Guernsey has a permit route for selected beaches and requires the landowner’s permission on private land. Other land owned or administered by the States is closed to detecting. We could not confirm a general national rule for hobby detector use, so the land-specific rules matter. This guide covers Guernsey; it does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
Can I detect in Guernsey?
The short answer for each kind of land. Tap a card for the detail and the rule’s own words.
- Anywhere: national heritage lawNo verdict yetChecked against the source Oct 9, 2026
- Beaches & foreshorePermit requiredChecked against the source Oct 9, 2026
- Protected monumentsNo verdict yetChecked against the source Oct 9, 2026
- National parks & nature reservesNo verdict yetChecked against the source Oct 9, 2026
- State forestsProhibitedChecked against the source Oct 9, 2026
- Private landPermit requiredChecked against the source Oct 9, 2026
- Military & state landProhibitedChecked against the source Oct 9, 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
No verdict yetA general national rule for hobby detector use could not be confirmed; Guernsey publishes separate beach, States-land and private-land rules.
- This research covers Guernsey; it does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
- The government requires a permit for selected beaches and prohibits detecting on other land owned or administered by the States of Guernsey.
- Its private-land guidance says to obtain the landowner’s permission before detecting.
What the rule says
“Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services operate a management policy whereby a permit is required to metal detect on a selection of Guernsey beaches.”
Keeping finds
No verdict yetOwnership of finds across all land could not be confirmed; a beach detecting permit does not give ownership of finds.
- This research covers Guernsey; it does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
- The beach permit guidance says treasure trove may belong to the Crown under Guernsey customary law and that finders of treasure trove have no legal interest.
- The guidance allows consideration of an ex gratia payment by His Majesty’s Receiver General, without promising one.
- Ownership of ordinary finds on private land remains unconfirmed.
What the rule says
“This permit does not transfer any rights to objects found on the foreshore to you.”
Reporting finds
No verdict yetA reporting duty applying to finds on every kind of land could not be confirmed; beach permits contain specific reporting requirements.
- This research covers Guernsey; it does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
- The government’s States-owned/managed-land detecting guidance asks for finds to be recorded with the States Archaeologist.
- The 14-day obligations in the beach permit conditions are reported separately below and are not established here as a general island-wide legal deadline.
What the rule says
“Any finds should be recorded with the States Archaeologist, Dr Phil De Jersey”
Beaches & foreshore
Permit requiredObtain a permit from Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services before detecting on the selected Guernsey beaches it covers.
- This research covers Guernsey; it does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
- The permit is a land-management licence for named Crown beaches, not a general heritage-search licence; permits are provided to visitors as well as locals.
- Use only the beaches and boundaries listed by the government. The permission covers foreshore above the low water mark, not the seabed, headlands, dunes or soft cliff.
- The government excludes the east coast, Herm, Lihou including its causeway, and islets around Guernsey and Herm.
- Investigate only the foreshore surface; do not excavate the hard-pack subsurface or use mechanical excavation equipment. Refill every hole.
- Follow the reporting conditions and remember that the permit transfers no ownership of objects. The States may restrict or prohibit access at any time without notice.
What the rule says
“Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services operate a management policy whereby a permit is required to metal detect on a selection of Guernsey beaches.”
Reporting finds
Must be reportedBeach permit holders must report the specified finds within 14 days, with immediate reporting of live ammunition or other lethal objects.
- This research covers Guernsey; it does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
- These are beach permit conditions, not a verified reporting deadline for all land. For each find covered by the 14-day reporting requirement, give its exact location and context.
- Within 14 days, report all archaeological finds to the States Archaeology Officer.
- Within 14 days, report possible treasure trove to ACLMS and Guernsey Police; ACLMS informs His Majesty’s Receiver General.
- Within 14 days, report other valuable items to ACLMS and Guernsey Police, excluding individual or small quantities of modern coins.
- Do not disturb live ammunition or lethal objects. Mark the site carefully, report immediately to Guernsey Police and notify ACLMS at the earliest convenience.
What the rule says
“You are required to report the following finds to the persons and/or bodies listed below within 14 days of the date of the find;”
Protected monuments
No verdict yetA detector rule covering every protected monument could not be confirmed; detecting at States-owned or administered sites is prohibited.
- This research covers Guernsey; it does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
- The detecting prohibition is stated under the government’s States-owned/managed-land guidance; it is not established here for privately owned protected monuments.
- Planning guidance separately requires prior consent for works to a Protected Monument; that requirement does not establish a general detector ban.
What the rule says
“Metal detecting is not permitted on or around any protected monuments;”
National parks & nature reserves
No verdict yetA detector rule covering every nature reserve could not be confirmed; States-owned or administered land is closed outside the permitted beaches.
- This research covers Guernsey; it does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
- The States-land prohibition applies where the reserve is owned or administered by the States.
- The captured nature guidance does not establish permission to detect in other reserves.
What the rule says
“Metal detecting is not permitted on any other land owned or administered by the States of Guernsey.”
State forests
ProhibitedDo not detect in woodland owned or administered by the States of Guernsey: its prohibition covers other States land outside permitted beaches.
- This research covers Guernsey; it does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
- This row applies the government’s blanket States-land policy; it does not establish a separate forest permit scheme or a rule for privately owned woodland.
What the rule says
“Metal detecting is not permitted on any other land owned or administered by the States of Guernsey.”
