New Brunswick will let you swing a detector, but it keeps a close eye on what comes out of the ground. Provincial parks need the park manager’s approval, and man-made objects 100 years old or tied to military history belong to the Crown, coins and musket balls included. Here’s how the rules stack up.
Can I detect in New Brunswick?
The short answer for each kind of land. Tap a card for the detail and the rule’s own words.
- Provincial parksPermit requiredChecked against the source Oct 7, 2026
- Crown landNo verdict yetthe wet foreshore below the ordinary high-water mark is Crown landSource check pending
- BeachesVaries by sitedry backshore: usually the adjacent owner's land, so ask the ownerChecked against the source Oct 7, 2026
- Municipal parksVaries by siteby-laws may regulate or prohibit an activity (s.10(6))Checked against the source Oct 7, 2026
- Private landPermit requiredChecked against the source Oct 7, 2026
- Parks Canada placesVaries by siteChecked against the source Oct 7, 2026
- Other federal landVaries by siteChecked 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
Provincial parks
Permit requiredMetal detectors are not allowed on New Brunswick provincial park property without the park manager's approval. Approval to detect is not permission to dig: excavating or removing any artifact needs the Minister's written permission.
- ask the park manager before you bring a detector into a provincial park
- no excavation and no removing any artifact or natural object without the Minister's written permission (N.B. Reg. 85-104 s.3)
- no removing sand, gravel or other aggregate from a provincial park (s.18)
- objects 100 years old or older, or tied to military history, belong to the Crown and must be reported
What the rule says
“The use of metal detectors will not be allowed on provincial park property without the approval of the park manager.”
Digging
Permit requiredDigging any hole in a New Brunswick provincial park needs the Minister's written permission. The park manager's approval to use a detector does not cover it.
- the rule covers any excavation, not only archaeological digging
- no removing sand, gravel or other aggregate material (s.18)
- the exception covers park employees at work and holders of the Minister's written permission (s.3(2))
What the rule says
“no person in a provincial park shall ... (b) remove any artifact or natural object, (c) make an excavation,”
Keeping finds
Permit requiredTaking any artifact or natural object out of a New Brunswick provincial park needs the Minister's written permission, and anything that counts as an archaeological object belongs to the Crown in any case.
- the Minister's written permission (N.B. Reg. 85-104 s.3(2))
- archaeological objects (100 years old or more, or tied to military history) vest in the Crown wherever found
- modern lost property: no source found on keeping or turning in lost personal items
What the rule says
“A person may engage in any of the activities listed in subsection (1) if they are in the course of their employment as an employee or if they have the written permission of the Minister.”
Crown land
No verdict yetNo New Brunswick source says whether metal detecting on Crown land needs authorization. The province says occasional uses such as hiking and geocaching do not, but it does not list detecting.
- the Heritage Conservation Act still applies: no removing archaeological objects without a permit
- the wet foreshore below the ordinary high-water mark is Crown land
Beaches
Varies by siteWho owns the sand decides. Provincial park beaches need the park manager's approval, the dry upper beach usually belongs to the neighboring landowner, and the wet foreshore is provincial Crown land, where no detecting rule was found.
- provincial park beaches (for example Parlee Beach and New River Beach): park manager's approval; no digging without the Minister's written permission
- dry backshore: usually the adjacent owner's land, so ask the owner
- wet foreshore below the ordinary high-water mark: provincial Crown land; no source on detecting
- town beaches: the municipality's by-laws
- Fundy and Kouchibouguac national parks: detectors prohibited (see the federal rows)
What the rule says
“The “dry” part of the beach, known as the backshore, is typically owned by the adjacent property owner. The “wet” part of the beach, or foreshore, which is exposed when the tide goes out (the intertidal area), is Crown lands owned by the province.”
Municipal parks
Varies by siteCity, town and rural community parks follow each local government's own by-laws, which the Local Governance Act lets councils make to regulate or prohibit activities in public places. Check the local by-law or ask the parks office.
