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 DBA Registration Explained: What It Is and How It Works on Sunbiz

If you've ever wanted to run your business under a name that's different from your legal entity name — say, your LLC is called "Harbor Ridge Consulting, LLC" but you want to market yourself as "Harbor Ridge Creative" — you need a DBA. In Florida, this is officially called a fictitious name registration, and it's one of those compliance steps that business owners frequently overlook until a bank, client, or attorney flags it as a problem.

For CPAs and accountants advising small business clients, understanding how fictitious names work — and how they connect to the underlying entity on Sunbiz — is essential. Getting this wrong can create issues with bank account openings, contracts, and even tax filings. Let's break it all down.

What Is a DBA in Florida?

DBA stands for "doing business as." In Florida, the legal term is fictitious name, and it's governed by Florida Statute § 865.09. A fictitious name is any name a business uses that is different from the owner's legal name (for sole proprietors) or the registered legal name of the entity (for LLCs, corporations, partnerships, etc.).

Here are a few common scenarios where a DBA applies:

A sole proprietor named Maria Gonzalez operates under "MG Bookkeeping Services" — that's a fictitious name.
An LLC named "Sunshine Coast Holdings, LLC" operates a restaurant called "The Blue Marlin Grille" — that's a fictitious name.
A corporation launches a new product line under a different brand name — same deal.

One important distinction: registering a fictitious name in Florida is not the same as forming a business entity. It's simply a public disclosure that says, "This person or company is operating under this name." It provides no liability protection on its own.

How Fictitious Name Registration Works on Sunbiz

Florida fictitious name registrations are filed through the Florida Division of Corporations, which manages the Sunbiz portal at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz. The filing process is handled online via the e-file system, and it's relatively straightforward — but there are details that matter.

Key facts about Florida fictitious name registration:

Filing fee: $50 per fictitious name registration
Registration period: Fictitious names expire on December 31st of the fifth year following the year of registration (e.g., filed in 2024 expires December 31, 2029)
Renewal fee: $50, same as the initial registration
Required prior step: Before registering a fictitious name, you must advertise the fictitious name once in a newspaper in the county where your principal place of business is located — this is a statutory requirement under § 865.09(3)
Who can register: Individuals, LLCs, corporations, partnerships, and other entities can all register fictitious names

When filing on Sunbiz, you'll be asked to provide the fictitious name, the owner's legal name (or entity name), and the entity's document number if it's an existing registered entity. That last part — the document number — is where the connection between your DBA and your Sunbiz entity becomes critical.

How a Fictitious Name Connects to Your Registered Entity on Sunbiz

This is where a lot of business owners — and even some advisors — get tripped up. When a registered entity (LLC, corporation, etc.) files a fictitious name, that DBA is linked to the entity's Sunbiz record using the entity's document number. This means:

The entity must be in active status for the fictitious name to be validly associated with it. If your LLC is administratively dissolved, the DBA doesn't protect or legitimize your business operations under that name.
The fictitious name appears separately in Sunbiz searches — it has its own registration record, but it points back to the underlying entity.
Annual reports for the entity and the fictitious name renewal are separate obligations. Missing one doesn't automatically affect the other, but both are required to keep everything in good standing.

For sole proprietors, there's no document number to link — the individual's name and address serve as the owner record. But for any business operating through a formal entity, that linkage is important to understand and monitor.

Common Mistakes Florida Businesses Make with DBAs

As someone advising clients or managing your own compliance, watch out for these frequent missteps:

Skipping the newspaper advertisement. Many business owners don't realize this is a legal requirement before filing. Sunbiz doesn't verify it, but the statute requires it — and skipping it can expose you to legal risk.
Assuming the DBA protects the business name. A fictitious name registration is not a trademark. Someone else could potentially register the same name in another county. If brand protection matters, a trademark filing is a separate process.
Letting the entity lapse while the DBA stays active. Your LLC could be dissolved or revoked while the fictitious name registration remains technically on file. This creates a confusing and potentially problematic situation for contracts and banking.
Filing the DBA under the wrong owner. If a sole proprietor later forms an LLC and wants the DBA under the LLC, they need to file a new fictitious name registration under the entity — the old one under their personal name doesn't automatically transfer.
Missing the renewal. At five-year intervals, the fictitious name must be renewed. There's no automatic reminder from the state, so this one falls through the cracks more often than it should.

Why Monitoring Your Sunbiz Entity Status Matters for Your DBA

Here's the practical takeaway: a fictitious name is only as strong as the entity (or individual) behind it. If your underlying business entity falls out of good standing — due to a missed annual report, a change of registered agent that wasn't properly updated, or an administrative dissolution — the legitimacy of your DBA operations comes into question.

Banks can refuse to honor checks written to a DBA if the underlying entity can't be verified as active. Contracts signed under a fictitious name may face scrutiny. And if you're a CPA helping a client through a review, audit, or business sale, discovering that the entity behind a DBA has lapsed can create real complications.

This is why proactive monitoring of your Sunbiz entity status isn't just a best practice — it's a business protection strategy. Knowing the status of your entity in real time means you catch problems before they become expensive.

Stay on Top of Your Florida Business Compliance

Whether you're a sole proprietor operating under a trade name or a multi-entity business with several DBAs, keeping your Sunbiz records clean and current is non-negotiable. The connection between your fictitious name and your underlying entity is a compliance thread that runs through your banking, contracts, and professional credibility.

Use SunbizStatus to check and monitor your Florida entity's standing today. With easy status lookups and monitoring tools built specifically for Florida businesses, you can stay ahead of lapses, renewals, and administrative changes — before they cause problems. Don't wait for a bank rejection or a client question to find out your entity status has changed.