The national rule for hobby metal detecting in Paraguay could not be confirmed. Protected areas have their own activity restrictions, while archaeological heritage, buried treasure and ordinary lost property follow different ownership and reporting rules. The general detector-use rules on beaches, in state forests, on private land and at protected monuments also remain unconfirmed.
Can I detect in Paraguay?
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 8, 2026
- Beaches & foreshoreNo verdict yetSource check pending
- Protected monumentsNo verdict yetChecked against the source Oct 8, 2026
- National parks & nature reservesVaries by siteChecked against the source Oct 8, 2026
- State forestsNo verdict yetSource check pending
- Private landNo verdict yetChecked 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
No verdict yetThe national rule for hobby metal detecting could not be confirmed.
- Law 5621/2016, Article 5(k)(2), reserves the study, conservation or extraction of archaeological heritage objects in archaeological zones and their buffer areas to archaeologists authorized by the law’s implementing authority.
What the rule says
“Los mismos deberán ser estudiados, conservados o extraídos por arqueólogos autorizados por la autoridad de aplicación de esta Ley.”
Digging
Research permits onlyExtraction of archaeological heritage objects in archaeological zones and their buffer areas is reserved to authorized archaeologists.
- Law 5621/2016, Article 5(k)(2), applies to archaeological heritage objects in archaeological zones and their buffer areas; it does not settle digging for modern lost items.
- The archaeologist must be authorized by the law’s implementing authority, the Secretaría Nacional de Cultura (National Secretariat of Culture), identified in Article 7.
What the rule says
“Los mismos deberán ser estudiados, conservados o extraídos por arqueólogos autorizados por la autoridad de aplicación de esta Ley.”
Keeping finds
ProhibitedArchaeological heritage belongs to the State, not to the finder.
- Article 5(i) covers material remains and vestiges of past cultures that have heritage significance under the law.
What the rule says
“El patrimonio arqueológico es del dominio del Estado.”
Keeping finds
AllowedThe Civil Code gives a discoverer all treasure found on their own land or a half share on another person’s land, subject to its exceptions and the separate rule for State-owned archaeological heritage.
- Article 2040 defines treasure as a valuable object with no known owner hidden or buried in real property; objects in graves or public burial places are excluded.
- Under Article 2040, treasure found on one’s own land belongs to the finder; on another person’s land it is divided equally with the landowner.
- Article 2043 gives the treasure to the landowner when found by a worker hired by that landowner to excavate for it or by someone excavating for treasure without the owner’s authorization.
- These Civil Code rules do not turn State-owned archaeological heritage into the finder’s property; Law 5621/2016, Article 5(i), assigns that heritage to the State.
What the rule says
“El que hallare un tesoro en fundo propio, adquiere el dominio de él, pero si el descubrimiento fuere en predio ajeno, lo dividirá por mitad con el dueño de éste.”
Keeping finds
ProhibitedA finder who takes possession of a lost item must return it to its owner or lawful possessor.
- Civil Code Article 2035 makes the finder responsible as a depositary if the finder takes the item.
- Article 2039 makes appropriation of another person’s lost movable property unlawful when it does not comply with the preceding provisions.
What the rule says
“El que hallare una cosa, presumiblemente perdida, si la tomare asumirá la responsabilidad del depositario, y estará obligado, como tal, a restituirla a su dueño o legítimo poseedor.”
Reporting finds
Must be reportedTell the Secretaría Nacional de Cultura about unregistered or uninventoried national cultural heritage covered by Article 6(a).
- Law 5621/2016, Article 28, applies to anyone who knows of such property.
- The duty is limited to national cultural heritage defined in Article 6(a); Article 28 states no numerical reporting deadline.
What the rule says
“Toda persona que supiere de la existencia de bienes del patrimonio cultural nacional, definidos en el Artículo 6º, inciso a) de esta Ley, y no inventariados o registrados, está en la obligación de poner el hecho en conocimiento de la Secretaría Nacional de Cultura.”
