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Metal Detecting Laws in Wales

By the LuckyFind team Sourced from official UK and national rules
Sources checked October 7, 2026 ~6 min read

Wales shares England’s best news: on Crown Estate foreshore, around half of the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you can detect between the tides without a permit if you follow The Crown Estate’s terms. Away from the beach it’s permission all the way down: the landowner on farmland, the council in parks, Natural Resources Wales in its woodlands, and, as a rule, research projects only on National Trust land and scheduled monuments. Find treasure and you have 14 days to report it.

Can I detect in Wales?

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

Allowed

On Crown Estate foreshore, around half of the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you may detect between mean high and mean low water without a permit, under The Crown Estate's terms and conditions. Other owners, council byelaws and nature designations can restrict detecting on other beaches.

  • Crown Estate foreshore only: the land between mean high water and mean low water; not the seabed, river beds or any other Crown Estate land
  • The Crown Estate manages around half of the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland; its foreshore ownership map shows which
  • subject to The Crown Estate's terms and conditions and any third-party rights; lessees and licensees may restrict detecting (terms, condition 2)
  • local authorities can ban metal detecting through byelaws; check with the council (terms, condition 2)
  • in a Site of Special Scientific Interest or Marine Conservation Zone, Natural Resources Wales may object and access may be restricted (terms, condition 2)
  • you need any adjoining landowners' permission to reach the foreshore (terms, condition 9)
  • beaches owned by others (councils, the National Trust, private owners) follow their owner's rules (see the National Trust rule)
  • scheduled monuments on the foreshore need Cadw's written consent (see the scheduled monuments rule)
  • digging and finds on Crown Estate foreshore: see the beach digging and finds rules
What the rule says
“Anybody wishing to carry out metal detecting on Crown Estate foreshore (defined as the land between mean high water and mean low water) may do so without a formal consent from The Crown Estate, however this is strictly subject to the Terms and Conditions and any third party right(s)”

Digging

Allowed

On Crown Estate foreshore you may dig only at the surface: no digging into the hard-packed layer beneath, no mechanical tools, and every hole, however small, filled back in.

  • surface of the foreshore only; do not excavate into the hard-pack sub-surface (terms, condition 3(ii))
  • no mechanical tool, plant or equipment for excavation (condition 3(iii))
  • refill every hole, however small or shallow, so the foreshore is reinstated (condition 3(iv))
  • other owners' beaches: their own rules; National Trust byelaws bar unauthorized digging
What the rule says
“You may only investigate the surface of the foreshore and not excavate into the hard pack sub-surface of the foreshore to ensure that the archaeological integrity of any embedded find is retained;”

Keeping finds

Prohibited

The Crown Estate keeps ownership of everything found on its foreshore. Report items of value, such as jewelry and older coins, to The Crown Estate and the police within 14 days; the money from them is generally shared equally with you. Treasure, archaeological finds and wreck have their own reporting duties.

  • The Crown Estate reserves ownership of all objects found; the permissive right gives you no ownership (condition 5)
  • items of value such as jewelry and coins, excluding individual or small quantities of modern coins: report to The Crown Estate and the police within 14 days; money from a valuation or sale is divided equally after costs (condition 4(iii))
  • possible treasure: report to the coroner within 14 days and give The Crown Estate evidence you did; any reward is apportioned with The Crown Estate, generally in equal shares (condition 4(ii))
  • report all archaeological finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme and follow the Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting (condition 4(i))
  • possible wreck: report to the Receiver of Wreck and The Crown Estate within 14 days (condition 4(v))
  • the Treasure Act also applies on the foreshore (see the treasure rule)
What the rule says
“The Crown Estate reserves their right to ownership of all or any objects found, and the granting of this permission does not transfer any such rights to you.”

Keeping finds

Prohibited

Wreck, 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.”

Scheduled monuments

Research permits only

Using a metal detector on a scheduled monument in Wales, on land or underwater, is a criminal offense without Cadw's written consent, and Cadw says it will not normally give consent unless the survey is part of a consented archaeological excavation or wider research strategy.

