Commercial Law in the United States is largely governed by the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). The UCC is a model code which is jointly created and revised by two non-governmental organizations, the American Law Institute (ALI) and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) in order to normalize the law and ensure applicability nationally. Therefore, the UCC is not itself a law; it only has the force of law when it is adopted by a jurisdiction. Currently, every U.S. state and the District of Columbia have individually adopted at least part of the UCC. Each jurisdiction may make its own modifications or organize it differently. Louisiana, as an example, has never adopted Article 2 of the UCC. AS a result, it helps to be familiar with the UCC to understand the law of each state. This guide is largely designed to help users navigate the UCC and related materials. For guidance navigating the codes of each state, please see the respective state's research guide.
The UCC is divided into the following articles:
Article 1: General Provisions
Article 2: Sales
Article 2A: Leases
Article 3: Commercial Paper
Article 4: Bank Deposits and Collections
Article 4A: Funds Transfers
Article 5: Letters of Credit
Article 6: Bulk Transfers
Article 7: Warehouse Receipts, Bills of Lading and Other Documents of Title
Article 8: Investment Securities
Article 9: Secured Transactions; Sales of Accounts and Chattel Paper
Article10: Effective Date and Repealer
Article 11: Effective Date and Transition Provisions
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