Software Project Handover Checklist
Every clause in the development agreement comes due at handover. This is the 12-item checklist that makes sure the IP transfers cleanly, the documentation is complete, and the warranty period starts properly.
Written by
Martin Kotze
Attorney, Conveyancer & Notary Public
The Software Project Handover Checklist covers the 12 items that should be confirmed at the end of a software development engagement before the customer signs final acceptance and pays the final invoice. The most-overlooked items: a written IP-assignment certificate signed under Copyright Act s 22(3) (without which copyright remains with the developer); a third-party-component licence inventory documenting all OSS used; and credentials handover with rotation plan. Use the checklist as a pre-handover dry-run with the developer 2–4 weeks before scheduled handover, and again at handover itself.
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The 12 checks
- 1Written IP-assignment certificate signed under Copyright Act s 22(3)
- 2Source-code repository transferred (Git repo, including history)
- 3Build environment documentation (Dockerfiles, env vars, dependencies, build scripts)
- 4Deployment pipeline + production runbook
- 5Third-party-component licence inventory (OSS audit, commercial dependencies)
- 6Documentation (architecture overview, API docs, data schema, decision log)
- 7Test suite + CI/CD status (passing builds, coverage report, known issues list)
- 8Credentials handover (cloud accounts, third-party services, with rotation plan)
- 9Domain name + SSL certificate transfer
- 10Final invoice + payment reconciliation
- 11Defect-correction warranty period start date documented
- 12Source-code escrow deposit (where applicable)
Why you can trust this: Martin Kotze has been an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, registered Conveyancer, and Notary Public since 2014, practising from Pretoria. The firm is regulated by the Legal Practice Council under firm registration F17333.
This guide is general information, not legal advice for your specific matter.