Metal Detecting Rules
Legal context for metal detecting across 113 jurisdictions, read from the repository — 105 source-cited, 8 still research-required.
Community reference, not legal advice. Every rule shown carries its source; where no source exists yet, the entry reads research required rather than a guess. Always confirm with the landowner and governing authority before you dig.
United States — federal authority
Abandoned Shipwreck Act
Transfers US title to abandoned, embedded (or Register-eligible) shipwrecks in state submerged lands to the state. Admiralty salvage & finds do NOT apply, you need state authorization.
Enforced via state permits/fines.
Source: legacy:fed.json#abandoned-shipwreck-act · 1987 · ASA · Research required
Archaeological Resources Protection Act
The workhorse. Bars excavating, removing, or trafficking any archaeological resource 100+ years old on federal & tribal land without a permit.
Up to 2 yrs + $20K (felony >$500); forfeiture.
Source: legacy:fed.json#archaeological-resources-protection-act · 1979 · ARPA · Research required
Antiquities Act
Protects objects of antiquity on federal land and lets the President declare national monuments. Largely superseded for enforcement by ARPA.
Up to $500 + 90 days.
Source: legacy:fed.json#antiquities-act · 1906 · Research required
Sunken Military Craft Act
Protects all US (and foreign, in US waters) sunken military ships & aircraft, perpetual title, war-grave protection. No disturbance without a permit.
Up to $100K/violation, per day.
Source: legacy:fed.json#sunken-military-craft-act · 2004 · SMCA · Research required
National Historic Preservation Act §106
Procedural: any federally permitted undertaking must weigh effects on historic properties and consult SHPO/THPO.
Non-compliance can enjoin the project.
Source: legacy:fed.json#national-historic-preservation-act-106 · 1966 · NHPA · Research required
NAGPRA
Strictly governs Native American human remains and cultural items on federal & tribal land. Removal generally prohibited; inadvertent discoveries must be reported.
Trafficking: up to 1 yr+ first offense.
Source: legacy:fed.json#nagpra · 1990 · Research required
Admiralty, Salvage & Finds
For non-military, truly abandoned wrecks in federal/international waters. Salvage = award but owner keeps title; Finds = finder takes title, but courts presume against abandonment.
Litigated case-by-case.
Source: legacy:fed.json#admiralty-salvage-finds · Common law · Research required
Federal land detecting rules
NPS & Wildlife Refuges: detectors banned entirely. BLM / USFS / Army Corps: modern lost items OK in non-sensitive areas, but never artifacts 100+ yrs (ARPA).
36 CFR 2.1; ARPA on top everywhere.
Source: legacy:fed.json#federal-land-detecting-rules · By agency · Research required
United States — by state
| Jurisdiction | Authority | Rule | Permit | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State law / state park authority | Banned in state parks without manager permission; some swim beaches OK | conditional | Yellow |
| Alaska | State law / state park authority | Allowed in most recreational park areas; historic parks off-limits | unknown | Green |
| Arizona | State law / state park authority | Banned in ALL state parks | unknown | Red |
| Arkansas | State law / state park authority | Allowed in parks by registration, seasonal (post-Labor Day to pre-Memorial Day) | unknown | Green |
| California | State law / state park authority | Designated park areas; beaches/shallow saltwater OK; some SRAs ban possession | unknown | Yellow |
| Colorado | State law / state park authority | Surface scanning OK in parks but NO object removal | unknown | Yellow |
| Connecticut | State law / state park authority | Banned in state parks; beaches allowed with a permit | conditional | Yellow |
| Delaware | State law / state park authority | Ocean beaches east of the dune line OK during park hours | unknown | Green |
| Florida | State law / state park authority | Banned in state parks except coastal (dune toe to high-water line); no submerged | unknown | Yellow |
| Georgia | State law / state park authority | Banned in ALL parks, historic sites & rec areas (statutory) | unknown | Red |
| Hawaii | State law / state park authority | Public sand beaches OK; banned in most parks & all aboriginal sites | unknown | Yellow |
| Idaho | State law / state park authority | Most parks with manager OK; dig permit to excavate | conditional | Yellow |
| Illinois | State law / state park authority | Permit required on state lands; allowed in some parks, banned in others | conditional | Yellow |
