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HomeCommercial CodeDiv. 9Ch. 5§ 9501 Financing Statement Filing Locations

§ 9501 Financing Statement Filing Locations

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

§ 9501 Financing Statement Filing Locations

Key Takeaways

  • •If you want to make sure your loan is protected by something valuable (like a house or equipment), you have to file a special paper called a 'financing statement'.
  • •If the valuable thing is part of land (like trees to be cut or equipment attached to a building), you file the paper where you would file a mortgage for that land.
  • •For everything else, you file the paper with the Secretary of State.
  • •If the valuable thing is owned by a company that sends stuff like electricity or gas, you always file with the Secretary of State.

Example

You lend money to a friend who owns a farm, and they agree to let you use their trees as security if they can't pay you back.

Since the trees are part of the land, you would file your financing statement in the same office where you would file a mortgage for that farm land.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 9501 Financing Statement Filing Locations

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b), if the local law of this state governs perfection of a security interest or agricultural lien, the office in which to file a financing statement to perfect the security interest or agricultural lien is either of the following: (1) The office designated for the filing or recording of a record of a mortgage on the related real property, if either of the following conditions is satisfied: (A) The collateral is as-extracted collateral or timber to be cut. (B) The financing statement is filed as a fixture filing and the collateral is goods that are or are to become fixtures. (2) The office of the Secretary of State in all other cases, including a case in which the collateral is goods that are or are to become fixtures and the financing statement is not filed as a fixture filing. (b) The office in which to file a financing statement to perfect a security interest in collateral, including fixtures, of a transmitting utility is the office of the Secretary of State. The financing statement also constitutes a fixture filing as to the collateral indicated in the financing statement which is or is to become fixtures. (Repealed and added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 991, Sec. 35. Effective January 1, 2000. Operative July 1, 2001, by Sec. 75 of Ch. 991 and Section 9701.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

financing statementsecurity interestagricultural lienas-extracted collateralfixture filingtransmitting utilitySecretary of State

Related Statutes

  • § 9519 Filing Office Record Requirements
  • § 9502 Financing Statement Requirements
  • § 9505 Financing Statement Filing Terms
  • § 9525 Financing Statement Filing Fees
  • § 9317 Priority Of Security Interests

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Commercial Code. Section 9501.
View Official Source