Metal Detecting Guides & Reviews

There is no simple finders keepers rule in the US. Ownership depends on state law, the landowner, permits and how a find is classified. Here is how it works.

City park metal detecting rules are set locally. Here is how to find your town's ordinance, how permit programs like New York City's work, and how to dig responsibly.

A plain-English guide to the Archaeological Resources Protection Act for detectorists: where it applies, the 100-year rule, the coin and bullet exclusion, and penalties.

How to find the landowner, ask the right way and agree on finds, plus a free permission to metal detect letter template you can copy and adapt.

Many US public beaches allow metal detecting, but national seashores do not and state rules can change at the waterline. Here is how to check beach rules and permits.

State park metal detecting rules vary from outright bans to designated areas and permit systems. Here is how to check your state's rules and what to ask the park office.

Most national forests allow recreational metal detecting and prospecting without a permit. Here is when you need a permit or Notice of Intent, and where detecting is off limits.

Hobby metal detecting and gold prospecting with hand tools are generally allowed on BLM land. Here is what the rules say about claims, artifacts, closed areas and what you can keep.

Metal detecting is legal in many US places, but the rules depend on who owns or manages the land. Here is how federal, state, local and private-land rules fit together.