Victoria is gold country, and its rules show it. With a $29.40 miner's right you can swing a detector for gold in most state forests and in designated prospecting areas of some national, state and historic parks. Coins and relics are another story: Heritage Victoria lets you keep a lone artifact with the landowner's approval, but old sites, and anything Aboriginal, are strictly hands off.
Can I detect in Victoria?
The short answer for each kind of land. Tap a card for the detail and the rule’s own words.
- National parks & reservesPermit requiredno prospecting in marine parksChecked against the source Oct 7, 2026
- State forests & Crown landPermit requiredChecked against the source Oct 7, 2026
- BeachesNo verdict yetmarine parks: no recreational prospecting (Resources Victoria)Source check pending
- Council parksVaries by siteChecked against the source Oct 7, 2026
- Private landPermit requiredAboriginal cultural heritage is protected on all landChecked against the source Oct 7, 2026
- Parks Australia placesProhibitedthe ban does not apply in the Jabiru township in Kakadu (r 12.07(c))Checked against the source Oct 7, 2026
Open in many areas without a permitPermit, registration, or designated beaches onlyProhibited or effectively closed
The rules, land by land
National parks & reserves
Permit requiredVictorian national and state parks are closed to recreational prospecting except in designated areas of certain parks, where you can use a metal detector for gold if you hold a miner's right. Those areas are mostly in the goldfields, for example Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park and Greater Bendigo National Park.
- a current miner's right, carried while prospecting ($29.40, up to 10 years); members of a group under a Tourist Fossicking Authority are exempt
- only in the designated prospecting areas (National Parks Act 1975 s 32D); Parks Victoria publishes a guide and map for each: Beechworth Historic Park, Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, Chiltern-Mt Pilot, Greater Bendigo, Heathcote-Graytown and Kara Kara national parks, Bendigo Regional Park, Steiglitz Historic Park, Kooyoora, Paddys Ranges and Warrandyte state parks, and Wychitella Nature Conservation Reserve
- new central west parks from 5 October 2026: prospecting continues in bushland reserves and the Bendigo, Hepburn, Barkstead, Blackwood, Fingerpost and Spargo Creek regional parks, but not in Wombat-Lerderderg, Mount Buangor or Pyrenees national parks, Hepburn or Cobaw conservation parks, or nature reserves
- hand tools only, backfill holes and replace leaf litter (Parks Victoria minimum impact code)
- elsewhere in parks no regulation names metal detectors, but digging or removing gravel, sand, soil or similar material is an offense (National Parks Regulations 2024 r 50), as is interfering with rocks (r 46)
- parks can close areas to protect cultural heritage, Aboriginal cultural heritage or shipwrecks (r 47 to 49)
- no prospecting in marine parks
- a miner's right covers minerals and gems, not fossils or relics; removing historic artifacts from Crown land needs the land manager's approval (Heritage Victoria)
What the rule says
“Recreational prospecting is not allowed on the following Crown land areas: national parks, state parks, wilderness parks or marine parks under the National Parks Act 1975, unless there are specific areas where prospecting is allowed”
State forests & Crown land
Permit requiredTo prospect with a metal detector on Victorian Crown land, including most state forests, you need a miner's right: $29.40 for up to 10 years. It covers searching for minerals with hand tools on Crown land that has not been exempted, and you may keep the minerals you find.
- carry your miner's right while prospecting; under-18s may prospect with an adult who holds one (Resources Victoria)
- you can prospect in most state forests; check with the Crown land manager if unsure
- not on Crown land exempted under the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 ss 6, 6A or 7 or nominated under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 s 7(1), land protected under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, reference areas, or the rivers and streams Resources Victoria lists
- non-mechanical hand tools only, no explosives, no removing or damaging trees or shrubs, no disturbing Aboriginal cultural heritage, and repair any damage (s 58)
- you may remove minerals you discover while validly on the land (s 55(2A)); Resources Victoria says collect minerals or gems, not fossils or relics
- searching for coins or relics is not prospecting; historic artifacts may be removed from Crown land only with the land manager's approval and never from an archaeological site (Heritage Victoria)
What the rule says
“A miner's right entitles the holder to search for minerals on any of the following land, unless the land is covered by a mining licence, prospecting licence or retention licence ... (b) Crown land (other than land exempted under section 6, 6A or 7 of this Act or nominated under section 7(1) of the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978).”
Beaches
No verdict yetWe could not confirm a Victorian rule for metal detecting on beaches. Beaches inside national, state and coastal parks fall under park rules that bar digging sand, prospecting is not allowed in marine parks, and anyone who finds a shipwreck or shipwreck artifact must report it within 7 days.
