{"data":{"id":"us-wa/rcw-62a.9a-516","jurisdiction":"us-wa","citation":"RCW 62A.9A-516","heading":"What constitutes filing; effectiveness of filing.","body":"(a) What constitutes filing. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, communication of a record to a filing office and tender of the filing fee or acceptance of the record by the filing office constitutes filing.\n(b) Refusal to accept record; filing does not occur. Filing does not occur with respect to a record that a filing office refuses to accept because:\n(1) The record is not communicated by a method or medium of communication authorized by the filing office;\n(2) An amount equal to or greater than the applicable filing fee is not tendered or, in the case of a filing office described in RCW 62A.9A-501(a)(1), an amount equal to the applicable filing fee is not tendered;\n(3) The filing office is unable to index the record because:\n(A) In the case of an initial financing statement, the record does not provide a name for the debtor;\n(B) In the case of an amendment or information statement, the record:\n(i) Does not identify the initial financing statement as required by RCW 62A.9A-512 or 62A.9A-518, as applicable; or\n(ii) Identifies an initial financing statement whose effectiveness has lapsed under RCW 62A.9A-515;\n(C) In the case of an initial financing statement that provides the name of a debtor identified as an individual or an amendment that provides a name of a debtor identified as an individual which was not previously provided in the financing statement to which the record relates, the record does not identify the debtor's surname; or\n(D) In the case of a record filed or recorded in the filing office described in RCW 62A.9A-501(a)(1), the record does not provide a name for the debtor or a sufficient description of the real property to which the record relates;\n(4) In the case of an initial financing statement or an amendment that adds a secured party of record, the record does not provide a name and mailing address for the secured party of record;\n(5) In the case of an initial financing statement or an amendment that provides a name of a debtor which was not previously provided in the financing statement to which the amendment relates, the record does not:\n(A) Provide a mailing address for the debtor; or\n(B) Indicate whether the name provided as the name of the debtor is the name of an individual or an organization;\n(6) In the case of an assignment reflected in an initial financing statement under RCW 62A.9A-514(a) or an amendment filed under RCW 62A.9A-514(b), the record does not provide a name and mailing address for the assignee; or\n(7) In the case of a continuation statement, the record is not filed within the six-month period prescribed by RCW 62A.9A-515(d).\n(c) Rules applicable to subsection (b) of this section. For purposes of subsection (b) of this section:\n(1) A record does not provide information if the filing office is unable to read or decipher the information; and\n(2) A record that does not indicate that it is an amendment or identify an initial financing statement to which it relates, as required by RCW 62A.9A-512, 62A.9A-514, or 62A.9A-518, is an initial financing statement.\n(d) Refusal to accept record; record effective as filed record. A record that is communicated to the filing office with tender of the filing fee, but which the filing office refuses to accept for a reason other than one set forth in subsection (b) of this section, is effective as a filed record except as against a purchaser of the collateral which gives value in reasonable reliance upon the absence of the record from the files.","path":["Title 62A","Chapter 62A.9A"],"source_url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=62A.9A-516","current_through":"July 15, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T03:39:28Z","sha256":"90b4482551578969ca6ebf26ddb5b7bd1fb84d23ce588da8ba2718db0a906567","source_id":"us-wa","stale":false,"prev":"us-wa/rcw-62a.9a-515","next":"us-wa/rcw-62a.9a-517"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}