| Indiana | State law / state park authority | Banned on DNR property except sand/swim beaches with written permit | conditional | Red |
| Iowa | State law / state park authority | Designated beach areas only, seasonal windows; dig permit needed | conditional | Yellow |
| Kansas | State law / state park authority | Allowed in parks (no statewide ban); digging needs ranger OK | unknown | Yellow |
| Kentucky | State law / state park authority | Banned on state property without an archaeology permit (rare) | conditional | Red |
| Louisiana | State law / state park authority | Banned in parks; special-use permit possible | conditional | Red |
| Maine | State law / state park authority | Banned at historic sites; elsewhere by written per-park permit | conditional | Yellow |
| Maryland | State law / state park authority | Banned on Park Service land w/o Historical Trust permit; modern items OK on swim beaches | conditional | Yellow |
| Massachusetts | State law / state park authority | Banned on DCR land except sandy beaches | unknown | Yellow |
| Michigan | State law / state park authority | Only in DNR-designated open areas; finds checked by staff | unknown | Yellow |
| Minnesota | State law / state park authority | Banned in parks except by prior written permission + supervision | conditional | Red |
| Mississippi | State law / state park authority | Banned on ALL state parks; outright public-land ban | unknown | Red |
| Missouri | State law / state park authority | Registration at ~11 parks, designated sand beaches only | unknown | Yellow |
| Montana | State law / state park authority | Effectively banned in parks (no disturbing topsoil) | unknown | Red |
| Nebraska | State law / state park authority | Banned in most state parks (one of the strictest) | unknown | Red |
| Nevada | State law / state park authority | Permit required for public lands; historic sites banned | conditional | Yellow |
| New Hampshire | State law / state park authority | Allowed in many parks, beaches, picnic areas with permission | conditional | Green |
| New Jersey | State law / state park authority | Many public areas OK; parks need superintendent permission | conditional | Yellow |
| New Mexico | State law / state park authority | Restrictive; treasure-hunt permit theoretically available | conditional | Yellow |
| New York | State law / state park authority | Park permit required; designated beaches only (off-season) | conditional | Yellow |
| North Carolina | State law / state park authority | Banned in parks except lost-item recovery (permit + ranger escort) | conditional | Red |
| North Dakota | State law / state park authority | Generally prohibited in parks / recreational detecting | unknown | Red |
| Ohio | State law / state park authority | Sand beaches & mowed areas OK; other areas need manager OK | conditional | Green |
| Oklahoma | State law / state park authority | Permit required for any public land incl. parks; some no-dig | conditional | Yellow |
| Oregon | State law / state park authority | Beaches OK without permit; parks need per-park permit | conditional | Green |
| Pennsylvania | State law / state park authority | Many parks with manager approval; narrow probes only (no shovels) | conditional | Yellow |
| Rhode Island | State law / state park authority | Permit required on DEM lands; designated areas/times | conditional | Yellow |
| South Carolina | State law / state park authority | Restricted; some parks allow designated areas, no soil disturbance | unknown | Yellow |
| South Dakota | State law / state park authority | Written authorization; designated swim beaches only | conditional | Yellow |
| Tennessee | State law / state park authority | Generally prohibited in parks; certain areas with manager permit | conditional | Yellow |
| Texas | State law / state park authority | Parks generally prohibit detecting absent a special permit | conditional | Red |
| Utah | State law / state park authority | Permit required for public lands incl. parks; no object removal | conditional | Yellow |
| Vermont | State law / state park authority | Some parks for lost-item recovery; notify local authorities | unknown | Yellow |
| Virginia | State law / state park authority | Only designated man-made beaches with a DCR special-use permit | conditional | Red |
| Washington | State law / state park authority | Only in specified portions of approved parks (posted maps + registration) | unknown | Yellow |
| West Virginia | State law / state park authority | Heavily restricted; disturbing/removing objects barred | unknown | Red |
| Wisconsin | State law / state park authority | Mainly non-vegetated sand beaches & shallow water; else prohibited | unknown | Yellow |
