Straight bill of lading

The DCSA shipping glossary defines a straight bill as a non-negotiable bill of lading with a named consignee, and states that goods are released only on presentation of the original and identification of the named consignee. The Explanatory Notes to the UK Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023 say straight bills are usually marked "non-negotiable" (paragraph 24). Legal treatment differs between instruments. The 2023 Act is intended to cover straight bills where possession is a necessary aspect of their functionality (Explanatory Notes, paragraph 24). For the purposes of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992, a document incapable of transfer by indorsement or, as a bearer bill, by delivery is not a "bill of lading" (section 1(2)(a)). The Rotterdam Rules (2008; not in force as at 17 October 2026) have a specific delivery rule for non-negotiable transport documents that state they must be surrendered (article 46). The Explanatory Note to the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) gives straight bills as an example of documents outside its definition of an electronic transferable record because their transferability is limited, while noting that this does not prevent issuing them on an electronic records system (paragraph 88).