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ComplianceFinanceJune 13, 2024

Common due diligence search types

By: Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions staff

Due diligence search and document retrieval are essential tools for evaluating risk, whether you're assessing a borrower's creditworthiness or preparing to file a UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) lien. Understanding the various types of searches available can help you make informed decisions and ensure compliance with legal requirements.

Whether you are a business owner, investor, or legal professional, leveraging searches and document retrieval is crucial for thorough due diligence. As you explore this topic, consider how these search types can enhance your decision-making process and protect your interests.

Agricultural Lien Search

A search on the interest in farm products that secures payment or performance of an obligation for goods, services, or rental on real property that an individual or organization leases in connection with farming operations.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Farm Lien Search
  • EFS (Agricultural) Lien Search
  • Crop Lien Search
  • Livestock Lien Search
  • Central Notification System (CNS)

Annual Report

A copy of the most recent annual report. An annual report is a comprehensive report on a company’s activities throughout the preceding year.  Typically, these are ordered at the state level.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Biennial Report
  • Decennial Report

Articles of Incorporation

The basic charter of a corporation which spells out the name, basic purpose, incorporators, amount, and types of stock which may be issued, and any special characteristics such as being non-profit. This also includes the amendments, mergers, restated articles, and other filings that may alter the business. Typically, these are filed at the state level.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Articles of Incorporation and All Amendments
  • Restated Articles of Incorporation
  • Articles of Organization
  • Charter Documents
  • Charter Documents and All Amendments
  • Corporate Charter
  • Corporate Documents
  • Corporate Document Retrieval
  • Formation Documents

Bankruptcy Search

A search to see if a legal proceeding involving a person or business that is unable to repay outstanding debts has been filed at the Bankruptcy courts. Typically, this is searched for the past 7 years.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Bankruptcy Case Search
  • Search by Petitioner

Business Name Search

A report that shows the entity name, entity ID, status (such as active or good standing) and officers. This may also include the historical information including the Articles of Incorporation as well as amendments and trade names.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Business Entity Search
  • Company Name Search
  • Corporate Printout

Certificate of Assumed Business Name

A certificate granted by a state authority that allows you to transact business under a name other than your own. These can be found at the state or county depending on the jurisdiction.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Fictitious Name Certificate
  • Trade Name Certificate
  • DBA Certificate

Certificate of Good Standing

A certificate issued by a proper authority in a jurisdiction to verify that a corporation actually exists, has paid all its statutory dues, has met all filing requirements and, therefore, is authorized to transact business in that state. Also called Certificate of Authorization

Also known as or related terms:

  • Certificate of Good Standing Short Form
  • Certificate of Good Standing Long Form
  • Certificate of Bad Standing
  • Certificate of Status
  • Certificate of Corporate Status
  • Certificate of Existence
  • Certificate of Legal Existence
  • Certificate of Compliance
  • Certificate of Subsistence

Criminal Litigation Search - Felonies

A search performed at a court of law that handles felonies. Felonies are usually defined as punishable by prison sentence of greater than one year. We will need the county to perform this search. This county level information may not be a public record in some jurisdictions.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Felony Litigation Search

Criminal Litigation Search - Misdemeanors

A search performed at a court of law that handles misdemeanors. Misdemeanors are usually defined as punishable by prison sentence up to one year. This county level information may not be a public record in some jurisdictions.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Misdemeanor Litigation Search

Employment Retirement Income Security Act Lien Search

A search on liens filed because the debtor failed to make contributions for the pension plan that were required.

Also known as or related terms:

  • ERISA Lien Search

Environmental Protection Agency Lien Search

A search on the debt or financial liability that a property owner owes in order to correct environmental damages.

Also known as or related terms:

  • EPA Lien Search

Family Court Search

A search performed at a court of law that handles cases involving domestic issues such as divorce, child custody, etc. This county level information may not be a public record in some jurisdictions.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Family Court Records Search

Federal Aviation Administration Lien Search

Search to identify if there are liens on components of an aircraft such as Engine(s) and/or Propeller.

Also known as or related terms:

  • FAA Lien Search
  • Aircraft Lien Search

Federal Criminal Litigation Search

A search performed in at the Unites States District court for federal criminal litigation. This county level information may not be a public record in some jurisdictions.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Federal Offender Search

Federal Litigation Search

A search performed at the United State District Court (county level).

Also known as or related terms:

  • Federal Court Case Search
  • Federal Court Records Search
  • Federal Lawsuit Search
  • Federal Litigation Records Search
  • U.S. District Court Case Search
  • Federal Legal Case Search
  • Federal Court Docket Search

Federal Tax Lien Search

A statutory lien of the United States on all property and rights to property of a taxpayer who fails to pay a tax for which he/she is liable to the federal government; An obligation to the federal government (IRS) because of the failure to pay taxes; The lien is good for a period of 10 years. The IRS is required to refile its notice of tax lien within one year.

