In brief
An aircraft title search reviews ownership and recorded-interest documents affecting the aircraft. It should be coordinated with state-law lien analysis, closing and escrow, registration, and International Registry work where applicable. The FAA records documents but does not provide a title opinion.
Aircraft title work is a legal and closing discipline, not a database lookup. The objective is to establish the chain of ownership, identify recorded interests, obtain valid releases, and ensure the transaction documents create the intended result for the buyer and any lender.
Radar is not a law firm, title company, or escrow agent. Use this guide to organize the process with qualified aviation counsel and title professionals.
What the FAA aircraft record contains
The FAA describes three main elements in the aircraft record: registered-owner information, recorded aircraft security interests, and airworthiness information.
The public record supports research by buyers and aircraft financiers. It may contain:
- Applications and certificates of registration.
- Bills of sale and other conveyances.
- Security agreements and chattel mortgages.
- Recorded claims of lien.
- Releases of recorded interests.
- Airworthiness-related documents received by the Registry.
Request and review the complete record for the exact manufacturer, model, serial number, and N-number history. Aircraft can change registration marks, so an N-number-only search may be incomplete.
What “clear title” means
FAA guidance defines clear title as no unreleased chattel mortgage, security agreement, tax lien, artisan lien, or similar document on record against the aircraft. The FAA also notes that state law determines lien and security interests and that there is no federal requirement to file every lien or security instrument with the FAA.
That distinction matters. A record can appear clean while another jurisdiction or legal issue remains relevant. The title professional should define which FAA, state, court, tax, owner-name, international, and other searches are required for the transaction.
The aircraft title-search workflow
- Confirm identity. Match manufacturer, model, serial number, current N-number, former N-numbers, and installed eligible engines.
- Confirm seller identity and authority. Reconcile registered owner, legal name, entity status, signatory authority, and purchase agreement.
- Pull the complete FAA record. Review conveyances, security documents, liens, releases, and registration history.
- Trace the ownership chain. Confirm each transfer and investigate gaps, inconsistent names, or defective documents.
- Identify open interests. List every unreleased mortgage, security agreement, lien, or notice that may affect closing.
- Expand the search. Perform state-law, tax, judgment, UCC, international, or other searches advised by counsel.
- Draft curative actions. Obtain releases, corrections, affidavits, authorizations, or replacement documents.
- Coordinate escrow and filings. Define document order, funding conditions, filing instructions, and delivery.
- Verify recordation. Preserve filed documents, confirmations, and post-closing evidence.
Recorded security agreements and liens
The FAA provides separate instructions for recording a security agreement or chattel mortgage and recording an aircraft claim of lien.
For due diligence, capture:
- Parties and execution date.
- Aircraft, engine, propeller, or other collateral description.
- FAA recording number and recordation date.
- Secured amount if stated.
- Whether a complete, effective release appears in the record.
- Name changes, assignments, amendments, or subordination.
- Any discrepancy between the recorded collateral and the transaction aircraft.
Do not assume an old loan is released because the seller says it was paid. Confirm the release document and closing path.
Common title and closing issues
| Issue | Why it matters | Typical resolution path |
|---|---|---|
| Unreleased mortgage | Prior lender may remain of record | Obtain and file a valid release |
| Seller-name mismatch | Conveyance may not match registered owner | Counsel reviews entity/name evidence and corrective documents |
| Broken ownership chain | Buyer or lender cannot confirm transfers | Locate missing conveyance or pursue an approved cure |
| N-number confusion | Search may omit prior history | Search by serial number and prior registrations |
| Defective signatures | Document may not meet recording requirements | Re-execute or correct before closing |
| Open artisan or tax lien | May affect title or priority | Resolve under applicable law and document release |
| International interest | Separate priority system may apply | Coordinate International Registry work |
| Pending FAA documents | Record can change near closing | Run updates through filing and funding |
Aircraft engines and the International Registry
Certain aircraft and engines may be subject to the Cape Town Convention and International Registry. Eligibility, registrations, priority, authorizations, and discharge procedures are specialized legal work.
Coordinate FAA and International Registry filings so the descriptions, parties, and closing sequence agree. An aircraft-level review should not assume every engine interest appears in the same place or is resolved by an aircraft-only release.
Title search for aircraft financing
The lender’s objective is not only buyer ownership. It also wants the intended security interest properly documented and monitored.
A lender closing checklist commonly coordinates:
- Borrower and owner entity documents.
- Purchase and sale documents.
- Title report and updates.
- Existing-lien releases.
- New security agreement.
- FAA and International Registry filings where applicable.
- Insurance evidence and lender endorsements.
- Registration and operating-location requirements.
- Escrow instructions and funding authorization.
See the aircraft financing guide for the credit, collateral, records, and value workstreams that run beside title.
Title is not maintenance provenance
A title search and a maintenance-record review answer different questions. Title addresses ownership and interests. Maintenance provenance addresses aircraft identity, condition, compliance, component history, and value.
Both can affect closing. A clean title does not prove the aircraft’s maintenance status, and complete logbooks do not clear an unreleased lien. Coordinate the pre-buy records review as a separate but connected diligence track.
Post-closing evidence to preserve
- Final title report and bring-down search.
- Filed bill of sale and registration application.
- Security agreement and recording evidence.
- Releases and discharges.
- International Registry authorizations, registrations, and discharges.
- Escrow closing statement and filing instructions.
- Legal opinions or certificates required by the transaction.
- Insurance evidence.
- Final aircraft records exceptions and accepted condition.
For lenders, ongoing aircraft collateral monitoring should track registration, recorded interests, insurance, value, and maintenance evidence after the closing file is complete.
Sources and further reading
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is an aircraft title search?
It is a review of the aircraft record and related sources to identify ownership conveyances, recorded liens or security interests, releases, and other documents that may affect title or a lender’s security position.
Does the FAA perform aircraft title searches?
No. FAA guidance says the Aircraft Registration Branch does not perform title searches. Buyers and lenders may review records themselves or use attorneys and aircraft title-search companies.
Does a clean FAA record guarantee clear title?
Not necessarily. State law determines lien and security interests, and not every interest must or can be recorded with the FAA. Qualified aviation counsel and title professionals should define the required search scope.
When should the title search begin?
Begin early enough to resolve unreleased interests, name discrepancies, document defects, and international filings before the funding and delivery date.
Keep researching
Related aircraft guides
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