Maryland’s state-park rule is permit-based, but there’s a practical carve-out: hunting modern coins and jewelry on designated swimming beaches, off-season, with the Park Manager’s OK. Two named beaches are always excluded, and anything historic belongs to the state. Here’s the detail.
At a glance
| State parks | Depends You may not dig for relics, remove artifacts, or use a detector on Park Service land without a permit — except modern coin/jewelry hunting on designated swimming beaches, with the Park Manager’s permission, off-season. |
|---|---|
| State & public land | Restricted Artifacts on state land belong to the State; excavating or removing archaeological material needs a Maryland Historical Trust permit (State Finance & Procurement §§5A-333–5A-346). |
| Beaches | Depends Designated state-park swimming beaches (not Point Lookout or Calvert Cliffs) allow modern-item detecting with Park Manager permission, off-season only; Assateague (NPS) bans it. |
| Local & federal | Depends Municipal beaches (Ocean City) by city ordinance; county/city parks set their own rules. |
*Even where detecting is allowed, archaeological/historic sites are protected and you must fill holes and follow posted rules. Always confirm the current rule with the specific land manager.
Metal detecting in Maryland state parks
Under COMAR 08.07.06.18 (DNR / Maryland Park Service), you may not dig for relics or treasures, remove artifacts, or use a metal detector on Park Service lands, beaches, or waters without a permit — and those permits are issued through the Maryland Historical Trust Office of Archeology to qualified archaeologists. The exception (subsection D): detectors are allowed on designated swimming beaches (except Point Lookout and Calvert Cliffs) for modern coins and jewelry, only with the Park Manager’s permission and only in the off-season.
Maryland’s antiquities law
Archaeological provisions administered by the Maryland Historical Trust (State Finance and Procurement Article §§5A-333–5A-346) require an MHT permit to excavate, remove, or disturb archaeological sites or objects on state land and underwater; artifacts on state-owned or state-controlled land belong to the State. The beach exception covers only modern items.
Beaches, local rules & federal land
Most Service-operated designated swimming beaches allow modern-item detecting with the Park Manager’s written permission, off-season (roughly the day after Labor Day through the day before Memorial Day), but never at Point Lookout or Calvert Cliffs. Assateague Island National Seashore (NPS) prohibits detectors entirely. Municipal beaches such as Ocean City are governed by city ordinance — verify the Ocean City Code before relying on it. See our national guide.
Sources
Official and statutory sources this page is based on (last verified July 2026):
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 remember exactly which spots you have permission for. Free for iPhone and Android.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you metal detect in a Maryland state park?
- Not by right — COMAR 08.07.06.18 prohibits metal detectors on Maryland Park Service lands without a permit, and those permits go only to qualified archaeologists with a scientific plan. The lone exception is hunting modern coins and jewelry on designated swimming beaches with the Park Manager’s permission.
- Which Maryland state-park beaches can you detect, and when?
- Most Service-operated designated swimming beaches allow it with the Park Manager’s written permission, but Point Lookout and Calvert Cliffs are excluded, and only in the off-season (roughly the day after Labor Day through the day before Memorial Day), at the manager’s discretion.
- What if you dig up an old artifact on Maryland state land?
- Artifacts on state-owned or state-controlled land belong to the State of Maryland, and excavating or removing archaeological material requires a Maryland Historical Trust permit under State Finance and Procurement §§5A-333–5A-346. The beach exception covers only modern items.
Find more, remember where
Download LuckyFind — free for iPhone and Android — to track your routes, log your finds, and keep your permitted spots organized.
