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Rules & Regs

Treasure Laws

Legend Heading is an educational resource. It is not legal advice. Laws change, land ownership changes, permits vary, and protected sites may have special rules. Always verify before searching, digging, diving, detecting, or removing anything.

This index is a curated narrative reference. The source-cited, repository-projected activity rules (with per-jurisdiction risk states) live in the Code: metal detecting · magnet fishing.

Public land

Rules differ by agency and park. Many parks ban detecting without a permit.

Private property

Always get explicit landowner permission, ideally in writing, before entering.

Protected sites

Archaeological, burial, and historic sites are commonly off-limits. Do not disturb.

Diving and salvage

Submerged wrecks and salvage are heavily regulated by state and national law.

Artifact handling

Removing or selling artifacts can be illegal. Record finds and report significant ones.

The readiness framework

We only classify jurisdictions we have reviewed against a source. Everything we have not reviewed is marked Research required. We never imply that searching is legal where we have no evidence.

Established

A documented framework that generally allows searching under clear conditions (permission, permits, or reporting).

Restricted

Partial or conditional. Real limits apply and vary by land, permit, and find.

Prohibited or protected

Generally not permitted, or heavily protected. Assume you may not search or remove anything.

Research required

Not yet reviewed. Treat as unknown and verify locally before doing anything.

Reviewed so far: 50 US states and 55 countries and regions. This reference grows as Fellows submit and source-check jurisdictions.

United States, state index

International, country and region index

Tap a country for its detecting rules, what happens to finds, and our notes. This is a starting reference, not a permit.

Restricted Argentina

Detecting: Generally permitted away from protected sites

Finds: Archaeological objects are protected state heritage

Provinces set their own rules.

Restricted Australia

Detecting: Prospecting legal with a state Miner's Right in gold country

Finds: Gold you find prospecting is yours; relics and wrecks are protected

Each state writes its own rules.

Restricted Austria

Detecting: Allowed by permit from the Federal Monuments Authority

Finds: Significant finds reported; the state's interest applies

A permit is required for any archaeological search.

Restricted Belgium

Detecting: Hobby detecting allowed in Flanders by registration; stricter elsewhere

Finds: Archaeological finds must be reported promptly

Beaches generally open; rules differ by region.

Restricted Brazil

Detecting: Permitted for citizens away from heritage sites

Finds: Archaeological and historic items belong to the Union

Confirm local rules before searching.

Prohibited or protected Bulgaria

Detecting: Treasure-searching is prohibited; detectors must be registered

Finds: Antiquities belong to the state

An unregistered detector can mean a fine or jail.

Restricted Canada

Detecting: Legal with permission; provincial heritage acts apply

Finds: Significant artifacts vest in the Crown or province

Parks and historic sites are off-limits.

Prohibited or protected Chile

Detecting: Effectively not allowed; only beach hunting is tolerated

Finds: Archaeological objects are state heritage

Visitors should stick to the beaches.

Prohibited or protected China

Detecting: Searching for relics is illegal

Finds: All cultural relics are state property

Severe penalties, do not dig.

Restricted Colombia

Detecting: Few restrictions for modern search

Finds: Archaeological heritage belongs to the nation

Cultural items are protected; confirm locally.

Prohibited or protected Croatia

Detecting: Treasure-searching with detectors is prohibited

Finds: Valuable finds, detected or not, must be reported

Report anything historically valuable to the state.

Prohibited or protected Cuba

Detecting: Forbidden, detectors are treated like weapons

Finds: All finds belong to the state

Possession alone can bring trouble.

Restricted Czech Republic

Detecting: Allowed with limits; archaeological finds reported

Finds: Finds belong to the region/state, with a finder reward

Detectorists and museums increasingly cooperate.

Established Denmark

Detecting: Broadly legal off protected sites, with permission

Finds: Danefæ: treasure is surrendered to the National Museum, and finders are fairly paid

Museums and detectorists openly work together.

Prohibited or protected Egypt

Detecting: Searching for antiquities is banned

Finds: All antiquities are state property

Beach detecting tolerated; antiquities are not.

Prohibited or protected Estonia

Detecting: Treasure-searching with detectors is prohibited

Finds: Antiquities belong to the state

Heritage protection is strict.

Established Finland

Detecting: Broadly legal off protected sites

Finds: Finds over 100 years are reported; the state may claim and reward

A detector-friendly Nordic regime.

Prohibited or protected France

Detecting: A permit is required to detect for anything historical, and rarely granted

Finds: Archaeological finds belong to the state and landowner

Casual beach detecting is tolerated in places, know your commune.

Restricted Germany

Detecting: Licensed state by state (Land by Land)

Finds: Most Länder claim significant finds outright (the Schatzregal)

The rules change at every state border.

Prohibited or protected Greece

Detecting: Forbidden without a state permit, full stop

Finds: All antiquities are the property of the Greek state

Even owning a detector can require paperwork.

Restricted Hungary

Detecting: Allowed only by special permission

Finds: Significant finds belong to the state

A permit is required for any search.

Prohibited or protected Iceland

Detecting: Disturbing archaeology is prohibited

Finds: Antiquities belong to the state

Heritage protection is strict.

Restricted India

Detecting: Tolerated, but antiquities are tightly controlled

Finds: Treasure-trove and antiquities vest in the government

Foreign detectorists draw scrutiny.

Established Indonesia

Detecting: Broadly allowed

Finds: Cultural property is protected

Permissive for modern search; heritage sites are off-limits.