- beaches in parks: digging or removing sand or shell is an offense (National Parks Regulations 2024 r 50)
- marine parks: no recreational prospecting (Resources Victoria)
- found a shipwreck or shipwreck artifact: written notice to the Executive Director within 7 days (Heritage Act 2017 s 80)
- removing historic artifacts from Crown land needs the land manager's approval (Heritage Victoria)
Council parks
Varies by siteCouncil parks and reserves follow each council's local laws. No statewide Victorian rule names metal detecting in council parks, so check the council's local law or ask before you dig.
- councils may make local laws on any matter within their functions (Local Government Act 2020 s 71(1))
- one goldfields council's local law was read (City of Ballarat Community Local Law 2017); it names no detectors or prospecting
- removing historic artifacts from council or Crown land needs the land manager's approval (Heritage Victoria)
What the rule says
“A Council may make local laws for or with respect to any act, matter or thing in respect of which the Council has a function or power under this Act or any other Act.”
Private land
Permit requiredOn private land in Victoria you need the landowner's approval, both to be on the land and to take away anything you find. A miner's right lets you prospect on private land only with the owner's or occupier's consent.
- miner's right on private land: only with the consent of the owner or occupier, which may carry conditions and be withdrawn at any time (Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 s 55(1)(a), (2))
- the Heritage Act 2017 applies on private land: no disturbing archaeological sites
- Aboriginal cultural heritage is protected on all land
What the rule says
“You must get the approval of the landowner to access private land and to remove artefacts.”
All land: heritage law
Digging
Research permits onlyDigging into an archaeological site anywhere in Victoria, public or private land, is an offense without a consent from Heritage Victoria, and a site counts if it holds an artifact, deposit or feature 75 or more years old, recorded or not. Heritage Victoria says a single artifact that is not part of a site may be collected.
- 'archaeological site': a place (other than a shipwreck) containing an artifact, deposit or feature 75 or more years old that provides information about past activity, needs archaeological methods to reveal it, and is not associated only with Aboriginal occupation (Heritage Act 2017 s 3)
- applies to sites on the Heritage Inventory and to unrecorded sites, unless the Executive Director has found a site to have low archaeological value (s 123)
- knowingly or negligently damaging or interfering with an archaeological site is also an offense (s 123(1))
- signs of a site include building ruins and other structures and scatters of ceramic, glass, metal or animal bone (Heritage Victoria)
- consent comes from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria (Part 6)
- Aboriginal cultural heritage: harming it is an offense on any land (Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 ss 27, 28); report a discovery as soon as practicable (s 24)
What the rule says
“A person commits an offence if— (a) the person knowingly— ... (ii) disturbs or excavates land for the purpose of uncovering or discovering an archaeological site”
Keeping finds
Permit requiredVictoria lets you keep an isolated historic artifact that is not part of an archaeological site, with the landowner's or land manager's approval. Taking anything from an archaeological site is an offense, and Aboriginal cultural heritage may never be taken.
- private land: the landowner's approval to remove artifacts; Crown land: the land manager's approval (Heritage Victoria)
- removing an artifact from an archaeological site is an offense, recorded or not
- Aboriginal objects: see the separate Aboriginal cultural heritage rule; harming them, including disturbing them, is an offense
- a miner's right covers minerals and gems, not fossils or relics (Resources Victoria)
What the rule says
“It is not an offence to search for and collect an individual artefact if it is not part of an archaeological site. ... You must get the approval of the landowner to access private land and to remove artefacts. You must get the approval of the land manager to remove artefacts from Crown land.”
Keeping finds
ProhibitedAboriginal objects and places in Victoria are protected on all land: doing anything that harms or is likely to harm them, and harm includes disturbing or interfering with them, is an offense. Leave them where they are and report the find.
- 'harm' includes damage, deface, desecrate, destroy, disturb, injure or interfere with (Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 s 4)
- knowingly, recklessly or negligently harming Aboriginal cultural heritage: up to 1,800 penalty units for a person (s 27)
- found an Aboriginal place or object you know is one: report it to the Secretary as soon as practicable (s 24)
- harm is lawful only under a cultural heritage permit, an approved management plan or agreement, or Aboriginal tradition (s 29)
What the rule says
“A person must not do an act that harms or is likely to harm Aboriginal cultural heritage.”
Parks Australia places
ProhibitedMetal detectors are banned in every Commonwealth reserve, including Kakadu, Uluru-Kata Tjuta and Booderee national parks: the regulations make it an offense even to possess one there, let alone use it.