Reporting finds
Must be reportedIf you take a lost item, inform its owner; if that is not possible, notify local police or take measures advised by the circumstances.
- Civil Code Article 2035 states no numerical reporting deadline.
What the rule says
“Está obligado además a informar al propietario y, no pudiendo hacerlo, avisará a la autoridad policial del lugar o tomará las medidas aconsejadas por las circunstancias.”
Beaches & foreshore
No verdict yetThe rule for hobby metal detecting on beaches could not be confirmed.
Protected monuments
No verdict yetThe detector-use rule at protected monuments and archaeological sites could not be confirmed.
- Law 5621/2016, Article 21, requires authorization from the Secretaría Nacional de Cultura for demolition, destruction or transformation of cultural property covered by the law.
- Under Article 22, works on cultural property require prior authorization from the Secretaría Nacional de Cultura in accordance with the authorization issued by local authorities.
- Law 5621/2016, Article 5(k)(2), reserves the study, conservation or extraction of archaeological heritage objects in archaeological zones and their buffer areas to archaeologists authorized by the law’s implementing authority.
What the rule says
“Queda prohibida la demolición, destrucción o transformación de los bienes culturales objetos de esta Ley, sin la debida autorización de la Secretaría Nacional de Cultura.”
National parks & nature reserves
Varies by siteCheck which activities the Ministerio del Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, MADES) expressly allows under the protected area’s management plan.
- Law 352/94, Article 46, applies to protected areas under both public and private ownership; its implementing authority determines the activities permitted under each area’s management plan.
- For publicly owned protected areas, Resolution 613/2025, Article 2(c), requires a permit from the relevant implementing authority to collect or extract any material, living or dead; Article 2(l) requires written permission for interventions in the natural environment.
- Resolution 613/2025, Article 2(m), prohibits using a publicly owned protected area for activities other than those indicated by signs, park rangers or the management plan.
- Law 352/94, Article 48, also requires a permit from the implementing authority to remove material of plant, animal or other origin from either a publicly or privately owned protected area, in accordance with the law and the approved management plan.
What the rule says
“En las Areas Silvestres Protegidas bajo dominio público y privado sólo se podrán realizar aquellas actividades que no contravengan lo dispuesto en la presente Ley y sean determinadas expresamente por la Autoridad de Aplicación, conforme al plan de manejo respectivo.”
State forests
No verdict yetThe rule for hobby metal detecting in state forests could not be confirmed.
Private land
No verdict yetThe general detector-use rule on private land could not be confirmed; treasure searches on another person’s land normally require the owner’s or representative’s express permission.
- Civil Code Article 2042 generally prohibits treasure searches on another person’s land without the owner’s or representative’s express permission.
- Article 2042, second paragraph, allows a co-possessor or immediate possessor to search for treasure if the land is restored to its previous condition.
- Law 5621/2016, Article 4, applies its heritage protections to private as well as public property.
What the rule says
“Está prohibido buscar tesoros en predios ajenos, sin licencia expresa de sus dueños o representantes.”
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 Paraguay guide, with its quote, source and check date, free to reuse (CC BY-SA 4.0). Download the data →
Protected areas: activities depend on the management plan
Under Article 46 of Ley 352/94, De Áreas Silvestres Protegidas (Protected Wild Areas Law), activities in publicly and privately owned protected areas must comply with the law and be expressly permitted by the implementing authority under the area’s management plan. That authority is the Ministerio del Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, MADES).
Resolución N° 613/2025 (Resolution No. 613/2025) adds rules for publicly owned protected areas. Article 2(c) requires a permit from the relevant implementing authority to collect or extract any material, living or dead; Article 2(l) requires written permission for interventions in the natural environment. Article 2(m) prohibits activities other than those indicated by signs, park rangers or the management plan.