- by-laws may regulate or prohibit an activity (s.10(6))
- no individual municipal by-law was fetched
What the rule says
“a local government may make by-laws for municipal purposes respecting ... (b) people, activities and things in, on or near a public place or place that is open to the public;”
Private land
Permit requiredOn private land in New Brunswick, get the landowner's permission. Lawns, gardens and fenced or enclosed land are off limits without consent, and anywhere else the owner can bar detecting by telling you or by posting a sign.
- lawns, gardens and enclosed land: entering or doing any activity without consent is an offense, notice or not (Trespass Act s.4.1)
- other private land: an offense once an authorized person gives notice, orally, in writing or by signs; a sign banning an activity names or pictures it with an oblique line (s.3)
- archaeological objects found on private land still belong to the Crown and must be reported
What the rule says
“It is legal to use a metal detector in some areas of New Brunswick with landowner permission.”
All land: heritage law
Digging
Research permits onlyAnywhere in New Brunswick, recovering archaeological objects, coins and musket balls included, is archaeological field research that needs a permit, and the province does not currently issue amateur archaeological permits.
- applies on all land in the province, public or private
- 'archaeological object': anything tied to the province's military history, wrecks of 50 years or more, motor vehicles of 75 years or more, any other object 100 years or older (N.B. Reg. 2010-132 s.3)
- Heritage Conservation Act s.11(1): no archaeological field research without a field research permit; s.11(2): a site alteration permit to disturb a known archaeological site or remove an archaeological object for other purposes
- the Archaeology and Heritage Branch says it does not currently issue amateur archaeological field research permits
- if you hit an archaeological site while digging without a permit: stop and notify the Minister (s.11(3))
What the rule says
“the removal of archaeological objects from the ground, including coins and musket balls, is prohibited under the Heritage Conservation Act. A permit is required to undertake archaeological field research, including the recovery of archaeological objects by metal detecting.”
Keeping finds
ProhibitedArchaeological objects found in New Brunswick belong to the Crown, not the finder, and every find must be reported to the Minister as soon as practicable. Old coins count if they are 100 years old or more.
- applies on all land in the province, public or private
- report the find, its location and date to the Minister (Archaeology and Heritage Branch) as soon as practicable (s.9)
- the Minister may require you to deliver the object (s.5(2)) or may agree to let you keep custody (s.7(1))
- the Branch's advice: stop digging, photograph the find and note the location, then report it
- objects younger than the regulation's thresholds and not tied to military history are not archaeological objects; no source covers them
What the rule says
“The property in, and the title and right of possession to, an archaeological object, palaeontological object or burial object discovered in the Province after the commencement of this section is and vests in the Crown.”
Parks Canada places
Varies by siteAssume no: there is no single federal rule, but each superintendent posts orders for their place, and every posted order we read (9 of 9, from Fundy to Elk Island) bans metal detectors or allows them only by permit. Check the place's notices first.
- set by each place's superintendent: National Parks General Regulations s.7(1) (national parks) or National Historic Parks General Regulations s.12(1) (national historic sites)
- prohibited by posted order: Fundy and Kouchibouguac (NB); Kejimkujik including Kejimkujik Seaside, Sable Island, Halifax Citadel and Fortress of Louisbourg (NS); Elk Island (AB)
- permit only: Thousand Islands (ON); Fortress of Louisbourg allows written authorization from the Superintendent; Cape Breton Highlands (NS) lists metal detectors as a restricted activity, with the full notice kept at its visitor centers
- Jasper (AB): no detector order, but detecting is 'not encouraged' and no holes may be dug or objects removed without a Restricted Activity Permit or Research & Collection Permit
- a superintendent's permit is possible in principle (NPGR s.7(5), NHPGR s.12(3)); the orders and Jasper's page point to research, not hobby use
- places whose notices were not found online, including Prince Edward Island, Gros Morne and Terra Nova national parks: ask the park before you bring a detector
- digging: the Parks Canada digging rule; removing finds: the Parks Canada keeping rule
What the rule says
“The superintendent may, where it is necessary for the proper management of the Park to do so, designate certain activities, uses or entry and travel in areas in a Park as restricted or prohibited.”
Digging
ProhibitedDigging is off the table in national parks: the regulations bar removing or damaging natural objects, a term that includes soil, sand and gravel, and Parks Canada reads that as no holes and no disturbing the ground.
- 'natural object' includes any natural material, soil, sand, gravel, rock, mineral and fossil in a park (NPGR s.2)
- permits only for scientific, construction or park-management purposes (NPGR ss.11 and 12)
- Parks Canada: 'It is illegal to dig holes or disturb the ground in any way in a national park' (Jasper page, citing NPGR ss.10, 12(1) and 12(2))
- national historic sites: no removing or damaging natural objects (NHPGR s.4(1)) and no disturbing any archaeological site or historical resource (NHPGR s.3(1))
What the rule says
“No person shall remove, deface, damage or destroy any flora or natural objects in a Park, other than in accordance with a permit issued under subsection 11(1) or 12(1)”
Keeping finds
ProhibitedYou may not take artifacts or natural objects out of a Parks Canada place. The only removal permits are for museum display, science or park management, not for hobby finds.
- prehistoric or historic artifacts or structures: removal permits only for public display in a museum (NPGR s.14(2))
- natural objects such as rocks, minerals and fossils: permits only for scientific, construction or management purposes (NPGR ss.10 to 12)
- national historic sites: no disturbing or removing any archaeological site or historical resource; a Director's permit only for management, science or public display (NHPGR s.3)
- if you spot a possible cultural resource, Parks Canada's guidance (Jasper) is to leave it in place and contact the park
- modern lost property: no source found on keeping or turning in lost personal items
What the rule says
“no person shall wilfully remove, deface, damage or destroy any prehistoric or historic artifacts or structures in a Park.”
Other federal land
Varies by siteOutside Parks Canada places, each federal department applies its own laws and policies to its land, and no general federal detecting rule was found. Ask the department that manages the land before you detect.
- each federal land manager sets its own rules; no department's metal-detector rule was fetched
- National Wildlife Areas: disturbing soil or removing artifacts needs a permit
- archaeological finds: Parks Canada advises halting work and notifying the responsible federal, provincial or territorial archaeological official
What the rule says
“Other federal government departments are subject to different laws, policies and ministerial directives that pertain to federal lands.”
Digging
Permit requiredIn National Wildlife Areas, disturbing soil, sand or gravel, or removing any artifact or natural object, needs a federal permit.
- applies to National Wildlife Areas listed in the Wildlife Area Regulations, not to all federal land
- permits under s.4 go to activities whose effects would not compromise the conservation of wildlife or habitat
- some wildlife areas need a permit just to enter (s.3.3)
What the rule says
“no person shall do any of the following in any wildlife area except in accordance with a permit issued under section 4 or section 8.1: ... (r) disturb or remove any soil, sand, gravel or other material; ... (t) remove, damage or destroy any artifact or natural object”
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.
Metal detecting in New Brunswick provincial parks
Parks New Brunswick’s rules for campers are short and clear: “The use of metal detectors will not be allowed on provincial park property without the approval of the park manager.” So call or stop by the park office before you start.
Approval to swing a detector is not permission to dig. The General Regulation under the Parks Act (s. 3) bars anyone in a provincial park from making an excavation or removing any artifact or natural object without the Minister’s written permission, and s. 18 bars removing sand or gravel. If you hope to recover targets, ask about both.
New Brunswick’s heritage law
The Heritage Conservation Act vests archaeological objects found in the province in the Crown (s. 5(1)), and its regulation sets the bar low: any object associated with the province’s military history, any wreck of 50 years or more, any motor vehicle of 75 years or more, and any other object at least 100 years old. The province’s archaeology page says removing archaeological objects from the ground, “including coins and musket balls,” is prohibited, and recovering them by metal detecting needs a field research permit.
Those permits are for qualified archaeologists, and the Archaeology and Heritage Branch says it does not currently issue amateur archaeological permits. If you turn up something old, stop digging, photograph it, note the location and report it to the Branch: the Act requires a report as soon as practicable (s. 9).
Beaches, Crown land and local rules
On the coast, who owns the sand decides. The province says the dry backshore is typically owned by the adjacent landowner, while the wet foreshore exposed at low tide is Crown land (coastal land use). Provincial park beaches such as Parlee follow the park rule above. We could not confirm a detecting rule for the foreshore or for Crown land generally: the province says occasional uses like hiking and geocaching need no authorization, but detecting is not on its list, so ask the Crown Lands Branch.
Town parks and beaches follow local by-laws, which the Local Governance Act lets councils use to regulate or prohibit activities in public places. On private land, get the owner’s permission: under the Trespass Act, lawns, gardens and enclosed land are off limits without consent, and an owner can ban an activity by notice or sign. Fundy and Kouchibouguac national parks prohibit metal detectors outright.
Sources
Official and statutory sources this page is based on (source check: October 7, 2026):
Crown land detecting is unconfirmed: the Crown lands page lists occasional uses that need no authorization but not detecting.
- Policies and rules for campers (Parks New Brunswick)
- General Regulation - Parks Act (N.B. Reg. 85-104)
- Parks Act (R.S.N.B. 2011, c. 202)
- Heritage Conservation Act (S.N.B. 2009, c. H-4.05)
- General Regulation - Heritage Conservation Act (N.B. Reg. 2010-132)
- Archaeology and fossils
- Crown lands
- Coastal land use
- Local Governance Act (S.N.B. 2017, c. 18)
- Trespass Act (R.S.N.B. 2012, c. 117)
- National Parks General Regulations (SOR/78-213)
- National Historic Parks General Regulations (SOR/82-263)
- Canada National Parks Act (S.C. 2000, c. 32)
- Restricted Activity Notice: Metal detectors (Fundy National Park)
- Superintendent's notice: Use of metal detectors prohibited (Kouchibouguac National Park)
- Superintendent's notices (Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site)
- Notice of prohibition: Metal detector use prohibited (Sable Island National Park Reserve)
- Superintendent's notices (Halifax Citadel National Historic Site)
- Restricted Activity Order: Metal detectors (Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site), PDF
- Restricted and prohibited activity notices (Cape Breton Highlands National Park)
- Restricted and Prohibited Activities (Elk Island National Park)
- Restricted activity order: Metal detector restrictions (Thousand Islands National Park)
- Using a metal detector in Jasper National Park
- Archaeology and the law
- Wildlife Area Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1609)
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Do you need permission to metal detect in a New Brunswick provincial park?
- Yes. Parks New Brunswick does not allow metal detectors on provincial park property without the park manager's approval. Digging or removing any artifact or natural object also needs the Minister's written permission under the Parks Act regulation.
- Can I keep old coins I find in New Brunswick?
- Not if they are archaeological objects. Under the Heritage Conservation Act, objects at least 100 years old, or tied to the province's military history, belong to the Crown wherever they are found. You must report them, and the Minister may ask you to hand them over or may agree to let you keep custody.
- Do I have to report what I find?
- Yes, for archaeological objects. The Act requires anyone who discovers one to report it to the Minister as soon as practicable, with what it is, where it was found and when. The Archaeology and Heritage Branch asks you to stop digging, take photos and note the location.
- Can you metal detect on New Brunswick beaches?
- It depends on who owns the beach. Provincial park beaches need the park manager's approval, the dry upper beach usually belongs to the neighboring landowner, and the wet foreshore is provincial Crown land, where we found no published detecting rule. Town beaches follow local by-laws.
- Can you metal detect in Fundy or Kouchibouguac National Park?
- No. Parks Canada has prohibited the use of metal detectors in both national parks by superintendent's order.
- Can a hobbyist get a permit to dig for artifacts in New Brunswick?
- Not at present. Recovering archaeological objects needs a field research permit, and the Archaeology and Heritage Branch says it does not currently issue amateur archaeological permits.
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