How to Acquire Federal Excess Personal Property

Federal agencies are by law required to report personal property to GSA for screening. Through GSAXcess®, federal agencies can search and request federal excess personal property. In addition, the system facilitates the transfer of property between federal agencies.

Transfers between federal agencies are normally made without charge for the property itself. For transfers to project grantees, however, the sponsoring federal agency must pay the U.S. Treasury 25 percent of the original acquisition cost of the property unless the project grantees are specifically exempt by law. Care, handling, and transportation are paid by the receiving agency.

Eligible Federal Agencies

The following organizations are eligible to obtain excess property:

  • Architect of the Capitol
  • Certain nonfederal agencies eligible to use GSA sources of supply
  • Cost-reimbursable government contractors
  • District of Columbia municipal government
  • Federal agencies, including wholly-owned government corporations
  • Federal cooperatives and project grantees
  • Federal judicial agencies
  • Mixed-ownership corporations as defined in the Government Corporation Act
  • U.S. Congress

Direct Transfers

Under FMR 102-36.145, federal agencies may acquire federal excess personal property directly from another federal agency that has not yet reported the property to GSA. The federal agency accountable for the property can directly transfer its excess personal property to another federal agency without prior GSA approval provided the total acquisition cost of the excess property does not exceed $10,000 per line item. In this situation, an SF122, Transfer Order - Excess Personal Property, must be completed for the direct transfer and signed by an authorized official of the receiving agency. A copy of the signed SF122 must be provided to the appropriate GSA office within 10 workdays from the date of the transaction.

Excess personal property exceeding the $10,000 per line item limitation may also be obtained provided that the appropriate GSA Personal Property Management Office is first contacted for verbal approval of a prearranged transfer by the holding agency. An SF122 (Excess Transfer) must be prepared annotating the name of the GSA approving official and the date of the verbal approval. A copy of the completed transfer order must be provided to GSA within 10 workdays from the date of transaction.

Agencies conducting direct transfers are subject to the requirement to pay reimbursement for the excess personal property under a direct transfer when any of the conditions in Federal Management Regulation 102-36.75(b) applies.

Excess personal property may also be obtained directly from another federal agency without GSA approval when that federal agency has separate statutory authority to dispose of such excess personal property and the agency is an eligible recipient.

Searching for Federal Excess Personal Property

The screening period starts when GSA receives the agency’s report of excess personal property, and the screening period is normally 21 calendar days. However, GSA may extend or shorten the screening period in coordination with the holding agency. Visit GSAXcess® or GSAXcess® Entry Guidelines for more detailed information.  

Federal agencies may authorize its agency employees, contractors, or nonfederal sponsored recipients to screen excess personal property. Normally, the person who is responsible for determining eligibility for screening and permission levels for the screener is the agency National Utilization Officer (NUO), DoD Accountable Officer, or DoD Contracting Officer. For federal agencies wanting to establish or update their agency National Utilization Officer (NUO) contact information, email gsaxcess@gsa.gov for assistance.

Agencies may use the following methods to find out what excess personal property is available:

  • Check GSA’s online excess personal property system GSAXcess®, the customer’s online worldwide inventory of federal excess personal property which requires the user to have an access code and password, GSAXcess® Entry Guidelines; or
  • Contact the appropriate GSA Personal Property Management Office for information on available excess property; or
  • Conduct onsite screening at various federal facilities.

GSAXcess® Excess Transfers to Other Agencies

When a user of GSAXcess®, the customer’s online interface to the worldwide inventory of available excess personal property, requests excess property, the GSA Area Property Officer (APO), in the region where the property is located, reviews and allocates the property normally on a first come, first serve basis.

  • Once an allocation has been made, an electronic transfer order is emailed or faxed to the Approving Official for signature.
  • The approving official signs the transfer order and faxes it back to the GSA Area Property Officer.
  • The GSA APO requisitions the property and faxes an approved transfer order back to the requestor.
  • The holding agency receives a copy of the transfer order.
  • The requestor must contact the holding agency to arrange for the pickup of the property.
Last Reviewed 5/1/2009