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 Explained: What Information Is Required and Why It Matters

Every year, Florida business owners and their accountants face the same recurring task: filing the Annual Report with the Florida Division of Corporations. It sounds simple enough — and honestly, the filing itself usually is. But a surprising number of businesses either miss the deadline, submit outdated information, or don't fully understand what they're actually confirming when they file.

That matters more than people realize. Your Florida Annual Report is not just a bureaucratic checkbox. It's the official record that keeps your business legally recognized by the state, protects your registered agent status, and ensures that anyone searching for your company — a lender, a client, a potential partner — sees accurate, up-to-date information. Getting it wrong or skipping it entirely can trigger administrative dissolution, which creates a messy (and sometimes expensive) situation to unwind.

So let's break down exactly what information appears on a Florida Annual Report, why each piece matters, and what you need to have ready when it's time to file.

The Core Business Information You'll Need to Confirm

When you log into the Florida Division of Corporations' Sunbiz portal to file your Annual Report, the system pulls up your current record and asks you to confirm or update the following:

Principal place of business address — This is your physical business location. It cannot be a P.O. Box. If your office moved during the year, this is where you update it.
Mailing address — This can differ from your principal address and may be a P.O. Box.
Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) — Florida asks for this, though it's optional during filing. Still, keeping it accurate in your record is good practice.
Business entity name — Your legal name as registered with the state. If you need to change your name, that's a separate amendment filing, not something you do through the Annual Report alone.

These seem basic, but outdated addresses are one of the most common compliance issues CPAs catch when reviewing client records. An old address means important legal notices — including service of process — might never reach you.

Registered Agent Details: A Critical Piece of the Puzzle

One section of the Annual Report that deserves special attention is the registered agent information. Florida law (under Chapter 605 for LLCs and Chapter 607 for corporations) requires every business entity to maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in Florida.

On your Annual Report, you'll confirm:

The name of your registered agent (an individual or a commercial registered agent service)
The registered agent's Florida street address (again, no P.O. Boxes allowed)
The registered agent's signature or electronic consent, confirming they accept the appointment

If your registered agent has changed — say, a partner who used to serve in that role has left, or you've moved your office — the Annual Report is the time to get that corrected. An invalid registered agent address is one of the fastest ways to get caught off guard by legal paperwork you never received.

Officer, Director, and Manager Information

For corporations, the Annual Report requires you to list all officers and directors, including:

Full legal name
Title (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Director, etc.)
Street address

For LLCs, the requirement depends on your management structure. Manager-managed LLCs list their managers. Member-managed LLCs list their members. Either way, names and addresses must be current.

This section matters for a few reasons. First, it's public record — anyone can look up your officers on Sunbiz. Second, if ownership or leadership has changed during the year, failing to update this information can create legal and liability complications down the road. CPAs working with closely held businesses should make it a habit to review this section with clients before filing, especially after any ownership transitions.

One important note: Florida does not require you to disclose ownership percentages on the Annual Report. You're confirming identity and role, not equity stakes.

Florida Annual Report Deadlines and Fees

This is where many businesses run into trouble. Florida's Annual Report rules are straightforward, but the penalties for missing the deadline are steep.

Key dates to know:

Filing window opens: January 1 each year
Deadline to avoid late fee: May 1 each year
Late fee kicks in: May 2 — a $400 late fee is added on top of the standard filing fee
Administrative dissolution risk: If the report is not filed by the third Friday of September, the state may dissolve or revoke your entity

Standard filing fees (as of current Sunbiz schedules):

Florida Profit Corporations: $150
Florida Non-Profit Corporations: $61.25
Florida LLCs: $138.75
Florida Limited Partnerships and LLLPs: $500

The $400 late fee stings — especially for small businesses. And administrative dissolution is worse. Reinstating a dissolved entity requires additional paperwork, retroactive filing fees, and in some cases, the business name may no longer be available if someone else registered it during the dissolution period.

For accountants managing multiple client entities, building Annual Report deadlines into your Q1 calendar is a practical way to protect clients from unnecessary fees and complications.

What the Annual Report Does NOT Change

It's worth clearing up a common misconception: filing your Annual Report does not amend your Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization. It confirms and updates the operational details of your business, but structural changes — like adding a new class of stock, changing your business purpose, or converting your entity type — require separate filings.

Similarly, the Annual Report is not a tax filing. It has nothing to do with your federal or state tax obligations. It's purely a state compliance tool administered by the Florida Division of Corporations.

If a client asks why they have to file this every year even though "nothing changed," the answer is simple: Florida requires annual confirmation that the business is still active, still reachable, and still has a valid registered agent. Silence is not an option — the state interprets no filing as abandonment.

Stay on Top of Your Florida Business Compliance

Understanding what's on your Annual Report is step one. Knowing the current status of your entity — and catching problems before they become costly — is what separates proactive compliance from reactive damage control.

Whether you're a CPA managing a book of business clients or a small business owner watching your own entity, regularly checking your Florida business status is a smart habit.

Use SunbizStatus to quickly check and monitor your Florida entity's standing. Know exactly where your Annual Report stands, whether your registered agent information is current, and whether any compliance issues need your attention — before the state takes action. Don't wait until May to find out something slipped through the cracks.