A fund is hereby created in the State Treasury, to be known as the Unclaimed Property Fund. All money, except permanently escheated money, paid to the state or any officer or employee thereof for deposit in the State Treasury under the provisions of this title shall, on order of the Controller, be deposited in the Unclaimed Property Fund. All property other than money, including the proceeds from the sale or other disposition thereof, except permanently escheated property received by, or coming into the possession of, the state or any officer or employee thereof under the provisions of this title shall, on order of the Controller, be deposited in the State Treasury to be held in the Unclaimed Property Fund.
§ 1313.Unclaimed Property Fund
Title 10. Unclaimed Property · Chapter 2. Receipt and Expenditure of Funds · Article 1. Deposit of Unclaimed Property · Last amended 1978 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1313 creates the Unclaimed Property Fund in the State Treasury and requires the Controller to deposit into it all non-permanently-escheated money paid to the state under this Title, along with non-cash property and the proceeds of its sale or disposal.
Full Text of § 1313
Plain-English Summary
This section builds the central account that the rest of Chapter 2 revolves around: the Unclaimed Property Fund, held in the State Treasury. Everything this Title routes into state custody lands here first, with one carve-out.
All money paid to the state or a state officer for deposit in the Treasury under this Title goes into the Fund, on the Controller's order -- except money that has already permanently escheated, which follows a different path into the General Fund instead. The same rule applies to non-cash property, and to the proceeds from selling or otherwise disposing of it: it goes into the Fund unless it has permanently escheated. Keeping ordinary escheated property in this Fund, rather than mixing it into the General Fund immediately, is what keeps it available for a claimant to recover later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Unclaimed Property Fund?
A fund created by this section in the State Treasury that holds unclaimed money and property paid to the state under this Title, other than property that has permanently escheated.
Why does permanently escheated property not go into this Fund?
Because permanent escheat bars all future claims, so that property and its proceeds instead go to the General Fund rather than staying available in an account a claimant could still draw from.
Does this Fund hold only cash?
No -- it holds both money and non-cash property, including the proceeds from selling or otherwise disposing of that property.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1183.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: unclaimed property fund californiastate treasury unclaimed money account