Abstract
Many museums, especially those with natural history collections, hold some material that is covered by a multitude of laws concerning endangered species. Determining whether these laws apply to objects in your collections can be quite confusing without specialist knowledge. New acquisitions must be properly documented and accompanied by the relevant permits. A separate permit may be required to hold the material in the collections. Loans of endangered species material require permits for transport between international and sometimes out-of-state institutions. Objects brought into museums by the public for identification may be subject to at least one of several laws that make their possession illegal without a permit. Museums must ensure that endangered species laws are not violated, even accidentally, when accessioning, loaning, exchanging, and transporting applicable material. Special exemptions can be obtained for museum and scientific research collections including import/export permits, re-export certificates, and the CITES Certificate of Scientific Exchange. The aim of these exemptions is to allow research and education access to museum material while protecting endangered plants and animals from illegal trade.
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