  • 'protected place': the site of a scheduled monument, or of a monument in the ownership or guardianship of the Welsh Ministers or a local authority (s. 60(1))
  • 'metal detector': any device designed or adapted for detecting or locating any metal or mineral in the ground (s. 60(1))
  • 'consent' means the written consent of the Welsh Ministers (s. 60(1)); Cadw handles section 60 consents
  • applies to both terrestrial and underwater detecting (Cadw)
  • an application needs the survey method and maximum depth of disturbance, a plan of the area, the landowner's permission, a research strategy and plans for conserving, archiving and publishing finds (Cadw)
  • penalty: fine up to level 3 on the standard scale (s. 60(8)); breaking a consent condition is also an offense (s. 60(3))
  • defenses: using the detector for a purpose other than finding objects of archaeological or historical interest (s. 60(6)); all reasonable steps to find out whether the place was protected, not knowing and having no reason to believe it was (s. 60(7))
  • in force 4 November 2024; replaces AMAAA 1979 s. 42 in Wales
  • removing finds needs consent too (see the scheduled monuments finds rule)
What the rule says
“Consent will not normally be granted for the use of metal detectors unless the survey forms part of a consented archaeological excavation or wider research strategy, and provision is made for the conservation and reporting of finds.”

Keeping finds

Permit required

Removing any object of archaeological or historical interest that you found with a metal detector on a protected monument in Wales is a separate offense without written consent, punishable by a fine.

  • applies to objects found by metal detector in a protected place (s. 60(4))
  • breaking a condition attached to consent while removing or dealing with a find is an offense (s. 60(5))
  • penalty: a fine on summary conviction or on indictment (s. 60(9))
  • defense: all reasonable steps to find out whether the place was protected (s. 60(7))
What the rule says
“A person commits an offence if the person, without consent to do so, removes any object of archaeological or historical interest which the person has discovered by the use of a metal detector in a protected place.”

Council parks

Varies by site

Each council decides. Welsh councils may make byelaws that ban or restrict metal detecting in their parks and open spaces, and the Welsh Government's model byelaw requires the council's consent. Check the park's byelaws or ask the council first.

  • model byelaw: 'A person must not without the consent of the Council use any device designed or adapted for detecting or locating any metal or mineral in the ground.' It binds only where a council has adopted it (Welsh model byelaws set 2, byelaw 58(1))
  • the model lets a council exempt named land (byelaw 58(2))
  • guidance: bans may suit grounds needing special protection, but a ban where no special protection is needed, or from all grounds in an area, may be seen as over-restrictive and unreasonable; partial bans are possible (guidance para 40)
  • councils should first consult local detecting clubs or a national body such as the National Council for Metal Detecting (para 41)
  • council beaches: local authorities can also ban detecting on the foreshore by byelaw (Crown Estate terms, condition 2)
What the rule says
“Councils may introduce byelaws to prohibit or restrict the use of metal detectors in pleasure grounds.”

National Trust & heritage charities

Research permits only

The National Trust doesn't allow metal detecting anywhere on its land, beaches included, except as part of an archaeological research project under a written Archaeological Research Agreement. Tenants and farmers can't give you permission.

  • applies to all National Trust land, including beaches
  • only with an Archaeological Research Agreement, issued by a National Trust archaeologist once a Research Design is agreed; the Trust does not grant 'metal detecting licences'
  • other Trust staff, tenants and farmers are not authorized to give permission
  • exceptional non-archaeological uses (for example recovering lost personal objects) only under a Trust archaeologist's supervision
  • detecting without an Agreement: you will be asked to leave and the Trust will act to reclaim finds
  • scheduled monuments on Trust land also need Cadw's consent (the Trust's page still calls it a section 42 licence; in Wales it is now section 60)
  • digging on Trust property needs the Trust's written authority (see the National Trust digging rule)
What the rule says
“We don’t allow metal detecting on National Trust land unless it's part of a clearly defined archaeological project.”

Digging

Permit required

National Trust byelaws forbid anyone without the Trust's written authority from digging or taking sand, soil or any other substance on Trust property, which includes its foreshores and estuaries.

  • 'Trust Property' includes land, buildings and water held by the Trust, including estuaries, foreshores, lakes and rivers (byelaw 1)
  • an authorized person is someone authorized by the Trust in writing, or acting under a legal right (byelaw 1)
  • detecting itself is research-only (see the National Trust detecting rule)
What the rule says
“No unauthorised person shall dig, cut or take turf, sods, gravel, sand, clay or any other substance on or from Trust Property.”

Public forests

Permit required

On land Natural Resources Wales manages that is open to the public, including the Welsh Government Woodland Estate, the Forestry Commission byelaws ban operating a metal detector without NRW's written authority. NRW's online check lists metal detecting among the activities to ask about.

