The illicit trade in art and cultural artifacts is a major category of international crime. This includes theft of individual works of art, illegal export of objects protected by international laws, and pillaging of archaeological sites. Art theft is an international problem requiring cooperation at all levels of law enforcement. To aid in this endeavor, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) established the National Stolen Art File (NSAF) to assist law enforcement agencies in resolving this ever increasing problem.

The NSAF is a computerized index of stolen art and cultural property as reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and internationally. The NSAF consists of images and physical descriptions of stolen and recovered objects, in addition to investigative case information. The primary goal of the NSAF is to serve as a tool to assist investigators in art and cultural artifact theft cases and to function as an analytical database providing law enforcement officials with information concerning art theft.

The criteria for an object to be eligible to be entered into the NSAF are as follows:

• The object must be of artistic or historical significance; this includes fine arts, decorative arts, antiquities, Asian art, Islamic art, ethnographic objects (Native American, African, Aboriginal), archaeological material, textiles, books and manuscripts, clocks and watches, coins, stamps, musical instruments, and scientific instruments.
• The object must be valued at $2,000 or more; or less if associated with a major crime.
• The request must come through a law enforcement agency accompanied by a physical description of the object, a photograph of the object, if available, and a copy of any police reports or other information relevant to the investigation.

All requests for searches of the NSAF must be made through a law enforcement agency in support of a criminal investigation. Individuals or organizations in the United States wanting to access the NSAF should contact their local FBI office; foreign organizations should contact a FBI Legal Attache office.

The FBI has no art theft unit specializing exclusively in the investigation of art cases. Art crime investigations are conducted by agents in the field who are assigned cases involving interstate or international thefts for which the federal government has investigative jurisdiction. Squads that are responsible for investigating interstate theft cases are located in each of the 56 field offices of the FBI. In addition, the FBI has more than 40 Legal Attache offices worldwide.