§ 354.3.Owner Or Heir Or Beneficiary of Owner of Holocaust- Era Artwork
Title 2. Of the Time of Commencing Civil Actions · Chapter 4. General Provisions as to the Time of Commencing Actions · Enacted 1758 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 354.3 lets an owner, heir, or beneficiary recover Holocaust-era artwork from a museum or gallery through an action commenced on or before December 31, 2010, without dismissal for missing the ordinary statute of limitations.
(a)The following definitions govern the construction of this section:
(1)"Entity" means any museum or gallery that displays, exhibits, or sells any article of historical, interpretive, scientific, or artistic significance.
(2)"Holocaust-era artwork" means any article of artistic significance taken as a result of Nazi persecution during the period of 1929 to 1945, inclusive.
(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any owner, or heir or beneficiary of an owner, of Holocaust- era artwork, may bring an action to recover Holocaust-era artwork from any entity described in paragraph
(1)of subdivision (a). Subject to Section 410.10, that action may be brought in a superior court of this state, which court shall have jurisdiction over that action until its completion or resolution. Section 361 does not apply to this section.
(c)Any action brought under this section shall not be dismissed for failure to comply with the applicable statute of limitation, if the action is commenced on or before December 31, 2010.
Plain-English Summary
Section 354.3 addresses a specific historical wrong: artwork taken as a result of Nazi persecution between 1929 and 1945. It lets the owner of that artwork, or an heir or beneficiary of the owner, sue a museum or gallery that displays, exhibits, or sells the piece in order to recover it.
The section removes the ordinary statute-of-limitations defense for these claims, so long as the action is commenced on or before December 31, 2010. It also states that § 361 — which can bar a claim already time-barred where it arose — does not apply here, and it fixes jurisdiction in a California superior court until the case is resolved.
This is one of several similarly structured historical-claims provisions in this chapter (see also §§ 354.4, 354.45, 354.5, 354.6, and 354.7), each aimed at a defined class of claimants and each built around a hard outside filing date rather than an open-ended tolling rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can heirs of a Holocaust victim still sue to recover looted artwork in California?
Yes, if the action was commenced on or before December 31, 2010. Section 354.3 lets an owner, heir, or beneficiary sue a museum or gallery to recover Holocaust-era artwork without the action being dismissed for missing the ordinary limitations deadline.
Does the usual statute of limitations bar these artwork recovery claims?
Section 354.3 states the action shall not be dismissed for failure to comply with the applicable statute of limitation, as long as it was commenced by the December 31, 2010 deadline set in the section.
Does § 361's foreign-jurisdiction time bar apply to Holocaust-era artwork claims?
No. Section 354.3 expressly states that § 361 does not apply to actions brought under this section.
Amendment History
Added by Stats 2002 ch 332 (AB 1758),s 2, eff. 1/1/2003.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:holocaust era artwork recovery california statute of limitationsnazi looted art lawsuit deadline