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HomeCommercial CodeDiv. 4Ch. 2§ 4202 Bank Item Collection Duties

§ 4202 Bank Item Collection Duties

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

§ 4202 Bank Item Collection Duties

This law says a bank that collects checks has to be careful when it sends the check for payment, tells you if the check bounces, settles the check, or reports a loss, and it must act quickly—usually by midnight—after it gets the check or notice.

Key Takeaways

  • •The collecting bank must be careful when it presents a check, notifies you of a bounce, settles the check, or reports a loss.
  • •It has to take the right action by midnight after it gets the check or notice, unless it can prove a good reason for a longer wait.
  • •The bank isn’t responsible for another bank’s mistakes or for a check that gets lost while someone else is holding it.

Example

You deposit a check, and the bank sends it to the other bank for payment. The other bank says the check didn’t clear, so your bank must tell you right away and handle the situation before midnight.

The bank must be careful when it sends the check for payment, let you know the check didn’t pay, and act quickly, just as the law requires.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 4202 Bank Item Collection Duties

(a) A collecting bank shall exercise ordinary care in all of the following: (1) Presenting an item or sending it for presentment. (2) Sending notice of dishonor or nonpayment or returning an item other than a documentary draft to the bank’s transferor after learning that the item has not been paid or accepted, as the case may be. (3) Settling for an item when the bank receives final settlement. (4) Notifying its transferor of any loss or delay in transit within a reasonable time after discovery thereof. (b) A collecting bank exercises ordinary care under subdivision (a) by taking proper action before its midnight deadline following receipt of an item, notice, or settlement. Taking proper action within a reasonably longer time may constitute the exercise of ordinary care, but the bank has the burden of establishing timeliness. (c) Subject to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), a bank is not liable for the insolvency, neglect, misconduct, mistake, or default of another bank or person or for loss or destruction of an item in the possession of others or in transit. (Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 914, Sec. 19. Effective January 1, 1993.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

collecting bankordinary caremidnight deadlinetransferor

Related Statutes

  • § 4203 Bank Transfer Instructions Liability
  • § 11205 Payment Order Error Liability
  • § 4201 Bank Settlement Provisional Status
  • § 4204 Bank Item Collection Rules
  • § 4210 Bank Security Interest Rules

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Commercial Code. Section 4202.
View Official Source