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HomeCorporations CodeCh. 2§ 25116 Usury Exemption For Securities

§ 25116 Usury Exemption For Securities

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

§ 25116 Usury Exemption For Securities

This law says that certain kinds of debt papers that meet special qualifications are not limited by the usual interest‑rate caps, as long as the issuer and buyer follow the rules set by the commissioner.

Key Takeaways

  • •Debt papers that qualify under this chapter are exempt from the Constitution’s usury limits.
  • •The issuer and anyone who buys the paper must follow any rules the commissioner sets for the qualification.
  • •The exemption stays in place even if a court later calls the paper a “security.”

Example

A small business gets a loan that is written up as a special note because it meets the qualification rules. The note says it can charge a higher interest rate than normally allowed.

Because the note follows the qualification rules, the business can charge the higher rate without breaking the interest‑rate limits, even if a court later decides the note looks like a security.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 25116 Usury Exemption For Securities

(a) An evidence of indebtedness issued pursuant to a qualification under this chapter or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 25120), and the purchasers or holders thereof, shall be exempt from the usury provisions of the Constitution, subject to compliance by the issuer and purchaser with the terms and requirements that may be imposed by the commissioner as a condition of the qualification. This section creates and authorizes a class of transactions and persons pursuant to Section 1 of Article XV of the Constitution. (b) Any evidence of indebtedness issued in compliance with this section shall be entitled to the benefits of the usury exemption contained in this section regardless of whether subsequent to its issuance the evidence of indebtedness is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be a “security.” (Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 477, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

evidence of indebtednessusury provisionssecurity

Related Statutes

  • § 25117 Usury Exemption For Rated Debt
  • § 25211.5 Broker-Dealer Usury Exemption
  • § 25218 Broker-Dealer Transaction Rules
  • § 27100 Security Owner Representation Fees
  • § 5214 Corporate Officer Signing Authority

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Corporations Code. Section 25116.
View Official Source