| Wyoming | State law / state park authority | Banned at historic/archaeological sites; parks need written superintendent OK | unknown | Red |
Around the world
| Jurisdiction | Rule | Permit | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Legal with landowner permission, a beloved national hobby | conditional | Green |
| Scotland | Legal with permission, under a separate regime | conditional | Yellow |
| Ireland | Detecting for artifacts is effectively banned without a licence | conditional | Red |
| Denmark | Broadly legal off protected sites, with permission | conditional | Green |
| Netherlands | Legal since 2016, to 30 cm depth, away from monuments | unknown | Green |
| France | A permit is required to detect for anything historical, and rarely granted | conditional | Red |
| Germany | Licensed state by state (Land by Land) | conditional | Yellow |
| Italy | Heavily restricted | unknown | Red |
| Spain | Regional permits required; enforcement is strict | conditional | Red |
| Greece | Forbidden without a state permit, full stop | conditional | Red |
| Australia | Prospecting legal with a state Miner's Right in gold country | unknown | Yellow |
| New Zealand | Legal; public fossicking areas for gold | unknown | Yellow |
| Canada | Legal with permission; provincial heritage acts apply | conditional | Yellow |
| Mexico | Detecting for artifacts is illegal | unknown | Red |
| Sweden | Effectively banned, a permit is needed even on your own land | conditional | Red |
| Norway | Legal with permission, away from protected sites | conditional | Yellow |
| Finland | Broadly legal off protected sites | unknown | Green |
| Poland | Banned without a conservator's permit, recently tightened | conditional | Red |
| Portugal | Officially prohibited for archaeology | unknown | Red |
| Belgium | Hobby detecting allowed in Flanders by registration; stricter elsewhere | unknown | Yellow |
| Switzerland | Permitted, but every canton sets its own rules | conditional | Yellow |
| Austria | Allowed by permit from the Federal Monuments Authority | conditional | Yellow |
| Russia | Searching for historical artifacts is effectively forbidden | unknown | Red |
| China | Searching for relics is illegal | unknown | Red |
| India | Tolerated, but antiquities are tightly controlled | unknown | Yellow |
| Japan | No outright ban, but found property must be handed to police | unknown | Yellow |
| South Africa | Beaches generally open; heritage sites protected | unknown | Yellow |
| Egypt | Searching for antiquities is banned | unknown | Red |
| Israel | Searching for antiquities is forbidden and jailable | unknown | Red |
| Brazil | Permitted for citizens away from heritage sites | conditional | Yellow |
| Argentina | Generally permitted away from protected sites | conditional | Yellow |
| Czech Republic | Allowed with limits; archaeological finds reported | unknown | Yellow |
| Romania | Legal with an authorization; a reward system exists | conditional | Yellow |
| Turkey | Searching for antiquities is banned; carrying a detector can require papers | unknown | Red |
| Iceland | Disturbing archaeology is prohibited | unknown | Red |
| Hungary | Allowed only by special permission | conditional | Yellow |
| Bulgaria | Treasure-searching is prohibited; detectors must be registered | unknown | Red |
| Croatia | Treasure-searching with detectors is prohibited | unknown | Red |
| Ukraine | Strictly prohibited, even owning a detector is treated harshly | unknown | Red |
| Lithuania | Permission from the Heritage Department for historic search; beaches open | conditional | Yellow |
| Estonia | Treasure-searching with detectors is prohibited | unknown | Red |
| Peru | Tolerated for modern search; beaches easiest | unknown | Yellow |
| Colombia | Few restrictions for modern search | unknown | Yellow |
| Chile | Effectively not allowed; only beach hunting is tolerated | unknown | Red |
| Morocco | Little government regulation, but antiquities are protected | unknown | Yellow |
| Thailand | Broadly allowed for recreation | unknown | Green |
| Philippines | Searching for archaeological objects is forbidden | unknown | Red |
| Saudi Arabia | Metal detectors are banned outright | unknown | Red |
| Slovakia | Allowed only by permission | conditional | Yellow |
| Latvia | Beaches and private land (with permission); otherwise prohibited | conditional | Yellow |
| Vietnam | Broadly allowed | unknown | Green |
| Indonesia | Broadly allowed | unknown | Green |
| Cuba | Forbidden, detectors are treated like weapons | unknown | Red |
| Tunisia | Forbidden | unknown | Red |
| Jordan | Forbidden for private individuals | unknown | Red |