How do I search for UCC liens on a Florida business?

You can search for UCC liens filed against a Florida business or individual through the Florida Secretary of State's FSTR (FloridaUCC.com) portal, or use SunbizStatus to run a combined entity status and UCC lien check in one place.

What is FloridaUCC.com and who uses it?

FloridaUCC.com (officially FSTR Online Filing) is the Florida Secretary of State's UCC lien search portal. It is used by lenders, banks, attorneys, CPAs, title companies, factoring companies, and M&A professionals to check whether a borrower or business has existing liens before extending credit or completing a transaction.

Can lenders check UCC liens on Florida businesses before funding?

Yes. Lenders and banks routinely search the Florida FSTR (UCC) database before extending credit to verify that collateral is not already pledged to another creditor. SunbizStatus provides a direct link to run this check alongside the entity's Sunbiz status.

Florida Annual Report Deadlines & What Happens If You Miss Them

If you own a business registered in Florida, the annual report isn't just a formality — it's a legal requirement that keeps your entity in good standing with the state. Miss it, and you're looking at late fees, potential administrative dissolution, and a headache that's far more expensive than the original filing ever would have been. Whether you're a seasoned CPA managing a client portfolio or a small business owner handling compliance solo, understanding exactly how Florida's annual report process works could save you hundreds of dollars and a lot of stress.

Here's everything you need to know about deadlines, fees, and what the state of Florida will actually do if you don't file.

What Is the Florida Annual Report and Who Needs to File?

The Florida annual report is a mandatory filing submitted through the Florida Division of Corporations (also known as Sunbiz) that confirms and updates your business's basic information — registered agent, principal address, officer/director details, and similar data. It is not a tax return, and it does not replace any federal or state tax obligations.

The following entity types are required to file an annual report:

Florida LLCs (Limited Liability Companies)
Florida Corporations (both profit and non-profit)
Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Limited Partnerships
Foreign entities registered to do business in Florida

Sole proprietorships and general partnerships that are not formally registered with the state are generally not subject to this requirement.

The Key Deadlines You Cannot Afford to Forget

This is where many business owners get tripped up. Florida's annual report filing window opens on January 1st each year, and the hard deadline to avoid a late fee is May 1st.

That's the date that matters most. Here's how the timeline breaks down:

January 1 – April 30: File your annual report online at Sunbiz.org and pay the standard filing fee. No penalties during this window.
May 1: The late fee kicks in automatically. There is no grace period.
May 2 – September 30: You can still file, but you'll pay the standard fee plus the $400 late penalty.
Third Friday in September: Entities that have not filed by this date are marked for administrative dissolution or revocation by the Florida Division of Corporations.

The timing here is critical. Florida statute § 605.0212 (for LLCs) and § 607.1622 (for corporations) govern these requirements, and the state takes them seriously.

How Much Does the Florida Annual Report Cost?

Filing on time is relatively affordable. Here's a breakdown of standard fees by entity type:

Florida Profit Corporation: $138.75
Florida LLC: $138.75
Florida Non-Profit Corporation: $61.25
Foreign Corporation: $138.75
Limited Partnership / LLLP: $138.75

Miss the May 1st deadline? Add a $400 late fee on top of whatever your standard filing fee is. For an LLC, that means you're suddenly paying $538.75 instead of $138.75 — nearly four times the original cost. For non-profits operating on tight budgets, that $400 hit is especially painful.

This is one of those situations where procrastination has a very clear and very preventable price tag.

What Happens If You Don't File at All? Administrative Dissolution Explained

If your business still hasn't filed by the third Friday of September, Florida will administratively dissolve your LLC or revoke your corporation's certificate of authority. This isn't a warning — it's an action that has real consequences.

Here's what administrative dissolution or revocation actually means for your business:

Your entity loses its legal standing to conduct business in Florida
You lose liability protection — one of the primary reasons most people form an LLC or corporation in the first place
Contracts and agreements entered into while dissolved may be unenforceable
Your business name becomes available for someone else to register and use
Banking and financing relationships can be disrupted if lenders discover your entity is not in good standing
Clients, vendors, and partners may walk away once they see your status as "inactive" or "dissolved" on a public records search

For CPAs and accountants managing business clients, discovering that a client's entity has been administratively dissolved — especially during tax season or a loan closing — is a fire drill nobody wants to deal with.

Can You Reinstate a Dissolved Florida Entity?

Yes, reinstatement is possible, but it comes at a cost and takes time. To reinstate an administratively dissolved Florida LLC or corporation, you must:

File an Application for Reinstatement through Sunbiz
Pay all past due annual report fees for every year the entity was non-compliant
Pay the applicable reinstatement fee (currently $100 for LLCs, $100 for corporations, in addition to back-owed annual report fees)
Ensure your registered agent information is current and valid

In some cases, if a business has been dissolved for multiple years, the reinstatement costs and administrative burden can make it easier to simply start a new entity — which means new contracts, new EINs, new bank accounts, and starting the clock over on your business history. That's a significant disruption that's entirely avoidable.

Best Practices for Staying Compliant Year After Year

Florida's annual report process is straightforward when you stay on top of it. A few practical habits can keep you out of trouble:

Set a recurring calendar reminder for January 1st each year — that's when the filing window opens
File early, not at the deadline — January or February filings eliminate the risk of forgetting as May approaches
Verify your registered agent information is accurate every year; an outdated registered agent is one of the most common compliance issues Florida businesses face
If you manage multiple entities, create a compliance calendar that tracks each entity's name, entity type, and filing due date
Always confirm your filing was accepted by checking your entity's status on Sunbiz after submitting — technical errors happen
Monitor your entity status throughout the year, not just at filing time, so you catch any issues early

For accountants and CPAs, building an annual report checklist into your Q1 workflow for business clients is one of the simplest high-value services you can offer. A quick reminder or filing assistance in January could prevent a client from losing their liability protection by October.

Stay Ahead of Your Florida Compliance with SunbizStatus

Knowing the rules is only half the battle — staying on top of your entity's actual standing throughout the year is where most business owners fall short. That's exactly what SunbizStatus is built for.

SunbizStatus allows you to quickly check and monitor the compliance status of Florida-registered entities, so you always know where your business stands before it becomes a problem. Whether you're a business owner who wants peace of mind or a CPA keeping tabs on a full client roster, SunbizStatus gives you a clear, current picture of Florida entity status without having to dig through Sunbiz manually.

Don't wait until May 1st — or worse, the third Friday of September — to find out your entity has an issue. Head to SunbizStatus today and check your Florida entity's standing right now. A few minutes of proactive monitoring can save you hundreds of dollars and protect the business you've worked hard to build.