Mate's Receipt

A mate’s receipt is the document the ship’s officer signs acknowledging that goods have been received on board, issued before the bill of lading. It records the quantity, marks, and apparent condition of the cargo, and any clausing noting defects passes into the bill of lading, so the mate’s receipt drives whether the bill is clean or claused. The mate’s receipt is a receipt, not a document of title: possession of it does not transfer the goods, and it is not negotiable. The holder named in it is usually entitled to demand the bill of lading. It is the carrier’s primary contemporaneous evidence of the cargo’s condition at loading.