Metal Detecting Laws by State

Legal rules for metal detecting and treasure hunting vary widely across the United States. This hub links to a dedicated guide for each state.

Four layers apply almost everywhere. Federal law, principally the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, protects archaeological resources over 100 years old on federal and tribal land and carries criminal penalties. Agency rules differ: the National Park Service prohibits metal detecting outright in most units, the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service allow recreational detecting for modern coins and jewellery in some areas while prohibiting the disturbance of historic sites, and specific areas are closed by local order.

State law governs state parks, state trust land, beaches, and submerged lands, and several states hold title to everything recovered from state waters. County and municipal rules add posted closures that appear on no statute list — the Rogers Lake Natural Area prohibition in Coconino County, Arizona is one of them. Private land requires the landowner’s permission regardless of every other layer.

These guides are research context, not legal advice, and rules change. Confirm current rules with the managing agency before any field work, and treat human remains and archaeological features as stop-and-report, never as targets.

States covered: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.