The UK has four rulebooks for detectorists, not one. England, Wales and Northern Ireland share the Treasure Act 1996, while Scotland has no Treasure Act and instead wants every archaeological find reported under Treasure Trove; all four protect scheduled monuments, and everywhere you need the landowner’s permission, which on much Crown foreshore is given in advance. A few rules do cross every border: wreck goes to the Receiver of Wreck, military aircraft crash sites need an MoD licence, and military land has its own byelaws.
Nation by nation
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own heritage and finds law, so the answer changes as you cross a border. The map at the top of this page shows the easiest public place to detect in each nation, across beaches and foreshore, public forests and council parks.
Detecting beyond the UK? We cover 14 more countries rule by rule too. See the world map →
Open data: every rule in our UK guides, with its quote, source and check date, free to reuse (CC BY 4.0). Download the data →
Think the Treasure Act covers Scotland? It doesn’t. 11 detecting myths, checked against the actual rules →
Can I detect in the whole UK?
The short answer for each kind of land. Tap a card for the detail and the rule’s own words.
Open in many areas without a permitPermit, registration, or designated beaches onlyProhibited or effectively closed
The rules, land by land
Beaches & foreshore
Keeping finds
ProhibitedWreck, meaning anything from a ship, aircraft or hovercraft found on the shore or in tidal water, is not yours to keep anywhere in the UK. Declare it to the Receiver of Wreck within 28 days; the owner has a year to claim it, unclaimed wreck goes to the Crown, and the finder may get a salvage award.
- applies in all four nations (Merchant Shipping Act 1995 s.236, extent U.K.)
- wreck includes jetsam, flotsam, lagan and derelict found in or on the shores of the sea or any tidal water (s.255(1)); boats off their moorings and ordinary buoys normally are not
- a finder who is not the owner must tell the receiver and hold the wreck to the receiver's order or hand it over (s.236(1)(b)); the Receiver asks for the Report of wreck and salvage form within 28 days
- failing to report without reasonable excuse: a fine (GOV.UK cites £2,500), loss of any salvage claim and liability for twice the wreck's value (s.236(2))
- unclaimed wreck from UK waters becomes the property of the Crown or a Crown grantee after one year (s.241)
- historic wreck may be offered to a museum; the finder may still receive a salvage award
- contact the Receiver of Wreck if you are unsure whether something is wreck
What the rule says
“If you recover wreck material, you must declare it to the Receiver. ... If wreck from UK waters remains unclaimed at the end of one year, it becomes the property of the Crown or grantee of the Crown such as the Duchy of Cornwall.”
All land: treasure & finds law
Digging
Permit requiredEvery military aircraft crash site in the UK is protected: tampering with, moving or unearthing anything there, or digging to find out whether a place holds such remains, is an offense without a licence from the Ministry of Defence. Licence applications need the landowner's written support, and everything recovered stays Crown property.
- applies on any land and in UK waters, whichever nation's forces the aircraft served (Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 s.1(1), s.2)
- excavating to discover whether a place in the UK holds military aircraft or vessel remains is itself prohibited (s.2(3)(c))
- licences come from the Secretary of State through the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (s.4); apply at least three months ahead
- no licence if human remains are likely to be found or significant unexploded ordnance is believed to be present
- extra requirements in national parks and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and councils may add their own
- recovered items remain Crown property; the MoD may transfer most items to the licensee after the report, but this is not guaranteed
- penalty: a fine up to the statutory maximum, or unlimited on indictment (s.2(7))
What the rule says
“All military aircraft crash sites in the United Kingdom ... are protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. It is an offence under this act to tamper with, damage, move or unearth any items at such sites, unless the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has issued a licence authorising such activity.”
Ministry of Defence & Crown land
Varies by siteMinistry of Defence land is governed site by site by byelaws made under the Military Lands Act 1892. Reviewed byelaws, such as a 2016 set for a training area in Wales, make using metal-detecting equipment an offense without written permission; check the byelaws for the site, which the MoD publishes by region for all four nations.
- byelaws cover a defined geographical area, and breaching one is a criminal offense
- the 2016 Welsh training-area byelaws ban using equipment designed or adapted for detecting metal, unless you have the appointed person's written permission
- older range byelaws read for Scotland and Northern Ireland (1940) do not mention detectors but close the land, and nearby foreshore, while firing signals are shown
- the MoD lists byelaws for Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the English regions on GOV.UK
What the rule says
“A person commits an offence if within the controlled land area that person— ... uses equipment designed or adapted for the purpose of detecting metal;”
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.
