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California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California SB 1029

Vehicle lien sales: proceeds.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Passed House
  5. To Governor
  6. Vetoed

Sponsors

Cosponsors (2)

Summary

Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary

Existing law establishes the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund and requires moneys in the account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be expended by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of the California Highway Patrol for the purposes of enforcing laws related to vehicles or the use of highways. Existing law requires a lienholder to comply with specified procedures to conduct a vehicle lien sale. With regards to those procedures, existing law requires that the proceeds of a vehicle lien sale be paid to the lienholder in the amount necessary to discharge the lien and to cover the cost of processing the vehicle, among other requirements. Existing law requires that the balance be forwarded to the Department of Motor Vehicles and requires the balance to be deposited in the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund, as provided. Existing law authorizes any person claiming an interest in the vehicle to file a claim with the Department of Motor Vehicles for any portion of the funds from the lien sale that was forwarded to the department, as provided. Existing law prohibits the Department of Motor Vehicles from honoring any claim unless the claim has been filed within 3 years of the date the funds were deposited in the Motor Vehicle Account. This bill would delete the above-described prohibition against the Department of Motor Vehicles from honoring any claim. The bill would, instead, 3 years after the date the funds were deposited in the Motor Vehicle Account, require the Department of Motor Vehicles to transfer any funds deposited in the Motor Vehicle Account to the Controller and would require the funds to be treated as escheated property. The bill would make the bill's provisions operative on January 1, 2030. Because this bill would require the balance to be treated as escheated property to the state, and thereby deposited in the Unclaimed Property Fund, which is a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 8:06 AM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Aug 24, 2026
Senate		Unfinished Business SB1029 Seyarto et al. ConcurrencepassSet your home in California to see
Aug 20, 2026
House		SB 1029 Seyarto Senate Third Reading By DaviespassSet your home in California to see
Aug 13, 2026
House		Do pass as amended.passSet your home in California to see
Jun 29, 2026
House		Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent CalendarpassSet your home in California to see
May 22, 2026
Senate		Special Consent SB1029 Seyarto et al.passSet your home in California to see
May 14, 2026
Senate		Do passpassSet your home in California to see
Apr 27, 2026
Senate		Placed on suspense filepassSet your home in California to see
Apr 14, 2026
Senate		Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent CalendarpassSet your home in California to see

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