A Federal Lien Search is a public record search that allows anyone to lookup outstanding federal tax liens, whether against themselves or a third party. A federal tax lien is the government’s legal claim against property when someone neglects or fails to pay a tax debt. The lien protects the government’s interest in someone’s property. This can include real estate, personal property and financial assets.
Through Fast Track Filing, you may look up liens through a simple search database (You can also access the search here at the Secretary of State website). Follow the guide below to see how it’s done.
Step One:
First, go to https://filings.sos.iowa.gov/.
You will need an account to file anything on Fast Track Filing (excluding Biennial Reports). To learn how to create an account, click here. Once you are logged in, you will see a “Home” screen that displays the Fast Track Filing Communication Center. At the top of the page, there will be a navigation menu—click on “UCC Filings”.
Step Two:
A drop-down menu will appear. Select “Federal Liens Search”.
Step Three:
From here, you will be redirected to the “UCC Certified/Federal Liens Search” page. On this page, you will need to provide certain information that will allow you to retrieve the best possible search results.
First, select whether you are searching by Person, Business or Filing Number. Depending on what category you pick, certain information boxes will be blocked out.
Fill out the required information, then click “Search”.
Step Four:
If the Federal Lien is registered within the system, it will appear on a new page. You will be able to print the lien, view a report, and see additional info related to the lien.
Additional Notes:
- This search uses the filing office standard search logic for federal Liens. It allows you to print a certified lien search report. By default the search reveals all liens that have not reached their lapse date. Federal liens do not lapse.
- The Secretary of State's Office is a filing repository and does not determine the authority of a filer to make a submission. It is the responsibility of authorized filers to frequently check the status of filings on the Web site to ensure protection against submissions by an unauthorized party. If you determine that a submission was not authorized, it is your responsibility to seek legal action to protect your status.