About the National Stolen Art File
The National Stolen Art File (NSAF) is a database of stolen art and cultural property. Stolen objects are submitted for entry to the NSAF by law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. When an object is recovered, it is removed from the database. However, be aware that not all recoveries are reported to the NSAF. If you have information on a work of art in the NSAF, please use the FBI.gov tip line or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) to report it.
In 1979, the FBI created the National Stolen Art File (NSAF), which is a voluntary reporting system for law enforcement that catalogs stolen art and cultural property.
NSAF is used by law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and the world to report stolen art and cultural property.
The NSAF registers the physical description of the stolen property, including artist, title, subject, materials, and dimensions, in addition to digital images. There are over 8,000 items that have been registered in NSAF.
The NSAF provides the public the ability to openly search the items reported to the FBI as stolen. This feature is particularly beneficial to those persons or entities engaged in the acquisition, sale, transfer, conservation, storage, exhibition, research, and investigation of art and cultural property, such as auction houses, galleries, pawn shops, collectors, investors, conservators, curators, art historians, museums, foundations, educational institutions, and domestic and international law enforcement agencies because it provides a free, easily-accessible, and vetted database of stolen objects, which helps to promote transparency and law enforcement in this area.
Over 8,000 items have been registered in the NSAF.
