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HomeFinancial CodeDiv. 1.1Ch. 14Art. 3§ 1481 Bank Lending Limits

§ 1481 Bank Lending Limits

Financial Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 1481 Bank Lending Limits

This law sets limits on how much money a bank can lend to one person or company. It says the bank can't lend too much compared to its own money and safety funds.

Key Takeaways

  • •Banks can’t lend too much money to one person or company—it’s like a safety rule to keep banks from taking big risks.
  • •The limit depends on how much safety money the bank has (like savings and backup funds).
  • •Unsecured loans (no collateral) have a lower limit than secured loans (with collateral).
  • •Banks don’t have to suddenly pay back old loans that followed the old rules.

Example

A small business owner wants to borrow money from a bank to expand their store.

The bank checks how much money it has in its safety funds and can only lend up to 25% of that total to this one business owner.

How to Calculate

Total Lending Limit = 25% × (Shareholders’ Equity + Allowance for Loan Losses + Capital Notes + Debentures)

  1. Add up the bank’s shareholders’ equity, allowance for loan losses, capital notes, and debentures.
  2. Multiply the total by 0.25 (or 25%) to find the maximum amount the bank can lend to one person or company.
  3. If the loan is unsecured, the limit is 15% of the same total instead of 25%.

A bank has $10 million in shareholders’ equity, $2 million in allowance for loan losses, $1 million in capital notes, and $1 million in debentures.

Result: Total = $10M + $2M + $1M + $1M = $14M. The bank can lend up to 25% of $14M, which is $3.5M to one person or company. If the loan is unsecured, the limit is $2.1M (15% of $14M).

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 1481 Bank Lending Limits

The obligations, as defined in Section 1480, excepting the obligations described in Section 1485 and the obligations described in Section 1483, of any one person owing to a commercial bank at any one time shall not exceed the following limitations: (a) Obligations which are unsecured shall not exceed 15 percent of the sum of the shareholders’ equity, allowance for loan losses, capital notes, and debentures of the bank. (b) Obligations, secured and unsecured, in all shall not exceed 25 percent of the sum of the shareholders’ equity, allowance for loan losses, capital notes, and debentures of the bank. The calculation in subdivision (a) and this subdivision shall conform to a commercial bank’s one-time election to opt out of the requirement to include all components of accumulated other comprehensive income pursuant to, and in accordance with, the authority granted in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 324.22 of Part 324 of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Obligations arising out of the discount of commercial or business paper actually owned by the person negotiating the same and endorsed by such person without limitation, together with the secured and unsecured obligations, if any, of such person, shall not exceed 40 percent of the sum of the shareholders’ equity, allowance for loan losses, capital notes, and debentures of the bank. No commercial bank shall be required, solely by reason of the amendments of this article, to dispose of or reduce any loan which complied with the applicable limitations of this division at the time such loan was made, nor shall any such bank be prevented solely by reason of the provisions of this article from renewing any such loan from time to time. (Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 452, Sec. 101. (SB 1498) Effective January 1, 2023.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

allowanceshareholderregulationobligationfinecalculationelectionrequirement

Related Statutes

  • § 1483 Bank Letter Of Credit Limits
  • § 1491 Bank Loan Security Restrictions
  • § 8053 Commissioner Regulatory Authority
  • § 1482 Collateral Eligibility Requirements
  • § 1811 Foreign Bank Asset Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Financial Code. Section 1481.
View Official Source