Cal. Fin. Code § 1483 — Loan Limits

(a) In addition to the limitations contained in Section 1481 a commercial bank may issue letters of credit and a commercial bank may accept drafts or bills of exchange drawn upon it having not more than six months’ sight to run, exclusive of days of grace, which grow out of transactions involving the importation or exportation of goods; or which grow out of transactions involving the domestic shipment of goods; or which are secured at the time of acceptance by a warehouse receipt or other such document conveying or securing title covering readily marketable staples. A commercial bank shall not accept such drafts or bills in the aggregate to an amount exceeding 150 percent of the sum of its shareholders’ equity, allowance for loan losses, capital notes, and debentures or, when authorized by the commissioner, to an amount exceeding 200 percent of the sum of its shareholders’ equity, allowance for loan losses, capital notes, and debentures. A commercial bank shall not accept such drafts or bills for any one person to an amount exceeding 10 percent of the sum of its shareholders’ equity, allowance for loan losses, capital notes, and debentures, unless the bank is and remains secured by either attached documents or some other actual security growing out of the same transaction as the acceptance.

(b) With respect to a bank which issues an acceptance, the limitations contained in this section shall not apply to that portion of an acceptance which is issued by such bank and which is covered by a participation agreement sold to another institution.