Also known as or related terms:

  • IRS Lien Search
  • IRS Tax Lien Search
  • Non-Consensual Lien Search

Fixture Filing Search

A financing statement that covers goods which are permanently attached to the land or real property (i.e., stoves, flooring, light fixtures); Recorded at the county office where the real property is located.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Fixture Lien Search
  • Fixture UCC Search
  • Real Property Fixture Search
  • UCC Fixture Filing Search

Hospital Lien Search

A search on the statutory lien claimed by a hospital to recover the costs of emergency and other continuing medical and other services.


Judgment Lien Search

A search of liens that are created when someone wins a lawsuit and then records the judgment against the losing party property.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Judgment Search
  • Non-Consensual Lien Search

Litigation Search

A search performed at the State Court of General Jurisdiction (county level).

Also known as or related terms:

  • Court Records Search
  • Lawsuit Search
  • Case Search
  • Legal Records Search
  • Judicial Records Search
  • Court Docket Search
  • Search by Plaintiff
  • Search by Defendant

Mechanics Lien Search

A lien that is placed against the home or property by an unpaid contractor, subcontractor, or supplier.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Construction Lien Search

Municipal Lien Search

A Municipal Lien Search is conducted to uncover any unrecorded municipal liens, special assessments, utility, code violations, and open or expired permits issues associated with residential or commercial real property. The information you can discover by ordering a Municipal Lien Search goes beyond the traditional title search, which only uncovers recorded liens on a property.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Utility Lien Search

Open Mortgage Search

Identifies all open mortgages, deeds of trust, and any subsequent documents directly related to the mortgages or deeds of trust recorded since the last deed transfer.


Owner/Mortgage Search

Identifies the current owner of a property, as well as open mortgages and deeds of trust recorded against the property since the most recent deed transfer and related documents.


Owner Verification Search

A search to obtain the most recent deed. Results show current owner and legal description.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Owner Identification Search

Ownership and Encumbrance Report - Residential

A full legal description of the property provided based on a comprehensive search of a specific address and current owner(s) which includes search of open mortgages, deeds and liens (lis pendens, tax liens, mechanics liens, etc.) recorded against the property since the most recent deed transfer and related documents as well as the property’s tax status and assessed value. 

Also known as or related terms:

  • Property & Judgment Search
  • Real Property Search
  • Title Search

Ownership and Encumbrance Report - Commercial

This includes the same information as the Ownership and Encumbrance Report – Residential but is for a Commercial property.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Property & Judgment Search
  • Real Property Search
  • Title Search

Probate Court Search

A search performed at a court of law that handles wills, estates, conservatorships, etc. This search can obtain dockets, complaints, judgments, entire cases, et al. This may not be public record in some jurisdictions.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Estate Records Search

Search to Reflect

A Search to Reflect is a search that includes all filings but is performed to ensure that a specific filing was indexed correctly. Typically, this is performed after a filing.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Debtor Name Search to Reflect
  • Post Filing Search to Reflect

Secured Party Search

A Secured Party search searches for UCCs based from the secured party.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Secured Party Name Search

State Lien Search

This search will include all liens that are filed at the state level. This will always include UCCs but may include Federal Tax Liens, State Tax Liens and/or Judgment Liens.

Also known as or related terms:

  • State Lien Searches (All available liens)

State Tax Lien Search

A search on the state government’s legal claim against a property when the owner neglects or fails to pay a tax debt.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Non-Consensual Lien Search

Tax Assessor Search

A search to determine if the taxes for a property have been paid up to date. This will include the amount paid for the most recent year as well as the tax assessment amounts and the owner according to the tax assessor.

Also known as or related terms:

  • Property Tax Search

UCC Lien Search

A search performed to verify if a secured party has an interest in personal property of the debtor.

Also known as or related terms:

  • UCC Search
  • Uniform Commercial Code Search
  • UCC Public Records Search

U.S. Coast Guard Search

A U.S. Coast Guard documented vessel search results include pertinent details about the boat including liens, if the boat’s documentation is active and ff there is a clean title.

Also known as or related terms:

  • USCG Lien Search
  • Boat Lien Search
  • Vessel Search

Watch List Search

Search required prior to conducting financial transactions to identify persons listed on the Blocked Persons list The Search will screen 11 watch list databases to ensure compliance with federal law.

All of these search types are part of our Watch List Search:

  • Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Search / Patriot Act Search
  • United Nations (UN) Watchlist Search
  • European Union (EU) Watchlist Search
  • Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) Search
  • United Kingdom (UK) Watchlist Search
  • Denied Persons List (DPL) Search
  • Entity List (EL) Search
  • Unverified List (UL) Search
  • Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) Search
  • Limited Denials of Participation (LDP) Search
  • Terrorist Exclusion List (TEL) Search

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Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions staff
The Compliance Solutions staff is comprised of experts who offer the insight required to better satisfy borrowers, secure capital, and navigate regulatory change.
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