- Commonwealth reserves include Kakadu, Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Booderee, Christmas Island, Pulu Keeling and Norfolk Island national parks, the Australian National Botanic Gardens and the Australian Marine Parks (managed by the Director of National Parks with Parks Australia)
- using or possessing 'a device for detecting minerals or metal' is an offense of strict liability, up to 30 penalty units (EPBC Regulations r 12.18(1)(e), (7))
- 'fossick' is defined to include using a device or technique for detecting minerals or metal, and fossicking is banned separately (r 12.16(b))
- exception: a detector stowed securely on a vessel passing through, anchored or moored in a marine area (r 12.18(2)(b))
- the ban does not apply in the Jabiru township in Kakadu (r 12.07(c))
- the Director can permit a prohibited activity in principle (r 12.06(1)(c), (2)), and a reserve's management plan can provide for one (r 12.06(1)(a)); no hobby detecting permit process was found
- national parks run by a state or territory follow that state's or territory's own rules
What the rule says
“A person must not use or possess, in a Commonwealth reserve: ... (e) a device for detecting minerals or metal”
Digging
ProhibitedDigging is out in Commonwealth reserves: disturbing or removing sand, stone or other earth materials is an offense, and so is fossicking, which the regulations define to include digging, raking or shoveling to find minerals.
- no introducing, disturbing or removing minerals, clay, sand, stone or other earth materials; no fossicking; up to 50 penalty units (EPBC Regulations r 12.16)
- 'fossick' includes digging, raking or shoveling clay, sand, stone or other earth materials to find mineral materials, and using a panning dish, sieve or sluice (dictionary)
- no excavation in a Commonwealth reserve (r 12.11, strict liability, 50 penalty units)
- same exceptions as other Part 12 offenses: a Director's permit or the reserve's management plan (r 12.06)
What the rule says
“A person must not, in a Commonwealth reserve: (a) introduce, disturb, or remove minerals, clay, sand, stone or other earth materials; or (b) fossick.”
Keeping finds
ProhibitedNothing of heritage value may be moved or kept in a Commonwealth reserve. Possessing or moving 'heritage', which covers objects of archaeological or historic significance, is an offense, and so is removing any object or natural feature.
- 'heritage' includes places, features, structures and objects of aesthetic, archaeological, historic, scientific or social significance (dictionary)
- no damaging, defacing, moving, possessing or interfering with heritage: strict liability, up to 50 penalty units (r 12.13)
- no damaging, removing or interfering with a natural feature or an object, sign or structure (r 12.12)
- scientific research, including archaeological research, needs authorization (r 12.10, r 12.06)
- no source found on handing in modern lost property
What the rule says
“A person must not, in a Commonwealth reserve, damage, deface, move, possess or interfere with heritage.”
Shipwrecks & Commonwealth
Digging
Permit requiredHistoric shipwrecks and sunken aircraft are protected by Commonwealth law once they have been in Australian waters for 75 years. Disturbing one, or removing anything from it or from its archaeological context, needs a permit from the federal environment Minister.
- automatically protected: remains of vessels in Australian waters for at least 75 years, every associated article, and aircraft remains and associated articles in Commonwealth waters for at least 75 years (Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018 s 16(1))
- protected whether or not anyone knows where the article is, and even after it has been removed from the water (s 16(2), (3))
- 'Australian waters' covers the territorial sea and beyond, but not waters within the limits of a state, such as many bays, harbors and rivers, where state heritage law applies (s 11)
- penalty: up to 5 years in prison or 300 penalty units, or both (s 30(4)); civil penalty up to 800 penalty units (s 30(6))
- declared protected zones around some wrecks restrict listed conduct without a permit (s 29)
- permits are granted by the Minister (s 23)
What the rule says
“Conduct has an adverse impact on protected underwater cultural heritage if the conduct: (a) directly or indirectly physically disturbs or otherwise damages the protected underwater cultural heritage; or (b) causes the removal of the protected underwater cultural heritage from waters or from its archaeological context.”
Keeping finds
Permit requiredYou may not keep an artifact from a protected shipwreck or sunken aircraft without a permit: having possession, custody or control of protected underwater cultural heritage is itself an offense. Finding an article of archaeological character in Australian waters must be reported within 21 days.
- possession, custody or control without a permit: up to 5 years in prison or 300 penalty units, or both (s 31(1), (4))
- supplying or offering to supply protected underwater cultural heritage also needs a permit (s 32)
- found an article of underwater cultural heritage that appears to be of archaeological character in Australian waters: written notice to the Minister within 21 days, describing it and where it is (s 40)
- protection continues after an article has been removed from the water (s 16(3))
- permits come from the Minister (s 23); the department's own guidance page could not be read (blocked)
What the rule says
“A person contravenes this subsection if the person has possession, custody or control of protected underwater cultural heritage. ... Subsection (1) does not apply if the person has possession, custody or control in accordance with a permit granted under section 23.”
Even where detecting is allowed, archaeological and historic sites are protected, and you must fill every hole and follow posted rules. Always confirm the current rule with the land manager.
