Lien Check: find a security interest (lien) on personal property
Find security interests (liens) registered in the Personal Property Registry. You can search for security interests (liens) against motor vehicles (including cars, trucks and motorcycles), trailers, mobile homes (manufactured homes), aircraft, boats and outboard motors.
Use Lien Check to search the Personal Property Registry. You can search for security interests (liens) against motor vehicles (including cars, trucks and motorcycles), trailers, mobile homes (manufactured homes), aircraft, boats and outboard motors.
Lien Check allows individuals and businesses to search the Personal Property Registry by serial number to see if anyone has a security interest (lien) on the serial numbered goods (items).
If you buy something that has a security interest (lien) on it, the secured party could take the item from you.
Example
When you get a car loan from a bank, the car is usually the security (collateral) for your loan and the bank becomes the secured party. Until you repay the loan, the bank has a secured interest in the car.
The bank registers its security interest (lien) in the Personal Property Registry. This registration ensures the bank gets repaid before anyone else who may also have a secured interest in the car, including the owner of the car.
Information on security interests (liens) is available to anyone, including someone who might want to buy the car or provide another loan using the car as security (collateral).
What you can and can’t search for
You can only use Lien Check to search the Personal Property Registry by serial number for security interests (liens) on:
- motor vehicles (including cars, trucks and motorcycles)
- trailers
- mobile homes (manufactured homes)
- airplanes
- boats
- outboard motors
Although other goods (like computers, televisions, home appliances and tools) may have a serial number, they’re not identified as serial numbered goods within the Personal Property Registry.
Search results
Keep a copy of the search results for your records.
Cost
There’s a fee for each search. See Personal Property Registry fees.
Before you start
Make sure you have:
- serial number of the serial numbered item
- jurisdiction (province or territory)
- credit card
Technical requirement
You need to have Adobe Reader or other software to read the Lien Check search result report (PDF format).
Options
You can hire a private service provider to find a security interest (lien) in the Personal Property Registry on your behalf if you’re unable to search online or don’t have an ACOL client account.
You can use a public access terminal at Land Registry if you’re unable to search online. You need to complete the search yourself. Land Registry can’t help you with the search process.