United States of America

National Cultural Heritage Laws

Source: UNESCO Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws UNESCO/CLT/Natlaws

Document	Years	Themes	Categories	Language
Public Law 97-446 (12.01.1983)	1983	Exportation Importation Maintenance Return	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
American Antiquities Act of 1906 as amended (16 USC 431-433)	1906	Protected Area or Good	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 as amended (16 USC 469-469-2)	1974	Maintenance Protected Area or Good	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Archaeological Resouces Protection Act of 1979, as amended (16 USC 470aa-mm)	1979	Maintenance Protected Area or Good	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Executive Order 12555	1986	Protected Area or Good Statutes of limitation	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Native American Graves protection and Repatriation Act of 1990	1990	Protected Area or Good Restitution Return	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act: Final Rule	1995	Protected Area or Good Restitution Return	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
The Historic Sites Act of 1935 (16 USC 431- sets up the criteria for National historic Landmarks)	1935	Promotion and Development	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Implementation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (19 USC 2601)	1972	Exportation Illicit traffic Importation Sanctions Statutes of limitation Transfer of ownership	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Regulation of Importation of Pre-Columbian Monumental or Architectural Sculpture or Murals, Public Law 92-587, 19 USCA sections 2091ff	1972	Exportation Importation	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
National Historic Preservation Act (1966)	1966	Protected Area or Good	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
The National Trails System Act of 1968 (16 USC 1241-1251) as amended through P.L. 111-11, March 30, 2009	1968	Maintenance Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Natural Heritage	English
National Stolen Property Act- Sections 2314 and 2315 of US Code, title 18-Crimes and Criminal Procedure (1983 as amended in 1987)	1983	Sanctions	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Protection of Archaeological Resources (43 CFR 7)	1997	Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Abandoned Shipwreck Property Act (43 USC 2101-2106)	1987	Exploration license Maintenance Protected Area or Good Statutes of limitation	Underwater Cultural Heritage	English
Abandoned Shipwreck Guidelines		Protected Area or Good	Underwater Cultural Heritage	English
Extension of Import restrictions imposed on Archeological and Ethnological material from Bolivia	2011	Customs Dealer trade Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus concerning the imposition of Import restrictions on Pre-Classical and Classical Archeological Objects.	2012	Authorization, Permits, License Dealer trade Exportation Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Hellenic Republic concerning the imposition of Import restrictions on categories of Archeological and Byzantine ecclessiastical ethnological material	2011	Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Guatemala concerning the imposition of Import restrictions on Archaeological Material from the Pre-Columbian Cultures and Ecclesiastical Ethnological Material from the Conquest and Colonial Periods of Guatemala	2012	Importation	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Mali concerning the imposition of Import restrictions on archeological material from Mali from the Paleolithic Era to approximately the mid_eighteenth Century	2012	Importation	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Peru concerning the imposition of Import restrictions on archeological material from the Pre-Hispanic cultures and certain ethnological material from the colonial period of Peru (extended in 2012)	2012	Importation	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Belize concerning the imposition of Import restrictions on categories of Archaeological Material representing the Cultural Heritage of Belize	2013	Exportation Good faith acquisition Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria concerning the imposition of Import Restrictions on categories of Archaeological and Ecclesiastical Ethnological Material of the Republic of Bulgaria	2014	Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and Cambodia	2013	Exportation Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and Cambodia	2008	Exportation Good faith acquisition Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Khmer Archaeological Material	2003	Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on certain Categories of Archaeological and Ethnological Material (no longer in force)	1997	Exportation Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Categories of Archaeological Material from the Paleolithic Period	2009	Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension and modification of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and China	2014	Importation	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Colombia concerning the imposition of Import Restrictions on Archaeological Materials from the Pre-Columbian Cultures and certain Ecclesiastical Material from the Colonial Period of Colombia	2006	Exploration license Exportation Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and Colombia	2011	Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of El Salvador concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Certain Categories of Archaeological Material from the Prehispanic Cultures of the Republic of El Salvador	1995	Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good Sanctions Statutes of limitation	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and El Salvador	2000	Importation Protected Area or Good Sanctions	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and El Salvador	2005	Importation Inventory, Registry Maintenance Promotion and Development Protected Area or Good Restitution Return Sanctions Loan	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension and Amendment of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and El Salvador	2010	Importation	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States and the Government of the Republic of Honduras concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Archaeological Material from the Pre-Columbian Cultures of Honduras	2004	Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America anf Honduras	2009	Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Amendment of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America anf Honduras	2009	Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good Sanctions	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Italy concerning the imposition of Import Restrictions on Categories of Archaeolgical Material representing the Pre-Classical, Classical and Imperial Roman Periods of Italy	2001	Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension and Amendment of the Agreement between the United States of America and Italy	2006	Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension of the Agreement between the United States of America and Italy	2011	Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Archaeological Material from the Pre-Hispanic Cultures of the Republic of Nicaragua	1999	Illicit traffic Importation Promotion and Development Sanctions Statutes of limitation	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension and Amendment of the Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua	2005	Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension of the Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua	2010	Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good Sanctions	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Emergency Protection for Iraqi Cultural Antiquities Act	2004	Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Import Restrictions imposed on Archaeological and Ethnogical Material of Iraq	2008	Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good Sanctions	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and Honduras (extended 2014)	2014	Exportation Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Reservoir Salvage Act	1960	Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension and Amendment of the Memorandum of Agreement between the governments of the United States of America and El Salvador concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on certain Categories of Archeaological Material from the Prehispanic Cultures of the Republic of El Salvador	2015	Illicit traffic Importation Protected Area or Good	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Extension and Amendment of the Bilateral Agreement between the governments of the United States of America and Nicaragua concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Archeological Material from the Pre-Hispanic Cultures of the Republic of Nicaragua	2015	Illicit traffic Importation	Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Rewards for Justice Programme	2015	Illicit traffic Promotion and Development Protected Area or Good Sanctions Theft	Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English
Act to protect and preserve international cultural property at risk due to political instability, armed conflict, or natural or other disasters, and for other purposes	2016	Exportation Illicit traffic Importation Promotion and Development Protected Area or Good Restitution Return Sanctions Theft	Armed Conflict Cultural Immovable Heritage Cultural Movable Heritage - Cultural Property	English