Are social security numbers and federal identification numbers required in California?
Social security numbers and federal tax identification numbers are not required on any filing form in California. Pursuant to California revised section 9526.5 of the Uniform Commercial Code, any social security number contained in a record will be redacted. The Secretary of State’s office used an automated redacting program to find and remove social security numbers, and as a consequence of the programming, federal tax identification numbers may also be redacted. The revised California forms have removed the fields for debtor SSN/EIN information. We ask that filers use these new forms, but we will still be accepting other approved forms. UCC filings are public records. Please do not put people at risk of identity theft by including social security numbers on any documents for filing with the Secretary of State.
