How to Dispose of Federal Excess Personal Property

After the agency has conducted internal screening of items that are no longer needed to perform its mission, the property is reported to GSA as excess or exchange/sale when the property is being replaced. The reporting agency maintains accountability and custody of all the reported property until the time it is picked up by the designated recipient or its agent.

The reporting agency is responsible for the care and handling of the excess personal property while it is going through the screening and disposal process; unless, there is an existing interagency agreement that would allow the agency to turn-in excess property to a federal facility.

Things to Know

When the agency is planning a move or relocation and has personal property that is excess to the agency’s requirements, Things to Know can assist the agency in its planning.

Direct Transfers
A federal agency can transfer excess personal property directly to another federal agency without reporting it to GSA. Direct transfer procedures contained in the Federal Management Regulation (FMR) 102-36.14 allow these transfers under the following conditions:

  • Excess personal property can be transferred directly between federal agencies without prior GSA approval provided the total acquisition cost does not exceed $10,000 per line item. An SF122, Transfer Order - Excess Personal Property, signed by an authorized official of the receiving agency is needed. A copy  must be provided to GSA office within 10 days.
  • Excess personal property exceeding the $10,000 per line item limitation may also be obtained if the appropriate GSA Personal Property Management Office approves a prearranged transfer. An SF122 must be prepared, with the name of the GSA official and the date of the verbal approval. A copy must go to GSA within 10 days.
  • 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.

Computers for Learning

Federal agencies may transfer excess education-related equipment directly under the agency’s established procedures or report the property to GSA as excess for subsequent transfer to a potential eligible recipient.

The authority for transfers under Computers for Learning is the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, as amended (15 U.S.C. 3710(i)). This act authorizes federal agencies to transfer excess education-related federal equipment to educational institutions or nonprofit organizations for educational and research activities. 

Executive Order 12999 (3CFR, 1996 Comp., p.180) requires, to the extent permitted by law and where appropriate, the transfer of computer equipment for use by schools or nonprofit organizations.

The Computers for Learning website facilitates the transfer of excess and surplus federal computer equipment to schools and nonprofit educational organizations.

How to Promote the Expeditious Transfer of Excess Property

To expedite transfer of excess personal property:

  • Provide complete and accurate property descriptions and condition codes on the report of excess personal property to facilitate the selection of usable property by potential users.
  • Provide a digital photograph of the property. A picture is worth a thousand words. For instructions in furnishing a photograph, review GSAXcess® Photo Entry Guidelines.
  • Ensure that any available operating manual, parts list, diagram, maintenance log, or other instructional publication is made available with the property at the time of transfer.
  • Advise the designated recipient of any special requirements for dismantling, shipping and/or transportation.
  • When the excess personal property is located at a facility due to be closed, provide advance notice of the scheduled date of closing and ensure there is sufficient time for screening and removal of property.

Reporting Excess Personal Property

If the personal property has undergone internal screening and cannot be reutilized, the agency reports it as excess to GSA. GSA ensures that the information disseminated to a wide array of recipients for reuse by federal agencies, nonfederal recipients, or for donation to eligible state, public, or nonprofit agencies through the State Agencies for Surplus Property (SASP).

All executive agencies are required to report their excess personal property to GSA. The legislative and judicial branches are encouraged to report their excess personal property to GSA. All excess personal property includes excess personal property to which the government holds title but is in the custody of federal agencies’ contractors, cooperatives, or project grantees.

Federal excess personal property is to be reported to GSA for utilization and donation screening when applicable. Excess personal property can be reported to GSA by using GSAXcess® (online), electronically through batch, or manually preparing an SF120, Report of Excess Personal Property. To report excess personal property:

  • Online in GSAXcess®, the user must have an access code and password, visit GSAXcess Entry Guidelines, or
  • Electronically through batch. The user must submit the data elements required on the SF120 in a format specified and approved by the GSA Property Management Division, Washington, DC. For more details concerning electronic submissions and/or the batch process, request information through gsaxcess@gsa.gov; or
  • Manually, the user must prepare an SF120, Report of Excess Personal Property, for submission to the Personal Property Management Office responsible for the geographic area in which the property is physically located.

Exchange/Sale Authority

When federal agencies have to replace personal property which is eligible for exchange/sale, GSA has a special process. Federal agencies interested in acquiring and paying for the property can obtain the exchange/sale property through a reimbursable transfer. Items prohibited for exchange/sale are identified in the Federal Management Regulation, FMR 102-39.

If agencies have personal property for replacement, it can be exchanged or sold, and the exchange allowance or proceeds can be applied to the acquisition of replacement property. The exchange/sale authority also enables agencies to avoid storage and other costs associated with holding property for the normal disposal cycle.

For additional information, contact the Personal Property Management Office in designated geographic locations.

Transfer of Federal Excess/Surplus Property

Once the agency has reported the federal personal property to GSA as excess, the agency reporting the property becomes the holding agency and GSA the controlling agency. GSA acts as a broker for the holding agency by transferring the reported excess personal property to another federal agency that has a requirement for the excess.

When there are no federal requirements, the property then becomes surplus and GSA will donate the property if there is a valid request from the State Agencies for Surplus Property (SASP), or other eligible donees. The holding agency will receive an approved SF122 (Transfer Order - Excess Personal Property) for items to be utilized by another federal agency, or an approved SF123 (Transfer Order - Surplus Personal Property), for donation transfers.

Sale of Federal Surplus Property

After the federal personal property has completed utilization and donation screening and has not been transferred, the property is available to be offered to the general public for sale. GSA Sales Management Offices are able to conduct agency sales of its surplus and exchange/sale personal property for a competitive fee.

Abandonment/Destruction

Federal agencies may abandon or destroy excess personal property when there has been a written determination that the property has no commercial value, or the estimated cost of its continued care and handling would exceed the estimated proceeds from its sale. 


An item has no commercial value when it has neither utility nor monetary value (as an item or as scrap.) The procedures and/or restrictions for Abandonment and Destructions are contained in FMR 102-36.305 through 102.36.330.

Last Reviewed 5/1/2009