Prohibited or protected Ireland

Detecting: Detecting for artifacts is effectively banned without a licence

Finds: Archaeological objects vest in the State

Among Europe's strictest; prosecutions are real.

Prohibited or protected Israel

Detecting: Searching for antiquities is forbidden and jailable

Finds: Antiquities belong to the state

Beach detecting for modern items is allowed.

Prohibited or protected Italy

Detecting: Heavily restricted

Finds: Cultural items are state property from the moment they leave the ground

Do not dig in the land of antiquities.

Restricted Japan

Detecting: No outright ban, but found property must be handed to police

Finds: Buried cultural property belongs to the state

Private archaeological detecting is discouraged.

Prohibited or protected Jordan

Detecting: Forbidden for private individuals

Finds: Antiquities belong to the state

Heritage is strictly protected.

Restricted Latvia

Detecting: Beaches and private land (with permission); otherwise prohibited

Finds: Historic finds belong to the state

Off-beach search needs authorization.

Restricted Lithuania

Detecting: Permission from the Heritage Department for historic search; beaches open

Finds: Historic finds belong to the state

Restrictions tightened in 2010.

Prohibited or protected Mexico

Detecting: Detecting for artifacts is illegal

Finds: All archaeological objects are federal property (INAH)

Serious penalties, admire, don't dig.

Restricted Morocco

Detecting: Little government regulation, but antiquities are protected

Finds: Cultural objects belong to the state

Get permission; expect interest from locals.

Established Netherlands

Detecting: Legal since 2016, to 30 cm depth, away from monuments

Finds: Finds reported; archaeological items shared with the authorities

A modern, pragmatic regime.

Restricted New Zealand

Detecting: Legal; public fossicking areas for gold

Finds: Pre-1900 artifacts are protected objects

Beach detecting is popular and lawful.

Restricted Norway

Detecting: Legal with permission, away from protected sites

Finds: Objects older than 1537 (coins pre-1650) belong to the state

Report finds to the county; rewards are possible.

Restricted Peru

Detecting: Tolerated for modern search; beaches easiest

Finds: Pre-Columbian and colonial artifacts belong to the state

Antiquities are strictly protected, never dig them.

Prohibited or protected Philippines

Detecting: Searching for archaeological objects is forbidden

Finds: Cultural property belongs to the state

Beach detecting for modern items is allowed.

Prohibited or protected Poland

Detecting: Banned without a conservator's permit, recently tightened

Finds: Artifacts belong to the state; all finds reported

Permits are hard to win; penalties are serious.

Prohibited or protected Portugal

Detecting: Officially prohibited for archaeology

Finds: Cultural objects belong to the state

A few licensed clubs exist; casual use is rarely allowed.

Restricted Romania

Detecting: Legal with an authorization; a reward system exists

Finds: Treasure is shared with the finder by law

One of Europe's more finder-friendly reward regimes.

Prohibited or protected Russia

Detecting: Searching for historical artifacts is effectively forbidden

Finds: Antiquities belong to the state

Beach and modern-coin hunting is tolerated.

Prohibited or protected Saudi Arabia

Detecting: Metal detectors are banned outright

Finds: All finds belong to the state

Do not bring a detector into the kingdom.

Restricted Scotland

Detecting: Legal with permission, under a separate regime

Finds: All ownerless finds belong to the Crown (Treasure Trove); rewards are discretionary

Report everything, even a single coin.

Restricted Slovakia

Detecting: Allowed only by permission

Finds: Significant finds belong to the state

A permit is required to search.

Restricted South Africa

Detecting: Beaches generally open; heritage sites protected

Finds: Heritage objects protected under the NHRA

Permits needed near archaeological sites.

Prohibited or protected Spain

Detecting: Regional permits required; enforcement is strict

Finds: Heritage finds belong to the public administration

Famous prosecutions over beach finds.

Prohibited or protected Sweden

Detecting: Effectively banned, a permit is needed even on your own land

Finds: Ancient finds (fornfynd) belong to the state

Among the strictest regimes anywhere.

Restricted Switzerland

Detecting: Permitted, but every canton sets its own rules

Finds: Significant finds belong to the canton

Often the ban applies only to archaeological sites.

Established Thailand

Detecting: Broadly allowed for recreation

Finds: Ancient and Buddhist antiquities remain protected

Permissive for modern hunting; respect heritage sites.

Prohibited or protected Tunisia

Detecting: Forbidden

Finds: Antiquities belong to the state

Beach use may be tolerated; antiquities are not.

Prohibited or protected Turkey

Detecting: Searching for antiquities is banned; carrying a detector can require papers

Finds: All antiquities belong to the state

Harsh penalties, strictly enforced.

Prohibited or protected Ukraine

Detecting: Strictly prohibited, even owning a detector is treated harshly

Finds: Antiquities belong to the state

Among the harshest regimes in the world.

Established United Kingdom

Detecting: Legal with landowner permission, a beloved national hobby

Finds: Treasure Act 1996: significant finds reported; finder & landowner share a museum-paid reward

The Portable Antiquities Scheme has recorded a million-plus finds, the world's best model.

Established Vietnam

Detecting: Broadly allowed

Finds: Antiquities remain protected by the state

Permissive for modern hunting; respect heritage sites.

Don't see a country? It is Research required, we have not verified it yet. Never assume legality from silence. Help us expand the map: submit a jurisdiction · Read the Code of Conduct.