Private land
Permit requiredGet the landowner’s permission before detecting on private land in Guernsey.
- This research covers Guernsey; it does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
- The government warns that detecting without permission could result in trespass, theft or criminal-damage charges.
- The captured States-land monument policy does not establish a detector prohibition for privately owned protected monuments; the broader protected-monument detector rule remains unconfirmed.
What the rule says
“Permission must be sought from the land owner before detecting on any land, including that of private individuals.”
Military & state land
ProhibitedMetal detecting is prohibited on other land owned or administered by the States of Guernsey outside the selected permitted beaches.
- This research covers Guernsey; it does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
- The government expressly includes coastal grasslands, headlands and small islands or islets.
- The parliamentary reply describes this as the land manager’s operational policy. This row concerns States land, not a rule for all land in Guernsey.
What the rule says
“Metal detecting is not permitted on any other land owned or administered by the States of Guernsey.”
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.
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Open data: every rule in our Guernsey guide, with its quote, source and check date, free to reuse (CC BY-SA 4.0). Download the data →
Beaches: get the permit first
Apply to Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services (ACLMS) for an annual metal-detecting permit. The permits are available to visitors as well as locals. They give land-management permission for named Crown beaches; they are not a general heritage-search license.
Check the beaches and boundaries on the government’s permit page. Permission covers the foreshore above the low water mark. It does not cover the seabed, headlands, dunes or soft cliff. The government excludes the east coast, Herm, Lihou including its causeway, and islets around Guernsey and Herm.
Keep recovery to the foreshore surface: do not excavate the hard-pack subsurface or use mechanical excavation equipment. Refill every hole. The States may restrict or prohibit access at any time without notice.
States land, woodland and nature reserves
Outside the selected permitted beaches, detecting is prohibited on land owned or administered by the States of Guernsey. That includes States woodland, coastal grasslands and headlands. The government describes the restriction as a land-management policy.
The same States-land restriction applies to reserves owned or administered by the States. We could not confirm a detector rule covering every other nature-reserve manager; this guide does not establish permission to detect in those reserves.
Private land and protected monuments
Get the landowner’s permission before detecting on private land. The government warns that going without it could result in trespass, theft or criminal-damage charges.
Detecting at States-owned or administered protected sites is prohibited. The government places its monument-detecting restriction under its States-owned/managed-land guidance; we could not confirm a detector rule covering protected monuments regardless of ownership.
Planning guidance separately requires prior consent for works to a Protected Monument. That works-consent requirement does not establish a general detector ban, and the rule for detector use at privately owned protected monuments remains unconfirmed.
Finding it does not settle ownership
A beach detecting permit gives you no ownership rights to objects found on the foreshore. Its guidance says treasure trove may belong to the Crown under Guernsey customary law and that finders of treasure trove have no legal interest.
His Majesty’s Receiver General may consider an ex gratia payment, but the guidance does not promise a reward. We could not confirm ownership rules for finds across every kind of land, including ordinary finds on private land.
Beach permit holders: what to report
The beach permit’s 14-day reporting requirement covers three categories. Report all archaeological finds to the States Archaeology Officer. Report possible treasure trove to ACLMS and Guernsey Police; ACLMS informs His Majesty’s Receiver General. Report other valuable items to ACLMS and Guernsey Police, excluding individual or small quantities of modern coins. Give the exact location and context of each find covered by this requirement.
Live ammunition and other lethal objects require immediate action under the permit conditions: do not disturb them, mark the site carefully, and report immediately to Guernsey Police. Notify ACLMS at the earliest convenience.
These are beach permit conditions. We could not confirm a reporting duty or deadline applying to finds on every kind of land. Separately, the government’s States-owned/managed-land guidance asks for finds to be recorded with the States Archaeologist.
Sources
Official and statutory sources this page is based on (source check: October 9, 2026):
General national detecting, ownership and reporting rules remain unconfirmed, as do detector rules for all protected monuments and all nature-reserve managers. The confirmed restrictions and permissions are limited to the land and permit conditions described above.
- Metal detecting
- Metal detecting — Guernsey Museums
- 2025-6: Reply to Deputy M. Helyar, 4 March 2025
- Application for a metal detecting permit
- Nature Reserves
- Conserving and Enhancing the Built, Natural and Historic Environment
- Guernsey Legal Resources (the agency site blocks automated checks; read it directly)
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
- Can visitors get a beach metal-detecting permit?
- Yes. ACLMS provides permits to visitors as well as locals. Permits are issued annually and cover only the listed beaches and boundaries.
- Can I use the beach permit on other States land?
- No. The government prohibits detecting on other land owned or administered by the States of Guernsey. The beach permission also excludes the seabed, headlands, dunes and soft cliff.
- Does a beach permit let me keep what I find?
- The permit transfers no ownership rights to objects found on the foreshore. Its guidance says treasure trove may belong to the Crown and that finders have no legal interest in treasure trove. Ownership of finds on other land remains unconfirmed here.
- Must every find anywhere in Guernsey be reported within 14 days?
- We could not confirm that as a general island-wide rule. The 14-day requirement described here is a beach permit condition covering archaeological finds, possible treasure trove and other valuable items, with an exception for individual or small quantities of modern coins in the last category.
- Does this guide cover Alderney and Sark?
- No. It covers Guernsey and does not establish the rules in Alderney or Sark.
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