Bill of lading

A bill of lading has three traditional functions: receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage and, where negotiable, document of title (DCSA shipping glossary). Under the Hague-Visby Rules, given the force of law in the United Kingdom by the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971, the carrier must on the shipper's demand issue a bill showing identifying marks, quantity or weight and apparent order and condition of the goods. The bill is prima facie evidence of receipt, and contrary proof is not admissible once it has been transferred to a third party acting in good faith (article III(3)-(4)). In UK law, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992 vests rights of suit under the contract of carriage in the lawful holder of a bill of lading (section 2(1)). For that Act, a document that cannot be transferred by indorsement, or as a bearer bill by delivery, is not a bill of lading (section 1(2)). The Rotterdam Rules (2008; not in force as at 17 October 2026) use the wider term "transport document" and distinguish negotiable from non-negotiable forms (article 1(14)-(16)); a holder of a negotiable document claims delivery by surrendering it (article 47). The Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023 lists the bill of lading among documents that may exist electronically (section 1(2)(c)).