Abstract: The research subject includes the administrative grounds of exhibition activities regulation. The article analyzes the main international and Russian statutory instruments regulating the process of transfer of cultural values. The author considers the rules of transfer of museum items for organizing exhibitions in Russian and foreign museums, including the procedure of preparing a petition about museum items transfer, expertise, insuring museum items and collections, and their transportation. The study focuses on the issues of safety of museum items and collections which are exposed abroad, and the rules of their return to the Russian Federation. The author applies general scientific theoretical methods: system, dialectical, logical, and specific legal methods, including the complex method, the comparative-legal method, analysis and synthesis. To study the legislation, the author applies the method of lexical and grammatical analysis. The novelty of the research lies in the complex consideration of the administrative grounds of exhibition activities. The author studies the procedure of transfer of museum items, the problems of their safety provision and return, and offers the measures of improving the current procedure of coordination.