How to Fill Out SBA Form 1919 for Your SBA 7(a) Loan Application

The Small Business Administration's (SBA) 7(a) loan program is one of the most competitive in the country-and for good reason.

These loans come with large lending amounts, flexible spending, low interest rates, and generous repayment terms. How long does SBA loan approval take? The application process is notoriously long and paperwork heavy.

Don't let this discourage you! With a little time and know-how, you'll be well on your way to scoring a game-changing small business loan.

To apply for an SBA 7(a) loan, you'll need to fill out SBA Form 1919. This is your Borrower Information Form, and it includes background information about your business and its owners.

Here's the 10-step process for how to fill out SBA Form 1919:

1. Fill In Your Business Identifying Information for Section 1
2. Answer Questions in Section 1 (Questions 1 - 16)
3. Review Section 1: Sign and Date
4. Fill In Your Business Identifying Information for Section 2
5. Answer Questions in Section 2 (Questions 17 - 26)
6. Review Section 2: Sign and Date
7. Add Completed SBA Form 1919 to Your Overall Loan Application
8. Fill In Your Business Identifying Information for Section 3
9. Answer Questions in Section 3 (Questions 27 - 31)
10. Review Section 3: Sign and Date

Don't worry if it seems a little overwhelming-we'll walk you question-by-question through the entire form.

First, let's set the stage and briefly discuss what SBA Form 1919 is and who needs to fill it out.

What Is SBA Form 1919?

The SBA uses from 1919 to collect information about your business, loan request, debt, business owners, and previous government financing. You'll need to complete this form and submit it (along with your other documents) to your SBA-approved lender to apply for an SBA 7(a) loan.

The form has 31 questions, so set aside at least an hour to fill it out. As of February 2021, this is the most recent version of SBA Form 1919. Before you start your application, double-check the SBA's website to ensure you have the most up-to-date version. You can verify you have the correct form by checking the expiration date on each page's top right corner.

Who Needs to Fill Out SBA Form 1919?

Your business structure decides who needs to fill out SBA Form 1919:

• Sole Proprietorship: Sole proprietor
• Partnership: General partners and limited partners who own 20% or more of the business
• Corporation: Owners with 20% or more in equity in the corporation, as well as each officer and director
• Limited Liability Company (LLC): Members who own 20% or more of the company, as well as officers, directors, and managing members
• Key Employees: Any person hired to manage the day-to-day operations of the business
• Trustor: If the business is owned by a trust

Documents You'll Need to Complete Your SBA Form 1919

Before you sit down to start cranking out your form, you'll want to gather some documentation. Having necessary information on-hand will help streamline the process.

Here are some documents you'll need:

• Contact information (for all business owners and equity owners)
• Ownership percentages
• Total number of employees
• Loan amount and purpose of the loan
• Business licenses and agreements
• Business tax returns
• List of business affiliates

How to Fill out SBA Form 1919

SBA Form 1919 is divided into three sections:

• Section 1: Business Information
• Section 2: Individual Owner Information
• Section 3: Entity Owner Information

Let's start from the top and work our way down the form.

Step 1. Fill In Your Business Identifying Information for Section I

1. Enter in all your basic business information: business name, address, EIN, DBA, etc. Indicate whether you're an operating company (OC) or an eligible passive company (EPC):
   • OC: A business that makes goods or provides services to sell to customers.
   • EPC: A business that leases property to OCs.
2. Mark if you are a cooperative, ESOP, 401(k) Plan, Trust, or Other.
3. Answer whether you're planning to use a 401(K) plan and if a Management Company will be managing your day-to-day operations.
4. Next, you'll enter in details about your loan request. This includes the amount requested, purpose of the loan, the number of existing employees, estimated jobs created due to the loan, and estimated jobs retained due to the loan.
5. To finish this section, list all owners, partners, officers, directors, members, and holders of stock. Include their title, percent of ownership, TIN, address, and identification.

Step 2. Answer Questions in Section I (Questions 1 - 16)

Now, it's time to start answering the yes or no questions. If you mark "yes" to any of the following questions, then you'll need to provide additional documentation and details on a separate sheet.

• Question 1: Are there co-applicants?
  • Co-applicants would be other businesses that are applying for an SBA loan along with your business. If multiple entities are applying collectively, then each will need to fill out Section 1 separately.
• Question 2: Have you already submitted an application for this SBA 7(a) loan with the SBA or a lender?
  • This question is asking if you ever applied for this specific SBA 7(a) loan before.
• Question 3: Has your business ever obtained, guaranteed, or applied for a direct or guaranteed loan from the SBA or other federal loan program?
  • Have you ever applied for a government loan before? If "Yes," you'll need to answer if any of that financing is delinquent or if it's defaulted.
• Question 4: Has the government declared your business ineligible due to regulations?
  • If your business is facing any regulatory action from the federal government, then you might not be eligible for an SBA loan.
• Question 5: Does your business operate under a franchise model or other type of agreement?
  • If your business is a franchise, licensee, distributor, or operates under a similar agreement, you'll need to include copies of those agreements and licenses with your application.
• Question 6: Does your business have any affiliates?
  • The SBA defines affiliation as a business that has power over another business through:
    • Majority equity ownership
    • Merger agreements
    • Subsidiaries
    • Key employees on the Board of Directors or management team of another business
    • Substantial co-dependence or identical interests with another business
• Question 7: Has your business or its affiliates ever filed for bankruptcy protection?
  • If yes, you'll need to include documentation describing the bankruptcy filing.
• Question 8: Is your business or its affiliates under any pending legal action?
  • If yes, you'll need to include details and documentation describing the pending litigation.
• Question 9: Are any of your business's products or services exported?
  • If your business exports goods or services (or plans to use this loan to finance exporting), you'll need to provide an estimated export sales total and a list of countries you export to.
• Question 10: Are you using a third-party to help with your SBA application?
  • A third-party assisting with your application may have to submit a form disclosing their fees and compensation.
• Question 11: Does your business make any money from gambling, loan packaging, or anything that's of a sexual nature?
  • Businesses that make money from these activities will be denied an SBA loan.

Conflict of Interest Questions

The SBA asks these next five questions to determine if there's a conflict of interest with an SBA or government employee. Answering "Yes" to any of these questions doesn't immediately disqualify you from an SBA loan, but you'll likely need to provide additional disclosures and documentation about the relationships.

• Question 12: Is any stockholder with more than 10% equity in the company an SBA employee or a Household Member of an SBA employee?
• Question 13: Is anyone directly associated with the business a former SBA employee who's been separated from the SBA for less than a year?
• Question 14: Is any stockholder with more than 10% equity in the company (or a household member of that person) a member of Congress or an employee of the Federal Government's legislative or judicial branch?
• Question 15: Is any stockholder with more than 10% equity in the company (or a household member of that person) an employee of the Federal Government or Member of the Military with a grade of GS-13 or higher (or Military equivalent)?
• Question 16: Is any stockholder with more than 10% equity in the company (or a household member of that person) a member of a Small Business Advisory Council or a SCORE volunteer?

Step 3. Review Section I: Sign and Date

Review your answers in Section 1 and make sure everything is accurate. Read over the representations, acknowledgment, and certification, so you know exactly what you're getting yourself into.

Then enter your printed name, title, signature, and date at the bottom of page 5.

Step 4. Fill In Your Business Identifying Information for Section II

Section 2 collects information about the business owner. It asks questions about citizenship, residency, criminal offenses, and business history.

Enter your full legal name, Social Security Number, date of birth, place of birth, percentage of ownership, and contact information. You can also voluntarily disclose your veteran status, gender, race, or ethnicity if you would like.

Step 5. Answer Questions in Section II (Questions 17 - 26)

If you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions, you'll need to provide details and documentation. You'll also need to initial your responses to questions 17 - 20.

