What is Original Bill of Lading?
An original bill of lading is the signed bill issued by the carrier, or by an NVOCC acting as carrier, that serves as a receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage and, in negotiable form, a document of title. Under a negotiable ("to order") bill, the right to take delivery passes by endorsement and transfer of the original, and the carrier should deliver only against surrender of an original. Bills are usually issued in a set of originals, commonly three, and state that once one has been accomplished the others stand void. Alternatives include the sea waybill, which is non-negotiable and needs no original for delivery, the surrender or telex release, where originals are surrendered at origin, and electronic bills of lading. Electronic bills now have statutory recognition in some jurisdictions, including the UK under the Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023 and Singapore, both aligned with the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records.
Why it matters for forwarders
Original bills are central to documentary trade: under UCP 600 article 20, a letter of credit normally requires presentation of the full set of originals as issued, so losing one can make the presentation discrepant. Because the holder controls delivery, releasing cargo without an original exposes the carrier or NVOCC to claims, and P&I clubs exclude that liability from cover, which is why such releases are normally made only against a letter of indemnity. Courier delays for originals, especially on short sea routes where the cargo arrives before the documents, are a frequent cause of demurrage, so consider a sea waybill or surrender release when no bank or title transfer is involved. Check the number of originals, consignee, notify party and on-board notation against the LC or sale contract before issue. Keep strict control over original stock and signatures, because bills issued or released in error are a well-known fraud risk.