US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

44 U.S.C. § 2116

Legal status of reproductions; official seal; fees for copies and reproductions

(a)
When records that are required by statute to be retained indefinitely have been reproduced by photographic, microphotographic, digital, or other processes, in accordance with standards established by the Archivist the indefinite retention by the photographic, microphotographic, digital, or other reproductions constitutes compliance with the statutory requirement for the indefinite retention of the original records. The reproductions, as well as reproductions made under regulations to carry out chapter 21, 29, 31, and 33 of this title, shall have the same legal status as the originals.
(b)
There shall be an official seal for the National Archives of the United States which shall be judicially noticed. When a copy or reproduction, furnished under this section, is authenticated by the official seal and certified by the Archivist, the copy or reproduction shall be admitted in evidence equally with the original from which it was made.
(c)
The Archivist may charge a fee set to recover the costs for making or authenticating copies or reproductions of materials transferred to the Archivist’s custody. Such fee shall be fixed by the Archivist at a level which will recover, so far as practicable, all elements of such costs, and may, in the Archivist’s discretion, include increments for the estimated replacement cost of equipment. Such fees shall be paid into, administered, and expended as a part of the National Archives Trust Fund. The Archivist may not charge for making or authenticating copies or reproductions of materials for official use by the United States Government unless appropriations available to the Archivist for this purpose are insufficient to cover the cost of performing the work.

Pub. L. 90–62082 Stat. 1291Pub. L. 94–575, § 4(b)90 Stat. 2727Pub. L. 98–497, title I98 Stat. 2280Pub. L. 113–187128 Stat. 2008(, , , § 2112; , , ; renumbered § 2116 and amended , §§ 102(a)(1), 107(a)(9), title II, § 201, , , 2286, 2292; , §§ 3(d), 8(1), , , 2011.)

Historical and Revision Notes

June 30, 1949, ch. 288Sept. 5, 1950, ch. 849, § 6(d)64 Stat. 583Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., § 399 (, title V, § 509, as added , ).

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 113–187, § 3(d)2014—Subsec. (a). , inserted “digital,” after “microphotographic,” in two places.

Pub. L. 113–187, § 8(1)Subsec. (c). , substituted “the Archivist’s custody” for “his custody”.

Pub. L. 98–497, § 107(a)(9)(A)1984—Subsec. (a). , substituted “Archivist” for “Administrator of General Services”.

Pub. L. 98–497, § 107(a)(9)(B)Subsec. (b). , substituted “Archivist” for “Administrator”.

Pub. L. 98–497, § 201Subsec. (c). , substituted provisions transferring functions from Administrator of General Services to Archivist of the United States, further substituted provisions relating to permissible fee charges for former provisions which set a fee not in excess of 10 percent above costs and expenses for making copies, inserted “unless appropriations available to the Archivist for this purpose are insufficient to cover the cost of performing the work”, and struck out provision that reimbursement may be accepted to cover cost of furnishing copies or reproductions that could not otherwise be furnished.

Pub. L. 94–5751976—Subsec. (a). inserted reference to chapter 33 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Pub. L. 98–497section 301 of Pub. L. 98–497section 2102 of this titleAmendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .