the additional name(s)/initial(s) field), would retrieve all filings against individual debtors with

(a) The initial "J" or any name beginning with "J" as the first name,

(b) "Smith" as the last name, and

(c) No name or initial, the initial "A" or any name beginning with "A" in the additional name(s)/initial(s) field.

(d) A search request for "John Smith" (first personal name and surname with no designation in the additional name(s)/initial(s) field), would retrieve all filing against individual debtors with

(i) "John" or the initial "J" as the first name,

(ii) "Smith" as the last name and

(iii) Any entry or no entry in the additional name(s)/initial(s) field.

(5) After applying the preceding rules to the name being searched, the search will retrieve from the UCC information management system's searchable index all unlapsed records, or, if requested by the searcher, all records, that pertain to financing statements with debtor names that, after application of this rule, exactly match the modified name being searched.

Last updated October 26, 2023 at 11:08 AM

Supplemental Information

Authorized By: 1309.526
Amplifies: 1309.506, 1309.523
Five Year Review Date: 1/15/2026
Prior Effective Dates: 7/3/2001 (Emer.), 9/20/2001, 1/7/2011