  • byelaw 5(ix): no person shall operate a metal detector on the lands of the forestry authority
  • since 2013 'the Commissioners' reads 'the appropriate forestry authority', which in Wales is the Natural Resources Body for Wales (SI 2013/755, Sch. 4 paras 17-18)
  • 'lands' of the authority: land it manages or controls to which the public have, or may be permitted to have, access (byelaw 2)
  • anything done with the authority's written authority is lawful (byelaw 3(3))
  • byelaws 5(vii) and (viii) also bar digging up soil or minerals and disturbing or removing archaeological or historical remains
  • NRW lists metal detecting among the activities to check before using land it manages (NRW)
  • scheduled monuments in forests also need Cadw's consent
What the rule says
“No person shall in or on the lands of the Commissioners: ... operate a metal detector; ... Nothing in these byelaws shall make unlawful anything done with the written authority of the Commissioners.”

Private land

Permit required

On private land, farmland included, you need the landowner's permission. Cadw says metal detectorists must ask for it, and the Treasure Code of Practice says trespassing, or relying on someone with no authority to say yes, can cost you a treasure reward.

  • permission of the landowner (Cadw); 'the appropriate person, usually the landowner' (Treasure Code of Practice E.113(i))
  • agree in advance how finds and any reward will be shared: the Treasure Valuation Committee normally recommends 50% to the landowner and 50% to the finders and takes account of agreements between finders and landowners or occupiers, but is not bound by them (E.108)
  • rewards may be cut or refused if the finder was trespassing or knew the person who gave consent had no authority (E.113(g), (i), (j))
  • the public right of access to open access land does not cover anyone who uses or has with them a metal detector (CRoW Act 2000, Sch. 2 para. 1(k))
  • scheduled monuments on private land still need Cadw's consent (see the scheduled monuments rule)
  • finds law on every kind of land: see the treasure and finds-recording rules
What the rule says
“Metal detectorists must ask the permission of the landowner before using a metal detector on their property.”

All land: treasure & finds law

Keeping finds

Prohibited

Treasure belongs to the Crown, not to you or the landowner. If a museum acquires it, a reward may be paid, normally shared between the landowner and the finders; if no museum wants it, it is returned to you. Finds that are not treasure fall outside the Treasure Act, so agree with the landowner who keeps them.

  • treasure (s. 1): objects at least 300 years old that are not coins and have at least 10% precious metal; two or more such coins from the same find; ten or more coins at least 300 years old from the same find; designated classes at least 200 years old; former treasure trove; and objects found with any of these
  • since 30 July 2023 also any object at least 200 years old, any part of which is metal, that provides an exceptional insight into national or regional history, archaeology or culture (SI 2023/404, which extends to Wales)
  • not treasure: unworked natural objects and minerals as extracted (s. 1(2)); Church of England faculty-jurisdiction objects on church land and finds in or under a cathedral or its precinct (SI 2023/404); wreck is handled separately (Code section B)
  • applies anywhere in Wales, including on land, in buildings, in rivers and lakes and on the foreshore (Code section B)
  • report possible treasure within 14 days of the find, or of realizing it may be treasure (Treasure Act s. 8(1)-(2)), to your local Finds Liaison Officer (PAS Cymru) or the Treasure Registry at Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales, either of which fulfills the legal duty (Code E.32); failing to report is an offense: up to 3 months in prison, a fine, or both (s. 8(3))
  • rewards are at the Secretary of State's discretion, normally 50% landowner and 50% finders (Code E.108), and may be reduced or refused for late reporting, trespass, an offense on a protected monument or damage (E.113)
  • not treasure, or no museum wants it: returned to the finder; the landowner and occupier are told and can object within 28 days (GOV.UK)
  • Crown Estate foreshore has its own ownership terms (see the beach finds rule)
What the rule says
“Users of this Code should be aware that under the Act all finds which meet the definition of treasure belong to the Crown and not to the finder or the landowner”

Reporting finds

Allowed

Recording finds that are not treasure with the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales (PAS Cymru) is voluntary, and the Treasure Code of Practice encourages finders to report all finds. Possible treasure is different: you must report it within 14 days (see the treasure rule).

  • voluntary: finds of cultural or historical interest that are not treasure can be reported to the 'Cymru PAS Scheme website' (GOV.UK)
  • possible treasure is a legal duty: report within 14 days to your local Finds Liaison Officer or the Treasure Registry at Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales (see the treasure rule)
  • on Crown Estate foreshore, reporting all archaeological finds to the PAS is a condition of the permissive right (see the beach finds rule)
  • wreck material goes to the Receiver of Wreck within 28 days (GOV.UK)
What the rule says
“Finders in England and Wales are encouraged to report all finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme.”

Digging

Permit required

Every 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 site

Ministry 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.

