How do I check if a used GPU has a lien on it?

Enter the serial at cvin.org/en/check (hashed locally, never uploaded) — the device's public lien records come back in 30 seconds: active lien count, lienholders, start dates. Also search the PBOC unified registry (mainland China, free) or state UCC-1 filings (US) against the seller's entity, because fleet-level GPU financings register there. As of 2026-11-13 the registry holds 13 lien records (3 active real liens across 7 devices).

Can you really buy a GPU that has a lien on it?

Technically yes, legally risky: the lien follows the collateral, not the seller. A lender with a registered security interest can generally repossess the device even after resale — pay full price for an encumbered card and you may lose both the card and the money. Require a recorded release, or get the lender's written sign-off, before paying.

Is the CVIN lien registry legally binding?

No — and we say so on the page. CVIN liens are citable public records and an evidence chain; statutory security-interest priority lives in the PBOC unified registry (China) or UCC-1 filings (US). Check both: CVIN for the specific device, the statutory registry for the seller's entity.

How do lenders register a lien on GPUs?

With a trustee key: the lien (lienholder, contract id, principal, start date) is appended to the device's public hash-chain record. Before lending, run a resolve to check for prior liens on the same device — double-pledging shows up immediately.

LIEN CHECK · GPU LIEN SEARCH

How to check a used GPU for liens before you buy

Checking a used GPU for liens, three steps: ① enter the serial here (hashed locally, never uploaded) for the device's public lien records — active liens, lienholders, start dates; a card with an active lien can be repossessed by the lender, so do not pay. ② In mainland China, also search the People's Bank of China unified movable-facility registry (zhongdengwang.org.cn, free, that's where legal priority lives). ③ Demand the purchase invoice and a photo of the physical serial — if the three don't match, walk away. The registry currently holds 13 lien records (3 active real liens plus 6 seed-demo entries, across 7 devices), as of 2026-11-13.

Check now: enter a serial or CVIN

Has liens

Device has active liens

You get: active lien count, number of lienholders, start dates. Either require the seller to release the lien first (the release is recorded on the same chain), or price it as encumbered collateral with the lender's written sign-off — anything in between is a trap.

No liens

No record ≠ no lien

It only means no operator or lender has recorded against it here — bank-channel pledges live in the PBOC registry (mainland China) or UCC-1 filings (US, per state). Check those too. For an unregistered device, ask the seller to register free in 5 minutes (/declare) — willingness itself is a clean-title signal.

Lender

Lenders: record your lien

Trustee-key writes record the lien (lienholder, contract id, principal, start date) onto the public hash chain — append-only. Before lending, run /lookup or resolve to see existing liens; double-pledging shows up right here.

Check a device free → Lender collateral guide Lender SOP (UCC-1 / statutory filing) Universal lookup (no CVIN needed)

Two registries, one honest boundary

	CVIN on-chain liens	PBOC registry / UCC-1 (statutory)
What	Liens and operator conflicts on this specific device (device-level, serial-hash keyed)	Secured interests registered against the entity (entity-level, by company/ID number)
Legal force	Citable public record and evidence chain; NOT the source of statutory security-interest priority	Statutory priority lives here
Coverage	GPUs and compute devices that have been registered, resolvable cross-platform	Nationwide (PBOC) / per-state (US UCC-1)
How to use	Device-side evidence: check this card, record against this card	Entity-side evidence: search everything registered against the seller

Check both sides; skipping either is exposure. Device-level: CVIN (is THIS card pledged). Entity-level: PBOC registry / UCC-1 (did the seller pledge its whole fleet to a bank). Large GPU-backed financings register at entity level, which device-level searches cannot see.

Found a lien: three ways out

Release, then pay：Require the seller to release first (the release records on the same chain, independently verifiable), then transact as clean title.
Discount with lender sign-off：If you must buy, get the lender's written confirmation on the sale and where the debt goes — otherwise the lender can pursue the device in your hands.
Walk away：Seller refuses release, refuses paperwork, or the three facts don't match — the downside is the whole machine, not a discount.