Oregon Administrative Rules
Chapter 160 - SECRETARY OF STATE, CORPORATION DIVISION
Division 40 - UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE - ARTICLE 9
Section 160-040-0503 - Rules Applied to Search Requests

(1) Number of matches. There is no limit to the number of matches that may be returned in response to the search criteria.

(2) Case. No distinction is made between upper and lower case letters.

(3) "&" (and). The character "&" (the ampersand) is deleted and replaced with the characters "and" each place it appears in the name.

(4) Punctuation. Punctuation marks and accents are disregarded. For the purposes of this rule, punctuation and accents include all characters other than the numerals 0 through 9 and the letters A through Z (in any case) of the English alphabet.

(5) Organization names. The following words and abbreviations at the end of an organization name that indicate the existence or nature of the organization are "disregarded" to the extent practicable as determined by the filing office's programming of its UCC information management system: Oregon "Ending Noise Words" List: [List not included. See ED. NOTE.]

(6) "The." The word "the" at the beginning of an organization debtor name is disregarded.

(7) Spaces. All spaces are disregarded.

(8) First personal name and additional name(s)/initial(s). For first personal name and additional name(s)/initial(s) of individual debtor names, initials are treated as the logical equivalent of all names that begin with such initials, and first personal name and no additional name(s)/initial(s) is equated with all additional name(s)/initial(s). For example, a search request for "John A. Smith" would cause the search to retrieve all filings against all individual debtors with "John" or the initial "J" as the first personal name, "Smith" as the surname, and with the initial "A" or any name beginning with "A" in the additional name(s)/initial(s)field. If the search request were for "John Smith" (first personal name and surnames with no designation in the additional name(s)/initial(s) field, the search would retrieve all filings against individual debtors with "John" or the initial J as the first personal name, "Smith" as the surname and with any name or initial or no name or initial in the additional name(s)/initial(s) field.

(9) Surname only. If the name being searched is the surname of an individual debtor name without any first personal name or addition al name(s)/initial(s)provided, the search will retrieve from the UCC information management system all Unlapsed Records or, if requested by the searcher, all Active Records that pertain to financing statements with individual debtor names that consist of such surname, any or no addition al name(s)/initial(s) and no first personal name.

(10) Suffixes. Suffixes of individual names, such as "Jr." and "III" will be disregarded as search criteria.

(11) After using the preceding rules to modify the name being searched, the search will retrieve from the UCC information management system all Active Records that pertain to financing statements with debtor names that, after being modified as provided in this rule, exactly match the modified name being searched.