---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 668"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "668"
heading: "Theft of major artwork"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/668"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 31 — Embezzlement and Theft"
---

# §668. Theft of major artwork

- (a) **Definitions.—** In this section—
  - (1) “museum” means an organized and permanent institution, the activities of which affect [interstate or foreign commerce](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-2), that—
    - (A) is situated in the [United States](/usc/18/229F.md?p=9);
    - (B) is established for an essentially educational or aesthetic purpose;
    - (C) has a professional staff; and
    - (D) owns, utilizes, and cares for tangible objects that are exhibited to the public on a regular schedule.
  - (2) “object of cultural heritage” means an object that is—
    - (A) over 100 years old and worth in excess of $5,000; or
    - (B) worth at least $100,000.
- (b) **Offenses.—** A [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) who—
  - (1) steals or obtains by fraud from the care, custody, or control of a museum any object of cultural heritage; or
  - (2) knowing that an object of cultural heritage has been stolen or obtained by fraud, if in fact the object was stolen or obtained from the care, custody, or control of a museum (whether or not that fact is known to the [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5)), receives, conceals, exhibits, or disposes of the object,

  shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.


## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXII, § 320902(a), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2123; amended Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 604(b)(18), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3507.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–294 designated first and second pars. beginning with quotation mark as pars. (1) and (2), respectively, and made technical amendment to provisions appearing in original.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 104–294 effective Sept. 13, 1994, see section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294, set out as a note under section 13 of this title.