2023 California Code › Commercial Code - COM › DIVISION 9 - SECURED TRANSACTIONS › CHAPTER 3 - Perfection and Priority › Section 9313.

9313. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b), a secured party may perfect a security interest in goods, instruments, negotiable tangible documents, or tangible money by taking possession of the collateral. A secured party may perfect a security interest in certificated securities by taking delivery of the certificated securities under Section 8301.
(b) With respect to goods covered by a certificate of title issued by this state, a secured party may perfect a security interest in the goods by taking possession of the goods only in the circumstances described in subdivision (d) of Section 9316.
(c) With respect to collateral other than certificated securities and goods covered by a document, a secured party takes possession of collateral in the possession of a person other than the debtor, the secured party, or a lessee of the collateral from the debtor in the ordinary course of the debtor’s business, when either of the following conditions is satisfied:
(1) The person in possession signs a record acknowledging that it holds possession of the collateral for the secured party’s benefit.
(2) The person takes possession of the collateral after having signed a record acknowledging that it will hold possession of the collateral for the secured party’s benefit.
(d) If perfection of a security interest depends upon possession of the collateral by a secured party, perfection occurs not earlier than the time the secured party takes possession and continues only while the secured party retains possession.
(e) A security interest in a certificated security in registered form is perfected by delivery when delivery of the certificated security occurs under Section 8301 and remains perfected by delivery until the debtor obtains possession of the security certificate.
(f) A person in possession of collateral is not required to acknowledge that it holds possession for a secured party’s benefit.
(g) If a person acknowledges that it holds possession for the secured party’s benefit, both of the following apply:
(1) The acknowledgment is effective under subdivision (c) or under subdivision (a) of Section 8301, even if the acknowledgment violates the rights of a debtor.
(2) Unless the person otherwise agrees or law other than this division otherwise provides, the person does not owe any duty to the secured party and is not required to confirm the acknowledgment to another person.
(h) A secured party having possession of collateral does not relinquish possession by delivering the collateral to a person other than the debtor or a lessee of the collateral from the debtor in the ordinary course of the debtor’s business if the person was instructed before the delivery or is instructed contemporaneously with the delivery to do either of the following:
(1) To hold possession of the collateral for the secured party’s benefit.
(2) To redeliver the collateral to the secured party.
(i) A secured party does not relinquish possession, even if a delivery under subdivision (h) violates the rights of a debtor. A person to which collateral is delivered under subdivision (h) does not owe any duty to the secured party and is not required to confirm the delivery to another person unless the person otherwise agrees or law other than this division otherwise provides.
(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 210, Sec. 43. (SB 95) Effective January 1, 2024.)