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How to Do an Aircraft Lien Search (Free and Paid Methods)

TITLE & LIENS Liens attach to the aircraft, not the owner — and an unreleased one becomes the buyer’s problem. Here is how to check, starting with what you can do for free.

An aircraft lien search checks the FAA Civil Aviation Registry for security agreements, mortgages, artisan liens, and other encumbrances recorded against a specific aircraft. It matters because recorded liens follow the airplane through every sale: if a lender or mechanic filed against the aircraft in a previous owner’s hands and no release was ever recorded, the encumbrance is still attached when you take delivery.

What gets recorded against an aircraft

Four kinds of claims show up in FAA files most often: security agreements from banks and finance companies (by far the most common), artisan or mechanic liens filed by shops for unpaid work, judgment liens from lawsuits, and federal tax liens. Engines of 550 horsepower or more and propellers capable of absorbing 75 or more takeoff shaft horsepower can be encumbered separately from the airframe, so a thorough search covers those too.

The free method: the FAA registry itself

The FAA’s N-number inquiry is free and shows current registration data plus a document index — a list of documents recorded against the aircraft. You can also order a copy of the complete aircraft records file from the Civil Aviation Registry for a small fee and read it yourself.

The catch is in the reading. The document index tells you documents exist; it does not tell you whether the 1998 security agreement was ever properly released, whether the release on file actually matches the lien (party names change through mergers and typos), or whether a conveyance in the chain is defective. On an aircraft with a dozen owners and thirty recorded documents, matching every lien to its release is exactly the kind of work that looks simple until you do it.

What a paid search adds

A professional title search reads the entire file for you: the full chain of conveyances, every lien matched to its release, unreleased encumbrances flagged, plus what else the record shows — damage evidence, Form 337 major repairs and alterations, and record gaps. Prices in the industry generally run from about $85 to $250 depending on depth. Our Aircraft Title Search & FAA Records Report is $89, delivered the same business day, and every finding is cited to the exact page of the FAA file so you can verify it yourself.

If the search finds an unreleased lien

Do not close until it is resolved. The standard path: the seller obtains a recorded release from the lienholder (or its successor — old bank liens often trace to whoever acquired the bank), and your escrow agent confirms the release is filed before funds move. A lien that cannot be traced to a living counterparty is a negotiating item at best and a walk-away at worst. Either way, you want to know before wire day, not after.

Order a lien & title search → Free AD check first

Related: Aircraft title vs. registration — what the FAA file actually proves · 5 things to check before buying a used aircraft

This article is general information about FAA records, not legal advice. For closings, work with a qualified aviation title and escrow company.