What is the name of the law that governs the sale of goods in the United States?

The law that governs the sale of goods in the United States is the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC).

The UCC is a model statute designed to harmonize commercial rules across the states. Article 2 covers contracts for the sale of goods—movable, tangible items such as appliances, inventory, and vehicles. Each state adopts its own version, so the UCC is not one single federal law, even though its principles are broadly shared nationwide.

The UCC grew from a mid-20th-century effort led by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and the American Law Institute. It also covers areas such as negotiable instruments, bank deposits, secured transactions, and leases, although different articles apply to different transactions.

A common mix-up is applying Article 2 to services or real estate. A contract primarily for services is generally governed by common law, while goods-and-services contracts may require courts to decide which part predominates. The UCC also permits commercially reasonable practices, trade usage, and flexible remedies when a sale goes wrong.