Many states require live auctioneers to be licensed prior to conducting auction sales in their state. This state licensing process typically includes criminal and financial background investigative checks on the applicant. Additionally, there may be requirements for the applicant to undergo training and testing in civil codes pertaining to auction law regulations, procedures and ethics. On a local level, the city in which the auctioneer operates will require the auctioneer to obtain a business license. Currently the Word Wide Web online auction industry is largely unregulated by state and local agencies.