FAR 53.245—Government property.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 53.245 prescribes the standard Government forms used to report, reutilize, dispose of, and account for Government property. This section does not itself create the substantive property-management rules; instead, it tells contracting officers, contractors, and property administrators which forms must be used when the FAR Parts 41, 45, 49, and related agency procedures require reporting excess personal property, offering property for sale, verifying inventories, documenting disposal, or preparing inventory disposal schedules. The section covers SF 120 and SF 120A for excess personal property, SF 126 and SF 126A for personal property offered for sale, SF 1423 for inventory verification surveys, SF 1424 for inventory disposal reports, and SF 1428 and SF 1429 for inventory disposal schedules. In practice, this matters because using the correct prescribed form is part of compliant property administration and disposal, and the forms create the official record used to move property through reutilization, sale, or disposal channels. The section also notes which forms are authorized for local reproduction, which is important for administrative efficiency and standardized reporting.
Key Rules
Use prescribed forms
When the cited FAR provisions require reporting or accounting for Government property, the specified Standard Forms must be used. The section is a prescription rule, meaning it identifies the approved form for each property-management task.
Excess property reporting
SF 120 and SF 120A are the prescribed forms for reporting excess personal property. They are used when property is identified as excess and must be reported for reutilization or other disposition under the referenced property rules.
Property for sale reporting
SF 126 and SF 126A are the prescribed forms for reporting personal property for sale. These forms support the sale/disposal process under the cited Federal Property Management Regulations and related procedures.
Inventory verification surveys
SF 1423 is prescribed for inventory verification surveys. It is used in the inventory oversight process referenced by FAR 45.602-1(b)(1), helping confirm the existence and status of Government property.
Disposal reporting and schedules
SF 1424 is prescribed for inventory disposal reports, and SF 1428 and SF 1429 are prescribed for inventory disposal schedules and continuation sheets. These forms support the formal documentation needed to dispose of Government property and to process disposal actions under the cited FAR and contract clauses.
Local reproduction allowed
SF 1424, SF 1428, and SF 1429 are authorized for local reproduction. This means agencies and contractors may reproduce these forms locally, but they must preserve the prescribed content and use them in accordance with the referenced rules.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Ensure the contract incorporates and applies the correct property clauses and that the prescribed forms are used when required by the applicable FAR parts and agency procedures. The contracting officer also relies on these forms to support oversight, disposition decisions, and contract closeout where Government property is involved.
Contractor
Prepare and submit the required property reports, inventory verification documentation, disposal reports, and disposal schedules using the correct prescribed forms when the contract or property administrator requires them. The contractor must also maintain accurate property records so the forms reflect current, supportable information.
Property Administrator
Review property records and submissions, direct use of the appropriate forms, and verify that excess, sale, inventory, and disposal actions are documented correctly. The property administrator uses these forms to track accountability and ensure compliance with Government property requirements.
Agency Property Office
Process excess property, sale reporting, and disposal documentation using the prescribed forms and ensure the forms are available or reproduced as authorized. The agency property office also coordinates the downstream reutilization, sale, or disposal actions supported by these forms.
Government personnel handling property
Identify property actions that trigger reporting or disposal documentation and route the information through the proper form and approval channels. Personnel must ensure the records are complete enough to support accountability and disposition decisions.
Practical Implications
This section is mainly about form control, but using the wrong form or an outdated version can delay excess-property screening, sale processing, or disposal approval.
Contractors should not treat these forms as optional templates; they are prescribed instruments tied to specific FAR citations and property actions.
Because some forms are authorized for local reproduction, users should still verify the current revision and required content before reproducing or submitting them.
The forms are part of the audit trail for Government property, so incomplete or inconsistent entries can create accountability problems and delay contract closeout or disposal.
Users should read this section together with FAR Part 45 and the cited clauses and procedures, because the substantive rules for when to report, verify, or dispose of property are found elsewhere.
Official Regulatory Text
The following forms are prescribed, as specified in this section, for use in reporting, reutilization, and disposal of Government property and in accounting for this property: (a) SF 120 (GSA), Report of Excess Personal Property, and SF 120A (GSA), Continuation Sheet (Report of Excess Personal Property) . (See 45.602-3 and 41 CFR 102-36.215 .) (b) SF 126 (GSA), Report of Personal Property for Sale, and SF 126A (GSA), Report of Personal Property for Sale (Continuation Sheet) . (See FPMR 101-45.303 (41 CFR101-45.303.)) (c) SF 1423 (Rev.5/04), Inventory Verification Survey . (See 45.602-1 (b)(1).) (d) SF 1424 (Rev.5/2004), Inventory Disposal Report (See 45.605 ) . SF 1424 is authorized for local reproduction. (e) SF 1428 (Rev.6/2007), Inventory Disposal Schedule, and SF 1429 (Rev.5/2004), Inventory Disposal Schedule-Continuation Sheet . (See 45.602-1 , 49.303-2 , 52.245-1 , and 53.249 (b).) SF’s 1428 and 1429 are authorized for local reproduction.