Prospecting in Victoria’s parks
Most Victorian parks are closed to prospecting. Resources Victoria says recreational prospecting “is not allowed” in national, state, wilderness or marine parks “unless there are specific areas where prospecting is allowed.” Those areas are designated under section 32D of the National Parks Act, and Parks Victoria publishes a guide and map for each, including Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, Greater Bendigo, Heathcote-Graytown, Kara Kara and Chiltern-Mt Pilot national parks, Beechworth Historic Park and Kooyoora and Paddys Ranges state parks. You need a miner’s right, hand tools only, and every hole backfilled.
New parks in the central west, created on 5 October 2026, changed the map: prospecting continues in bushland reserves and six regional parks there, including Hepburn and Blackwood, but not in the new Wombat-Lerderderg, Mount Buangor or Pyrenees national parks. Outside designated areas, no park rule names metal detectors, but the National Parks Regulations 2024 make it an offense to dig or remove sand, soil or gravel in a park, which rules out recovering a target.
Heritage law: relics, sites and Aboriginal heritage
Heritage Victoria has a page written for prospectors, detectorists and collectors, and its message is refreshingly clear: “It is not an offence to search for and collect an individual artefact if it is not part of an archaeological site.” You need the landowner’s approval on private land and the land manager’s on Crown land. What you cannot do is disturb an archaeological site, which under the Heritage Act 2017 is any place with an artifact, deposit or feature 75 or more years old that needs archaeological methods to reveal, whether it is on a register or not. Building ruins and scatters of old glass, ceramics, metal or bone are the tell-tale signs.
Aboriginal cultural heritage is protected on every kind of land by the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006. Harm includes disturbing or interfering with an object, so leave it where it is and report the discovery as soon as practicable. Shipwrecks and shipwreck artifacts must be reported to Heritage Victoria within 7 days of discovery.
State forests, beaches, councils and private land
A miner’s right lets you search for minerals on Crown land that has not been exempted, and you can prospect in most state forests. It costs $29.40, lasts up to 10 years and must be carried while you prospect. Hand tools only, no damage to trees or shrubs, no disturbing Aboriginal heritage, and the gold you find is yours.
We could not confirm a rule for beaches outside parks; beaches inside parks fall under the no-digging rule, and marine parks are off limits to prospecting. Council parks follow each council’s local laws, and the one goldfields local law we read (Ballarat’s) does not mention detectors, so ask the council. On private land you need the owner’s or occupier’s consent, and a miner’s right does not change that.
Sources
Official and statutory sources this page is based on (source check: October 7, 2026):
Checked Parks Victoria's and Resources Victoria's prospecting pages, Heritage Victoria's guidance for detectorists, the National Parks Act 1975 (version 183), National Parks Regulations 2024, Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990, Heritage Act 2017, Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, Local Government Act 2020 and the City of Ballarat Community Local Law 2017 on October 7, 2026. The beach rule outside parks could not be confirmed.
- Fossicking and prospecting (Parks Victoria)
- Recreational prospecting (Resources Victoria)
- National Parks Act 1975 (Authorised Version No. 183)
- National Parks Regulations 2024 (S.R. No. 76/2024, Authorised Version No. 001)
- Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 (Authorised Version No. 134)
- Prospecting, detecting and collecting (Heritage Victoria)
- Heritage Act 2017 (Authorised Version No. 009)
- Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Version No. 030)
- Local Government Act 2020 (Authorised Version No. 026)
- City of Ballarat Community Local Law 2017
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (Compilation No. 26)
- National Parks (Parks Australia)
- Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018 (Compilation No. 3)
- Possessing, exporting and importing of underwater cultural heritage (the agency site blocks automated checks; read it directly)
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use a metal detector in Victorian national parks?
- Only in designated prospecting areas of certain parks, and only with a miner's right. Resources Victoria says recreational prospecting is not allowed in national, state, wilderness or marine parks unless there are specific areas where it is allowed. Parks Victoria lists those parks, such as Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park and Greater Bendigo National Park.
- Do I need a miner's right to metal detect in Victoria?
- Yes, to prospect for gold or other minerals. A miner's right costs $29.40, lasts up to 10 years and must be carried while you prospect. It covers most state forests and other Crown land that has not been exempted, plus private land with the owner's consent.
- Can I keep old coins or relics I find in Victoria?
- Sometimes. Heritage Victoria says it is not an offense to search for and collect an individual artifact that is not part of an archaeological site, with the landowner's or land manager's approval. Removing anything from an archaeological site, meaning a place with remains 75 or more years old, is an offense, and Aboriginal objects must never be disturbed.
- Can I metal detect on Victorian beaches?
- We could not confirm a Victorian rule for beaches outside parks, so ask the land manager. Beaches inside parks fall under a rule against digging sand, prospecting is not allowed in marine parks, and shipwreck finds must be reported within 7 days.
- Do I need permission to metal detect on private land in Victoria?
- Yes. Heritage Victoria says you must get the landowner's approval to access private land and to remove artifacts, and a miner's right only covers private land with the owner's or occupier's consent.
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