The Council of State Archivists has noted with concern the frequency with which state and local government records are offered for sale. While each state has its own laws and regulations governing the sale of official government records, most prohibit such sales. To help protect both buyers and sellers from legal and financial liability, we urge people involved in sales of historical documents to exercise caution, learn more about the laws regulating these sales, and contact their state archivist if they have a question about a specific document.

CoSA's Task Force on the Sales of Public Records will be working with the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA), the Society of American Archivists (SAA), and other organizations to develop guidance for both recordkeepers and the public on this issue. The task force is chaired by Wayne Moore, Assistant State Archivist, Tennessee State Library and Archives, who can be contacted for further information.

The National Archives and Records Administration is also actively involved in a similar effort to prevent the illegal sale of federal government records.

In 2004, CoSA issued a joint Statement Regarding the Sale of Historical Public Records through Online Auctions with the Society of American Archivists and the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators.