Denmark keeps hobby detecting simple: no heritage permit, just an agreement with the landowner. The Museumsloven (Museum Act) draws the hard lines. No detecting on protected monuments or within 2 meters of them, and anything that counts as danefæ (treasure trove) belongs to the state, which pays the finder a reward through Nationalmuseet (the National Museum of Denmark). The big exception is state land run by Naturstyrelsen (the Danish Nature Agency), which is closed to hobby detecting. Here's how it works, land by land.
Can I detect in Denmark?
The short answer for each kind of land. Tap a card for the detail and the rule’s own words.
- Anywhere: national heritage lawAllowedChecked against the source Oct 8, 2026
- Beaches & foreshorePermit requiredChecked against the source Oct 8, 2026
- Protected monumentsProhibitedChecked against the source Oct 8, 2026
- National parks & protected natureVaries by siteno detecting on protected monuments or within 2 meters of themChecked against the source Oct 8, 2026
- State forests (Naturstyrelsen)Research permits onlyChecked against the source Oct 8, 2026
- Private landPermit requireddon't dig below the plow layer or start excavating a findspotChecked against the source Oct 8, 2026
Open in many areas without a permitPermit, registration, or designated beaches onlyProhibited or effectively closed
The rules, land by land
Anywhere: national heritage law
AllowedDenmark lets you search with a metal detector without a heritage permit, as long as you have an agreement with the landowner. The hard limits: no detecting on protected monuments or within 2 meters of them, no digging below the plow layer, and danefæ (treasure trove) belongs to the state.
- no permit from a heritage authority is needed; the Agency for Culture and Palaces (Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen) says detecting is in principle legal by agreement with the landowner
- you need the landowner's agreement wherever you search, private or public (for public land, the relevant authority, such as a municipality's technical department)
- the Museumsloven (Museum Act) bans metal detectors on protected monuments (fortidsminder) and within 2 meters of them (§ 29 f)
- the Agency says detecting is also not allowed on registered monuments and sites, historic wrecks included, on lake beds and the seabed
- when you dig up a detector signal, don't go below the ordinary plow layer or upper topsoil, and don't start excavating a findspot; Nationalmuseet's folder puts the plow layer at typically 20-25 cm and calls digging below it illegal
- state land run by the Danish Nature Agency (Naturstyrelsen) is in principle closed to detecting (see state forests)
- danefæ belongs to the state and must be handed in immediately (see finds and reporting)
What the rule says
“I Danmark er det i udgangspunktet lovligt at udføre detektorafsøgninger efter aftale med den aktuelle lodsejer.”
Keeping finds
ProhibitedDanefæ, meaning objects from the past (coins included) with no provable owner that are made of valuable material or have special cultural-historical value, belongs to the state and must be handed in. Nationalmuseet pays the finder a reward instead. Other loose finds from the plow layer that aren't danefæ usually belong to the landowner.
- danefæ covers objects from the past, coins included, found in Denmark with no one able to prove ownership, if they are made of valuable material or have special cultural-historical value (§ 30, stk. 1)
- Nationalmuseet pays the finder a reward (danefægodtgørelse), set by the find's material value and rarity and the care the finder took to secure it (§ 30, stk. 3)
- no reward is paid for danefæ found in an archaeological investigation run by a state or state-recognised museum or paid for wholly or partly with public money (§ 30, stk. 4)
- it is not legal to sell or otherwise pass on danefæ (Agency for Culture and Palaces)
- finds from archaeological investigations or closed archaeological contexts belong in principle to the museum running the investigation or responsible for the area
- other archaeological finds that aren't danefæ, such as loose finds from the topsoil or plow layer, are governed by private law, not the Museum Act; they can be kept by the rightful owner, most often the landowner
- borderline cases go to the museum, such as finds from recognised plowed-out graves or hoards, and everything found in the plow layer during detector work done with museums; ask the local museum if in doubt
- objects from monuments and historic wrecks (thought lost more than 100 years ago) in the sea, lakes or streams belong to the state (see the wreck row)
What the rule says
“Danefæ tilhører staten. Den, der finder danefæ, og den, der får danefæ i sin besiddelse, skal straks aflevere det til Nationalmuseet.”
Reporting finds
Must be reportedIf you find something that may be danefæ, hand it in immediately. In practice you take it to the local museum responsible for archaeology in that area, which sends it on to Nationalmuseet for the final assessment.
- the Museum Act says whoever finds danefæ, or comes to possess it, must hand it in to Nationalmuseet immediately (§ 30, stk. 2)
- Nationalmuseet asks finders to go to their local museum first; going straight to Nationalmuseet can slow the assessment
- Nationalmuseet's folder says objects of precious metal or with cultural-historical value should be handed in to the archaeological museum as soon as possible
- record each find's position with GPS coordinates, and don't clean or impregnate finds
- failing to hand in danefæ is punishable by a fine, and by up to 1 year in prison if done on purpose for economic gain in especially aggravating circumstances (§ 40)
- a find of monuments or wrecks thought lost more than 100 years ago in streams, lakes or Danish waters must be reported to the Minister of Culture immediately (§ 28)
What the rule says
“Kommer man i besiddelse af danefæ, skal disse straks afleveres til Nationalmuseet. I praksis vil afleveringen ofte kunne ske til det lokale museum med arkæologisk ansvar, der så videresender genstanden til Nationalmuseet.”
Beaches & foreshore
Permit requiredYou can detect on a Danish beach only with permission from whoever owns or manages it. The public's right to walk the shore doesn't include using a metal detector, and municipalities have their own permit rules for public beaches.
- Nationalmuseet's folder says you need the landowner's permission on beaches, as everywhere else
- the public access order lists using metal detectors among the things not allowed on beaches, other coastal stretches, protected dunes, forests, uncultivated land and roads and paths in open country (§ 28, nr. 10)
- municipalities have their own permit requirements for detectors on public areas such as parks and beaches; the folder says you can typically get an answer from the municipality's technical and environmental department
- state-owned areas need a special permit from the authority that runs them, and the Danish Nature Agency gives one only to people with a formal cooperation with a state-recognised museum
- no detecting on protected monuments or within 2 meters of them, and none on protected wrecks or monuments on the seabed
- objects from monuments and from wrecks over 100 years old found in Danish waters belong to the state (see the wreck row)
What the rule says
“Du skal have tilladelse fra grundejeren, før du afsøger et område med metaldetektor. Det gælder både private jorde, beskyttede naturområder, strande, skove samt kommunale og statslige arealer.”
Keeping finds
ProhibitedObjects from monuments and historic wrecks found in Danish waters, lakes or streams belong to the state. If you pick one up, it has to go to a state-recognised museum with archaeological responsibility.
- covers monuments, and wrecks, cargoes and wreck parts thought lost more than 100 years ago, in streams, lakes, Danish territorial waters or on the continental shelf up to 24 nautical miles out (§ 28, stk. 1)
- such a find must be reported to the Minister of Culture immediately (§ 28, stk. 1)
- the state's ownership doesn't apply to objects whose owner can prove their right (§ 28, stk. 2)
- no one may change the condition of monuments on the seabed or of wrecks over 100 years old there or in streams and lakes (§ 29 g)
- Nationalmuseet's folder says removing objects from monuments, shipwrecks or ship cargoes over 100 years old on the sea floor or lake bed is illegal
What the rule says
“Genstande fra fortidsminder, historiske vrag og dele af sådanne vrag fundet på søterritoriet, i søer eller vandløb tilhører staten. Samler du disse genstande op, eller får du sådanne genstande i din besiddelse, skal genstandene afleveres til et statsanerkendt kulturhistorisk museum med arkæologisk ansvar.”
Protected monuments
ProhibitedThe Museum Act bans metal detectors on protected monuments and within 2 meters of them. It's on you to know where they are, hidden ones like buried ruins included.
- covers monuments protected under § 29 e: the annex lists types such as burial mounds, dolmens and passage graves, ship settings, ruins and rune stones (protected when visible in the terrain and built before 1865), and others such as settlements that are protected once the owner has been notified
- within 2 meters of a protected monument you may not cultivate, fertilize or plant either
- the Agency for Culture and Palaces treats magnet fishing like metal detecting, so it is banned in the same places
- detectors are also not allowed on protected wrecks or other monuments on the seabed or in lakes and streams
- breaking § 29 f is punishable by a fine, and by up to 1 year in prison if done intentionally or with gross negligence and it harms, or puts at risk, what the rules protect, or brings economic gain (§ 40 a)
- check the central register Fund og Fortidsminder before you search; Nationalmuseet's folder says the ban covers visible monuments and some hidden ones, such as underground ruins
What the rule says
“På fortidsminder og inden for en afstand af 2 m fra dem må der ikke foretages jordbehandling, gødes eller plantes. Der må heller ikke anvendes metaldetektor.”
National parks & protected nature
Varies by siteNo national-park rule of its own turned up, so in Denmark's national parks and protected nature areas it comes down to who owns the land: private owners can say yes, while state-owned land run by the Danish Nature Agency is closed to hobby detecting.
- Nationalmuseet's folder says protected nature areas need the landowner's permission like any other land
- on state-owned areas the Danish Nature Agency grants permission only with a formal cooperation with a state-recognised museum (see state forests)
- on private land inside a park or reserve, the owner's permission is the rule
- the public access order does not let the public use detectors on uncultivated land, in forests or on beaches (§ 28, nr. 10)
- no detecting on protected monuments or within 2 meters of them
- no rule specific to national parks was found in the sources read
What the rule says
“Du skal have tilladelse fra grundejeren, før du afsøger et område med metaldetektor. Det gælder både private jorde, beskyttede naturområder, strande, skove samt kommunale og statslige arealer.”
State forests (Naturstyrelsen)
Research permits onlyDanish state forests are off limits to hobby detecting. The Danish Nature Agency says private persons may not use detectors in them, and it grants permission only to people with a formal cooperation with a state-recognised museum.
- the Agency for Culture and Palaces says detecting is in principle not allowed on state land managed by the Danish Nature Agency (Naturstyrelsen)
- the Danish Nature Agency's FAQ answers no to private persons using a metal detector in the state forests
- permission for state-owned areas is sought from the authority that runs them; the Danish Nature Agency grants it only with a formal cooperation with a state-recognised museum
- in privately owned forests the owner can allow detecting, but never on protected monuments (Danish Nature Agency)
- the public access order also lists metal detectors among things not allowed in forests (§ 28, nr. 10)
What the rule says
“Det kræver særlig tilladelse at gå med metaldetektor på statslige områder. Tilladelse søges hos den myndighed, der har ansvar for arealet. Naturstyrelsen giver kun tilladelse, hvis man har et formaliseret samarbejde med et statsanerkendt museum.”
Private land
Permit requiredOn private land in Denmark you need the landowner's permission. With a yes, you can detect without any heritage permit, staying off protected monuments and out of the soil below the plow layer.
- get permission from the owner before you search; on private natural areas the owner can allow detectors (Danish Nature Agency)
- never on protected monuments or within 2 meters of them, even with the owner's permission
- don't dig below the plow layer or start excavating a findspot
- danefæ goes to the state; other loose plow-layer finds that aren't danefæ usually belong to the landowner, so agree with the owner on finds (see finds)
What the rule says
“Sørg altid for at få tilladelse af lodsejer til at færdes på de areal, du ønsker at detektorafsøge, eller hvor du vil udføre magnetfiskeri.”
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.
Detecting beyond Denmark? We cover 45 more countries rule by rule too. See the world map →
Open data: every rule in our Denmark guide, with its quote, source and check date, free to reuse (CC BY-SA 4.0). Download the data →
No permit, but ask first
Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen (Agency for Culture and Palaces) says detecting is in principle legal in Denmark by agreement with the landowner. If the owner is public, ask the relevant authority, for example a municipality's technical department. There's no heritage permit to apply for.
When you dig a signal, stay in the plow layer. The Agency says you may not dig below the ordinary plow layer or upper topsoil, and you may not start excavating a findspot. Nationalmuseet's detector folder puts the plow layer at typically 20-25 cm and calls digging deeper illegal; if you find something deeper, or suspect something is there, contact the local archaeological museum straight away.
It's a good idea to find out which museum has archaeological responsibility for the area you search, and to tell it you're detecting there. The museum can advise you on recording, handling and handing in finds.
Two meters from the past
Under § 29 f of the Museum Act you may not use a metal detector on a protected monument (fortidsminde) or within 2 meters of it. Protected types include burial mounds, dolmens and passage graves, ship settings, ruins and rune stones that are visible in the terrain and built before 1865; others, such as settlements, are protected once the owner has been notified. The ban covers some hidden monuments too, such as ruins underground, and it's your job to know where they are: check the central register Fund og Fortidsminder before you go.
The same goes under water: no detecting on protected wrecks or other monuments on the seabed or in lakes and streams. The Agency treats magnet fishing like metal detecting, so it's banned in the same places. Breaking the 2-meter rule is punishable by a fine, and in serious cases by up to a year in prison.
Danefæ: what you hand in, and what you get paid
Danefæ is Denmark's treasure rule. It covers objects from the past, coins included, found in Denmark with no one able to prove ownership, that are made of valuable material or have special cultural-historical value. Danefæ belongs to the state, and whoever finds it must hand it in immediately. Selling it or passing it on is not legal.
In practice you take the find to the local museum responsible for archaeology in that area, which sends it on to Nationalmuseet, where the final verdict on danefæ status is made. You can go straight to Nationalmuseet, but that can slow things down, because it then has to wait for the local museum's report.
What you get: Nationalmuseet pays a reward (danefægodtgørelse), set by the find's material value, its rarity and the care you took to secure it. Care counts, so record each find with GPS coordinates, don't clean or impregnate it, store it so it can't be damaged and hand it in quickly. No reward is paid for danefæ found in an archaeological investigation run by a museum or paid for with public money. Nationalmuseet also holds a detector day (detektordag) to thank everyone who detects, now on the last Saturday in January.
Not everything is danefæ. Other loose finds from the topsoil or plow layer fall under private law and can usually be kept by the landowner, so agree with the owner about finds. Borderline cases, such as finds from known plowed-out graves or hoards, go to the museum; if in doubt, ask it. Failing to hand in danefæ is punishable by a fine, and by up to a year in prison when done on purpose for gain in especially aggravating circumstances.
Beaches, forests and parks
Beaches need permission too. The public access order (adgangsbekendtgørelsen) lists using metal detectors among the things the public may not do on beaches, other coastal stretches, protected dunes, forests, uncultivated land and roads and paths in open country, so ask the owner. Municipalities have their own permit rules for detectors on public areas such as parks and beaches: ask the municipality's technical and environmental department.
State land is the big no. Naturstyrelsen says private persons may not use metal detectors in the state forests, and it grants permission only to people with a formal cooperation with a state-recognised museum. In national parks and other protected nature areas it comes down to who owns the land: private owners can say yes, while state-owned land follows Naturstyrelsen's rule.
Objects from monuments and historic wrecks found in Danish waters, lakes or streams belong to the state. Pick one up and it has to go to a state-recognised museum with archaeological responsibility.
Sources
Official and statutory sources this page is based on (source check: October 8, 2026):
- Bekendtgørelse af museumsloven, LBK nr 1017 af 07/07/2025 (Museum Act, consolidated)
- Detektorafsøgning og magnetfiskeri (detector searching and magnet fishing)
- Danefæ og andre løsfund (danefæ and other loose finds)
- Går du med metaldetektor i Danmark? (Nationalmuseet danefæ folder v.1)
- Går du med metaldetektor i Danmark? (Nationalmuseet danefæ folder v.1, the museum's own copy)
- Hvor må jeg færdes på Naturstyrelsens arealer? (FAQ)
- Bekendtgørelse om offentlighedens adgang til at færdes og opholde sig i naturen, BEK nr 852 af 27/06/2016 (public access order)
- Indlevering af danefæ (handing in danefæ)
- Danefæ
Once you’ve confirmed where you’re allowed to hunt, LuckyFind helps you make the most of it — track your route on the map, log each find with its location, and revisit your saved hunt records. LuckyFind does not verify land access or grant detecting permission. Free for iPhone and Android.
New to LuckyFind? Follow the first-hunt checklist, then learn how to record a hunt and add finds.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need a permit to metal detect in Denmark?
- No heritage permit. You need an agreement with the landowner, and municipalities have their own permit rules for public areas such as parks and beaches. State land run by Naturstyrelsen is closed to hobby detecting.
- Can I keep what I find in Denmark?
- Not danefæ: it belongs to the state, and Nationalmuseet pays you a reward instead. Other loose finds from the plow layer that aren't danefæ usually belong to the landowner, so agree on finds before you search.
- How much is the danefæ reward?
- Nationalmuseet sets it find by find, from the material value, the rarity and the care you took to secure it. There's no reward for danefæ found in a museum-run or publicly funded investigation.
- Where do I hand in danefæ?
- At the local museum responsible for archaeology in the area where you found it. It sends the find on to Nationalmuseet, which makes the final call.
- Can I metal detect on Danish beaches?
- Only with permission from whoever owns or manages the beach; for public beaches, ask the municipality. Stay off protected monuments and protected wrecks.
- Can I metal detect in Danish state forests?
- Not as a hobbyist. Naturstyrelsen says private persons may not, and it gives permission only to people with a formal cooperation with a state-recognised museum.
Find more, remember where
Download LuckyFind — free for iPhone and Android — to track your routes, log your finds, and keep your permitted spots organized.
