At the request of another state, the Attorney General of this state may bring an action in the name of the other state, in any court of appropriate jurisdiction of this state or federal court within this state, to enforce the unclaimed property laws of the other state against a holder in this state of property subject to escheat by the other state, if:
§ 1574.Action By Attorney General In Name of Another State to Enforce Unclaimed Property Laws
Title 10. Unclaimed Property · Chapter 7. Unclaimed Property Law · Article 6. Compliance and Enforcement · Enacted 1968 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1574 lets California's Attorney General, at another state's request, sue a California holder in that state's name to enforce its unclaimed property law, but only when the other state's own courts can't reach the holder, reciprocity exists, and the other state agrees to pay costs.
Full Text of § 1574
(a) The courts of the other state cannot obtain jurisdiction over the holder;
(b) The other state has agreed to bring actions in the name of this state at the request of the Attorney General of this state to enforce the provisions of this chapter against any person in the other state believed by the State Controller to hold property subject to escheat under this chapter, where the courts of this state cannot obtain jurisdiction over such person; and
(c) The other state has agreed to pay reasonable costs incurred by the Attorney General in bringing the action.
Plain-English Summary
Sometimes a holder doing business in California is holding property that belongs, under another state's escheat law, to that other state, but the other state has no way to bring the holder into its own courts. This section lets California's Attorney General step in and sue the holder here, in the other state's name, to enforce that state's unclaimed property law.
That help comes with conditions. The other state's courts must be unable to obtain jurisdiction over the holder; the other state must have already agreed to return the favor, bringing actions in California's name against holders in its own territory when California can't reach them; and the other state must agree to cover the Attorney General's reasonable costs of bringing the action.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can California's Attorney General sue a holder on another state's behalf?
When the other state's courts can't obtain jurisdiction over the holder, the other state has agreed to reciprocal enforcement, and the other state agrees to pay the costs.
Does the other state have to pay for this?
Yes. Section 1574 makes the other state's agreement to pay the Attorney General's reasonable costs a condition of the arrangement.
Is this a one-way arrangement, or does it depend on reciprocity?
It depends on reciprocity. The other state must have already agreed to bring comparable actions in California's name at the Attorney General's request.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1968, Ch. 356.
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: attorney general sue for another state unclaimed propertyreciprocal enforcement escheat law