Article 48 of Law 352/94 also requires a permit from the implementing authority to remove material of plant, animal or other origin from a publicly or privately owned protected area, in accordance with the law and the approved management plan.
Archaeological heritage and protected cultural property
Article 5(k)(2) of Ley N° 5621, De Protección del Patrimonio Cultural (Cultural Heritage Protection Law) reserves the study, conservation or extraction of archaeological heritage objects in archaeological zones and their buffer areas to authorized archaeologists. The implementing authority is the Secretaría Nacional de Cultura (National Secretariat of Culture). This provision does not settle digging for modern lost items.
The detector-use rule at protected monuments and archaeological sites could not be confirmed. Article 21 requires authorization from the Secretaría Nacional de Cultura for demolition, destruction or transformation of cultural property covered by the law. Under Article 22, works on cultural property require its prior authorization in accordance with the authorization issued by local authorities. Article 4 applies the law’s heritage protections to private as well as public property.
Private land, beaches and state forests
The general rule for hobby detecting on private land could not be confirmed. Article 2042 of Código Civil, Libro Cuarto (Civil Code, Book Four) generally prohibits treasure searches on another person’s land without the owner’s or representative’s express permission. Its second paragraph allows a co-possessor or immediate possessor to search for treasure if the land is restored to its previous condition. This treasure-search rule does not resolve all hobby detecting or searches for modern lost items.
The rules for hobby metal detecting on beaches and in state forests could not be confirmed.
Who owns a find?
Archaeological heritage belongs to the State under Article 5(i) of Law 5621/2016. This covers material remains and vestiges of past cultures that have heritage significance under the law.
Civil Code Article 2040 defines treasure as a valuable object with no known owner hidden or buried in real property, excluding objects found in graves or public burial places. Treasure found on the discoverer’s own land belongs to the discoverer; treasure found on another person’s land is divided equally with the landowner. Under Article 2043, however, treasure belongs to the landowner when found by a worker hired by that landowner to excavate for it or by someone excavating for treasure without the owner’s authorization. These treasure rules do not give the finder ownership of State-owned archaeological heritage.
Ordinary lost property has a different rule: under Civil Code Article 2035, a finder who takes possession of an apparently lost item must return it to its owner or lawful possessor.
Reporting cultural heritage and lost property
Article 28 of Law 5621/2016 requires anyone who knows of unregistered or uninventoried national cultural heritage covered by Article 6(a) to inform the Secretaría Nacional de Cultura. This duty is limited to that category of national cultural heritage. Article 28 states no numerical reporting deadline.
Under Civil Code Article 2035, a finder who takes a lost item must inform its owner. If that is not possible, the finder must notify local police or take measures advised by the circumstances. This article states no numerical reporting deadline.
Sources
Official and statutory sources this page is based on (source check: October 9, 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 revisit your saved hunt records. LuckyFind does not verify land access or grant detecting permission. Free for iPhone and Android.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is hobby metal detecting allowed in Paraguay?
- The national rule could not be confirmed. The general detector-use rules on beaches, in state forests, on private land and at protected monuments also remain unconfirmed. Protected-area activities depend on what the implementing authority expressly permits under the area’s management plan.
- Does permission from a landowner settle the rules?
- The general detector-use rule on private land could not be confirmed. Civil Code Article 2042 normally requires express permission from the owner or representative for treasure searches on another person’s land, with an exception for a co-possessor or immediate possessor who restores the land. Heritage protections also apply to private property.
- Can I keep archaeological finds?
- Archaeological heritage belongs to the State under Article 5(i) of Law 5621/2016. The Civil Code’s rules on sharing treasure do not give a finder ownership of that heritage.
- What must I do with a lost item I pick up?
- Civil Code Article 2035 requires you to return it to its owner or lawful possessor and inform the owner. If informing the owner is not possible, you must notify local police or take measures advised by the circumstances. The article states no numerical reporting deadline.
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