Four nations, two finds laws
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Treasure Act 1996 requires you to notify the coroner within 14 days if you find something you believe is treasure; the Act does not extend to Scotland. Northern Ireland adds its own layer: every archaeological find must be reported within 14 days, and digging to search for archaeological objects needs a licence.
Scotland runs on Treasure Trove. Finders must report all archaeological finds to the Treasure Trove Unit, not just treasure, and the Crown decides what to claim for a museum. Each nation’s page has the detail.
Scheduled monuments and permission
Every nation protects its scheduled monuments. In England and Scotland, section 42 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 makes it an offense to use a metal detector on one without written consent; Northern Ireland goes further and bans even having a detector there. Wales has its own heritage law; see the Wales page.
Off those sites, the land belongs to someone, and you need their permission. The Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland give that permission in advance for much of the foreshore they manage, which is why beaches set each nation’s color on our map.
Rules that cross every border
Wreck. Anything from a ship, aircraft or hovercraft found on the shore or in tidal water must be declared to the Receiver of Wreck, within 28 days in the Receiver’s practice. The owner has a year to claim it, unclaimed wreck becomes the Crown’s, and you may earn a salvage award.
Military aircraft crash sites. All of them are protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986: no moving or unearthing anything without an MoD licence, which needs the landowner’s written support, and recovered items stay Crown property.
Ministry of Defence land. Each site has its own byelaws. Reviewed ones, such as a 2016 set for a training area in Wales, ban metal-detecting equipment outright unless you have written permission, so check before you go.
Sources
Official and statutory sources this page is based on (source check: October 7, 2026):
- Merchant Shipping Act 1995, s.236 (duties of finder of wreck)
- Merchant Shipping Act 1995, s.255 (interpretation)
- Merchant Shipping Act 1995, s.239 (claims of owners to wreck)
- Merchant Shipping Act 1995, s.241 (right of Crown to unclaimed wreck)
- Wreck and salvage law
- Report wreck material: what you need to report
- The Templeton Training Area Byelaws 2016 (SI 2016/508)
- Ministry of Defence: byelaws review
- MOD byelaws: Scotland
- MOD byelaws: Northern Ireland
- West Barns Ranges, Dunbar, East Lothian: Bye-laws (1940, scanned PDF)
- Magilligan Ranges: Bye-laws (1940, scanned PDF)
- Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, s.1 (application)
- Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, s.2 (offenses)
- Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, s.4 (licences)
- Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, s.10 (extent)
- Aviation archaeology
- Treasure Act 1996, s.15 (extent)
- Treasure Act 1996, s.8 (duty of finder to notify coroner)
- Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, s.42 (restrictions on use of metal detectors)
- Rules on metal detecting (Metal detecting on National Trust land)
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
- Is metal detecting legal in the UK?
- Yes, with permission and away from protected sites. Each nation sets its own rules: you need the landowner’s permission (given in advance on much Crown Estate foreshore), scheduled monuments are off-limits without consent, and finds law differs between Scotland and the rest of the UK.
- Does the Treasure Act apply in Scotland?
- No. The Treasure Act 1996 does not extend to Scotland. Scotland uses Treasure Trove, under which all archaeological finds, not just treasure, must be reported to the Treasure Trove Unit.
- Do I have to report things I find on the beach?
- Wreck, meaning material from a ship, aircraft or hovercraft found on the shore or in tidal water, must be declared to the Receiver of Wreck anywhere in the UK, and the Receiver asks for the report within 28 days. Archaeological finds and treasure follow each nation’s own finds law.
- Can I metal detect at a military aircraft crash site?
- Not to dig or recover anything without a licence. Every military aircraft crash site in the UK is protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, and it is an offense to tamper with, move or unearth items there unless the Ministry of Defence has issued a licence. Applications need the landowner’s written support, and recovered items remain Crown property.
- Can I metal detect on Ministry of Defence land?
- Check the byelaws for that site first. MoD land is governed by byelaws made site by site; reviewed byelaws, such as a 2016 set for a training area in Wales, make using metal-detecting equipment an offense without written permission. Older range byelaws may not mention detectors but close the land while firing is under way.
Find more, remember where
Download LuckyFind — free for iPhone and Android — to track your routes, log your finds, and keep your permitted spots organized.