• Question 17: Do you currently have any criminal charges?
  • Answering "Yes" to this question makes you ineligible for an SBA loan.
• ​Question 18: Have you been arrested in the last six months for a criminal offense?
  • Answering "Yes" doesn't disqualify you from getting an SBA loan, but you will need to provide additional documentation.
• Question 19: Have you ever been convicted, pleaded guilty, pleaded nolo contendere, been placed on a pretrial diversion, or been placed on parole or probation for a criminal offense?
  • If you answer "Yes" and are currently on parole or probation, the SBA will deem you ineligible for SBA assistance.
• Question 20: What is your citizenship?
  • Check your US citizenship status. If you're neither a US citizen nor a lawful permanent resident, you'll need to list your country of citizenship.
• Question 21: Are you personally ineligible due to federal regulations?
  • If "Yes," then you'll not be eligible for an SBA loan.
• Question 22: Are you more than 60 days delinquent on any child support payments?
  • If you own more than 50% of the business, you can't be more than 60 days late on your child support payments to be eligible for an SBA loan.
• Question 23: Do you own any other businesses that qualify as an affiliate of your business?
  • If "Yes," you'll need to provide a list of those businesses, your title for those businesses, and the percentage of the businesses you own.
• Question 24: Have you, or any business you've controlled, ever filed for bankruptcy protection?
  • If "Yes," you'll need to provide details and documentation.
• ​Question 25: Are you or any of the businesses you control currently involved in any legal action? This includes divorce.
  • If "Yes," you'll have to provide details.
• Question 26: Have you or any business you own or control ever obtained, guaranteed, or applied for a direct or guaranteed loan from the SBA or other federal loan program?
  • If you answered "Yes," you'll need to verify if any of those loans are currently delinquent and if you've ever defaulted on those loans.

Step 6. Review Section II: Sign and Date

Again, you'll want to review the representations, acknowledgments, and authorization before entering your printed name, title, signature, and date at the bottom of page 8.

Step 7. Fill In Your Business Identifying Information for Section III

Section III is new to SBA Form 1919, and its purpose is to collect information about the entity owners of the applying small business. These questions are similar to the questions in Section II, except for they're not asking just about the individual owner-they're asking about all of the entity owners.

In the first part of Section III, you'll fill in the entity owner's legal name, tax ID, and contact information. You'll then list all owners, partners, officers, directors, members, and holders of stock (just like you did in Section I). Include their title, percent of ownership, TIN, address, and identification.

Step 8. Answer Questions in Section III (Questions 27 - 31)

• Question 27: Is the entity or any of its owners ineligible due to federal regulations?
  • This question pertains to all the entity owners.
• Question 28: Does the entity have any Affiliates? 
  • If "Yes," then attach a list of all the affiliates.
• Question 29: Has the entity or its affiliates ever filed for bankruptcy protection?
  • If so, you'll need to provide documentation and details.
• Question 30: Is the entity or affiliates presently involved in any pending legal action?
  • If "Yes," you'll need to provide details.
• ​Question 31: Has the entity ever obtained, guaranteed, or applied for a direct or guaranteed loan from the SBA or other federal loan program?
  • If you answered "Yes," you'll need to verify if any of those loans are currently delinquent and if you've ever defaulted on those loans.

Step 9. Review Section III: Sign and Date

Almost there. Once you've finished filling out Section III, review your answers and the representations, acknowledgment, and authorization. Enter your printed name, title, signature, and date at the bottom of page 10.

Step 10. Add Completed SBA Form 1919 to Your Overall Loan Application

Congratulations! You've finished this mammoth of a form.

However, this is only one of many forms you'll need for your SBA 7(a) loan application, so add it to your pile of other documents before submitting. And don't forget to include the additional documentation and details you'll need to include for any answers you marked "Yes."

Download our Comprehensive Guide to SBA 7(a) Small Business Loans to learn everything you need to know about SBA loans, qualifying, and required documents.