<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2010-05-24</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000038264</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>FORWARD INDUSTRIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>FORD</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001160478</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SABRA DOUGLAS</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O FORWARD INDUSTRIES</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>1801 GREEN RD. SUITE E</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>POMPANO BEACH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>FL</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>33064</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>CEO</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Forward Industries Common Stock .01 Par Value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-05-24</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>48334</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>4.2261</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>26666</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Wegihted average sale price of the sale transactions shown below:
 Shares 	Sale Price
200 @ 	 $4.4900
2,300 @ 	 $4.3900
995 @ 	 $4.4000
2,005 @ 	 $4.4051
900 @ 	 $4.4300
1,600 @ 	 $4.4301
2,500 @ 	 $4.4300
3,000 @ 	 $4.3690
400 @ 	 $4.3500
2,600 @ 	 $4.3800
105 @ 	 $4.3700
200 @ 	 $4.2900
1,000 @ 	 $4.2900
995 @ 	 $4.2800
500 @ 	 $4.2700
200 @ 	 $4.2900
2,400 @ 	 $4.1992
100 @ 	 $4.2500
2,500 @ 	 $4.1476
2,500 @ 	 $4.1200
2,500 @ 	 $4.1296
100 @ 	 $4.1000
200 @ 	 $4.1150
300 @ 	 $4.1000
100 @ 	 $4.1200
1,800 @ 	 $4.1000
1,600 @ 	 $4.1175
200 @ 	 $4.1250
300 @ 	 $4.1000
800 @ 	 $4.1104
100 @ 	 $4.1000
100 @ 	 $4.1100
1,500 @ 	 $4.1000
534 @ 	 $4.1020
1,200 @ 	 $4.1000
2,500 @ 	 $4.1000
2,500 @ 	 $4.1000
3,000 @ 	 $4.1100
2,000 @ 	 $4.1105
48,334 total shares sold</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>James O. Mckenna &quot;By Power of Attorney&quot;</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-05-26</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
