Negotiable instrument

Negotiable instrument, paper document that represents money. Money orders, checks, and traveler's checks as well as promissory notes, certificates of deposit, and bills of exchange are kinds of negotiable instruments. These documents are endorsed, or signed to indicate to whom or what the money value of the document is to be credited. Negotiable instruments, which must fulfil certain requirements for legal transfer, are regulated by the Uniform Commercial Code in all but one state in the United States—Louisiana.