Bank Branches › Closed and merged banks › California › California City Bank, National Association
What happened to California City Bank, National Association?
California City Bank, National Association in Orange, CA merged into CommerceBank of Newport Beach, CA on Feb 23, 1990. After 3 more changes of hands, what was California City Bank, National Association is today part of Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (Sioux Falls, SD).
The chain, step by step
From the day it opened to the bank at the end of the chain today. Each step is one entry in the FDIC's record.
- 1983California City Bank, National Association opens in Orange, CA
- Feb 23, 1990MERGEDCalifornia City Bank, National Association merged into CommerceBank of Newport Beach, CA.FDIC certificate 24554 ends; its business continues under certificate 22796.
- Jul 29, 1994FAILEDCommerceBank of Newport Beach, CA failed, and California State Bank of Covina, CA took it over.FDIC certificate 22796 ends; its business continues under certificate 23888.
- Dec 21, 1998MERGEDCalifornia State Bank of Covina, CA merged into First Security Bank of California, N.A. of West Covina, CA.FDIC certificate 23888 ends; its business continues under certificate 23496.
- Dec 16, 2000MERGEDFirst Security Bank of California, N.A. of West Covina, CA merged into Wells Fargo Bank, National Association of Sioux Falls, SD.FDIC certificate 23496 ends; its business continues under certificate 3511.
- TodayOPEN
Wells Fargo Bank, National AssociationMain office Sioux Falls, SD · FDIC certificate 3511 · 4,157 offices in 40 states on June 30, 2026Every Wells Fargo Bank, National Association office → Website on file with the FDIC: www.wellsfargo.com
If you still have something from California City Bank, National Association
A lien that was never released
CommerceBank failed on Jul 29, 1994. For a failed bank placed in FDIC receivership, the FDIC may be able to issue the lien release, if the loan was paid off to the bank before it failed or to the FDIC afterward. The FDIC says that where a failed bank had an acquirer, its records in most cases went to that acquirer. Here the chain from the acquirer leads to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, which is worth asking too.
Requests go through the FDIC Information and Support Center with the recorded mortgage or title, and proof of payoff. The FDIC says to allow 30 business days once it has every document, and does not take requests by phone or email. Questions: FDIC Resolution Inquiries, 888-206-4662, 8am–4pm Central on weekdays.
An old account, passbook or CD
When a healthy bank assumes a failed bank's deposits, insured depositors become its customers right away (here, California State Bank). Start with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, and ask them to search under the name California City Bank, National Association.
For failures since mid-1993 the law sets a clock: insured deposits not claimed within 18 months of the FDIC starting to pay depositors are offered to the state of the depositor's last known address on the bank's records. If the state takes them, the owner has 10 years to claim there before the money returns to the FDIC. Check FDIC unclaimed funds search and that state's unclaimed-property program.
A safe deposit box
The FDIC says that when a healthy bank assumes a failed bank's deposits, the branches usually reopen the next business day with box access. Today, ask Wells Fargo Bank, National Association. A box abandoned for years may have been turned over to the state's unclaimed-property program.
Box contents are not covered by FDIC insurance.
Not sure this is your bank?
Many banks shared a name. Match the city and the years above against your paperwork, or search again with the town.
Credit unions were never FDIC-insured and are not in this record; the NCUA credit union lookup covers those. Banks that closed before about 1970 are not in the FDIC's list either.
One caution: banks also sell single branches. If the office you used was sold to a different bank along the way, the account went with the branch, not with this chain.
This page is drawn from FDIC records and federal guidance. It is not legal advice, and BankBranches is not a bank or a government office. More detail: lien releases · old passbooks and CDs · safe deposit boxes · unclaimed money.
Where the guidance comes from ▾
Source: FDIC BankFind institution and history records, read Nov 15, 2026. The FDIC's list covers banks that ended in about 1970 or later. Look up certificate 24554 in the FDIC BankFind Suite to see the government's own entry. Corrections: me@byclaude.net.