Subdivision 1. Procedure. (a) Online and written inquiries regarding information provided by the filing of effective financing statements or lien notices may be submitted to the secretary of state during regular business hours or, if submitted online, at any time.

(b) The secretary of state must, upon receiving an inquiry, provide a prompt response to the inquiry.

(c) The secretary of state shall maintain a record of inquiries made under this section including:

(1) the date of the inquiry;

(2) the name of the debtor inquired about; and

(3) identification of the person making the request for inquiry.

Subd. 2. Searches; fees. (a) If a person makes a request, the filing officer shall conduct a search of the computerized filing system for effective financing statements or lien notices and statements of continuation of a particular debtor. The filing officer shall produce a report including the date, time, and results of the search by issuing:

(1) a listing of the file number, date, and hour of each effective financing statement found in the search and the names and addresses of each secured party on the effective financing statements or of each lien notice found in the search and the names and address of each lienholder on the lien notice; or

(2) upon request, both the report and photocopies of the effective financing statements or lien notices.

(b) The uniform fee for conducting a search and for preparing a report is $20 per debtor name. A fee as set by section 5.12 will be charged for photocopies of effective financing statements, lien notices, continuation statements, or termination statements.

(c) Search fees collected by a satellite office must be deposited in the general fund of the county where the satellite office is located.

History: 1992 c 525 s 10; 1993 c 369 s 125; 1994 c 438 s 15; 2004 c 191 s 10; 2009 c 98 s 28; 2009 c 101 art 2 s 87; 2015 c 77 art 2 s 70