SBA Form 912: Who Should Complete It & How to Fill It out

SBA Form 912, also known as the Statement of Personal History, is required as part of your SBA loan application with all Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. Your lender and the SBA use this document to evaluate your character, your trustworthiness, and whether you are a good candidate for the loan. This form can have a direct effect on whether your application is approved, and how long it takes to get an SBA loan, so it’s important to complete it accurately. 

Be sure to include information about relevant incidents that happened, even if they occurred a long time ago or when you were a minor. Don’t omit information because you are embarrassed or it’s not included on your credit report. Don’t conceal a criminal record, even if you think that the record was sealed or expunged. Don’t provide false or inaccurate information. 

Who Should Complete The SBA 912 Form?

Some SBA loan lenders require SBA Form 912, while others do not. If you have questions about whether it’s required, ask your lender. Depending on your business structure, you and several other stakeholders may need to each complete the form separately:

• Business owners who are acting as a sole proprietor
• Partners with 20% or more equity in a business partnership 
• Investors who own 20% or more of the corporation 
• Managing members of an LLC, plus officers, directors, and trustors 
• Any parties who are co-signing the loan or acting as a loan guarantor 

There are several situations where borrowers may need to fill out an additional page of the SBA 912 Form. This occurs if the borrower: 

• Has ever been convicted of a criminal offense
• Is subject to criminal charges
• Has been arrested for a criminal offense in the past six months

What Do I Need To Complete The SBA 912 Form?

If you have a clean criminal record, it’s easy to complete 912 Form SBA, and you don’t need to worry about providing any additional documentation. If you have a criminal record, the process is more complicated, and you will need to gather additional documentation. That documentation should include a signed written statement describing the crime and charges, and it should include details such as: 

• When the offense(s) occurred
• Where the offense(s) occurred, and in which jurisdiction
• Specific charges that you faced, including their level and any relevant court documents
• A description of each charge, including fines you paid, time you served, terms of your probation, and any legally mandated court conditions like workshops or classes
• A statement confirming that you have met the court’s conditions
• A signature and date

Additionally, you will need to include documentation including: 

• Official court documents for each conviction
• Parole or probation board statements that you received
• Any additional documents relevant to the convictions

How To Fill Up The SBA Form 912 - A Step By Step Guide

Make sure that you use a current version of the form; you can find a SBA form 912 PDF on the SBA website. Double-check your form for accuracy, and take time to read and reread the directions as you move onto each section of the form. 

• Sections 1-6: Identification Details
• Basic Contact And Business Information

• Section 1a: Input basic information, like your business’s name, mailing address, and email address.
• Section 1b: You’ll need to provide your full legal name, including your middle name. 
• If you don’t have a middle name, you should write “NMN” in the area for the middle name. 
• If your legal name is just an initial, include that initial. 
• Under your current legal name, you should include any former legal names that you have used. Include the dates that you used each name. 
• You can attach a separate piece of paper if you need more space. Be sure to include “SBA - Form 912” on the paper, and sign the paper. 
• Loan Application Details

• The next section asks for details about your loan application, including your SBA district or disaster area office. If you’re not sure of the correct office, you can find that information on the SBA website. If you have applied for a specific amount of funding, you will need to include it on the form. 
• Personal information

• Section 2: Indicate the percentage of ownership that you have in the company. If you are the sole owner, enter 100%. 
• Social Security number: Include your Social Security number. 
• Section 3: Indicate your place of birth, including a city and state, or a foreign country. 
• Section 4: Include the month, day, and year of your birth. 
• Section 5: Indicate whether or not you are a U.S. citizen, and initial next to your response. There is also a space to identify whether you are a permanent resident alien. If you are a resident alien, you will need to include your alien registration number. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you will need to identify your country of citizenship. 
• Section 6: Include your permanent residence, most recent prior address, home telephone, and business telephone numbers.

• Sections 7-9: Criminal History Details (If Relevant) 

Sections 7 through 9 ask about details of your criminal history. They’re used to perform a character and credit eligibility assessment. The SBA can use your criminal history to evaluate your character, and that history may also indicate how likely you are to repay your loan. 

You must answer “yes” to any and all relevant criminal offenses, and you must initial your response to each question. 

• Signature And Submission

It’s essential that you complete this form entirely and accurately, and then sign and date it. The SBA might compare the information that you provide on SBA Form 912 with FBI data. If the information you provide is incorrect, and you deliberately omit information or lie in your responses, the SBA might refer those findings to agencies that pursue civil, criminal, and administrative violations. Penalties for making false statements include imprisonment and fines up to $250,000.

What Happens After I Submit The 912 Form?

Once you’ve completed the 912 Form, you can submit it directly to your lender. You might wish to look further into the SBA loan application process. Depending on your criminal history, several actions might take place: 

• If you have a criminal record, your lender might submit the form to the SBA. You might be subjected to a background check, and you may be asked to have your fingerprints taken. The exact actions depend on the degree of your criminal past. 
• If you were arrested but were never charged, a lender might approve your application without reaching out to the SBA for further investigation. 
• If you faced charges for a few minor crimes, but those crimes occurred more than six months ago, your lender most likely won’t reach out to the SBA. 
• If you have multiple crime charges, you might be asked to submit to a background check and fingerprinting. 
• If you previously committed a felony, your lender might send your application elsewhere for approval. The Office of the Inspector General and Office of Security Operations might evaluate your application and request a background check and fingerprinting before approving your application.

Tips On Completing The SBA Form 912

The following tips can help you to successfully complete the 912 Form SBA: 

• Before submitting your full application, ask your lender if they will require you to complete Form 912. 
• Rather than printing and hand writing the form, which can be messy and lead to errors, use a PDF reader like Adobe Reader to type directly into the form. You can then print the form and sign and initial the appropriate areas. 
• If you’re using Google Chrome for a browser, the form may automatically open in a new tab, including fields that you can type within. You can then print out, sign, and initial the form. 
• If you have a criminal history, gather up as much documentation as possible so that you are prepared to submit the information with the form. 

Conclusion

 When you’re applying for SBA funding, completing SBA Form 912 is a key part of your application. A criminal past won’t necessarily harm your chances of getting an SBA loan, but if you omit information about your past, that lack of transparency surely will. Be accurate and honest and you’ll increase your chances of being approved.