Please read: this is general information for detectorists, not legal advice. Rules change and vary by individual park, city, and agency. We cite the official sources below, but always confirm the current rule with the specific land manager before you detect — and when in doubt, ask first. Sources checked October 7, 2026; see the source notes for scope.

Beaches and the foreshore in Wales

The Crown Estate manages around half of the foreshore (the strip between mean high and mean low water) around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and it lets anyone detect there without a formal consent. That permissive right covers the foreshore only, not the seabed, river beds or other Crown Estate land, and it comes with terms and conditions: search the surface only, don’t dig into the hard-packed layer underneath, leave mechanical tools at home, and fill every hole, however small.

Read the fine print on finds, too. The Crown Estate keeps ownership of everything found on its foreshore. You report archaeological finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, possible treasure to the coroner, and items of value such as jewelry and older coins (a few modern coins excepted) to The Crown Estate and the police, each within 14 days; the money from a valuable find is generally split equally with you.

Not every beach is Crown Estate foreshore, so check its ownership map. Lessees, councils (through byelaws) and nature designations can restrict detecting: in a Site of Special Scientific Interest or Marine Conservation Zone, Natural Resources Wales may object. Other owners set their own rules, and the National Trust doesn’t allow hobby detecting on its beaches at all.

Scheduled monuments and treasure

Since November 4, 2024, the detector rule for Welsh monuments has come from Welsh law. Under section 60 of the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023, using a metal detector in a protected place (a scheduled monument, or a monument in the ownership or guardianship of the Welsh Ministers or a local authority) without written consent is an offense, and so is removing anything of archaeological or historical interest you found there with one. Cadw says the rule covers underwater detecting too, and that consent will not normally be granted unless the survey is part of a consented archaeological excavation or wider research strategy.

The Treasure Act 1996 applies in Wales just as in England: treasure includes, for example, an object (not a coin) at least 300 years old with at least 10% precious metal, two or more such precious-metal coins from the same find, or ten or more coins at least 300 years old from the same find, and since July 30, 2023, metal objects at least 200 years old that give an exceptional insight into national or regional history, archaeology or culture. Treasure belongs to the Crown. Report it within 14 days of finding it (or of realizing what it might be) to your local Finds Liaison Officer or to the Treasure Registry at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales; either one fulfills your legal duty, and skipping it can mean up to three months in prison, a fine, or both.

If a museum acquires the find, a reward may be paid, normally split 50/50 between the landowner and the finders, and it can be cut for late reporting, trespass or damage. If no museum wants it, it comes back to you, though the landowner and occupier can object within 28 days. For everything that isn’t treasure, the government’s treasure page points you to the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales (PAS Cymru). Recording is voluntary, but the Treasure Code of Practice encourages finders to report all finds.

Council parks, the National Trust, forests and private land

Council parks are council by council. Welsh Government guidance says councils may make byelaws to ban or restrict detecting in parks and open spaces, and its model byelaw says no one may use a detector without the council’s consent. Check the local byelaws or ask the parks team before you go.

The National Trust doesn’t allow metal detecting anywhere on its land, beaches included, except as part of an archaeological research project under a written Archaeological Research Agreement from one of its archaeologists; tenants and farmers can’t give permission. Natural Resources Wales manages the Welsh Government Woodland Estate, about 6% of the land area of Wales, and the Forestry Commission byelaws, which since 2013 name NRW as the authority in Wales, forbid operating a metal detector on its public land without its written authority. NRW’s online check lists metal detecting among the activities to ask about.

Private land, farmland included, needs the landowner’s permission: Cadw says detectorists must ask for it, and the Treasure Code of Practice warns that trespassing can cost you a treasure reward. Agree in advance how finds and any reward will be shared; the valuation committee normally recommends half for the landowner and half for the finders, and it takes your agreement into account. The public right to roam on open access land doesn’t cover metal detecting, so that land needs the owner’s permission too.

Sources

Official and statutory sources this page is based on (source check: October 7, 2026):

Keep your permitted Wales spots organized

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 on beaches in Wales?
Not on Crown Estate foreshore, which is around half of the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Crown Estate grants a permissive right to detect between mean high and mean low water, subject to its terms and conditions. Council byelaws, nature designations and other owners, such as the National Trust, can restrict or ban detecting on other beaches.
Can I metal detect on a scheduled monument in Wales?
Not without Cadw's written consent (the Act calls it the written consent of the Welsh Ministers), under section 60 of the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023. Cadw says consent will not normally be granted unless the survey forms part of a consented archaeological excavation or wider research strategy.
What do I do if I find treasure in Wales?
Report it within 14 days of the find, or of realizing it may be treasure, to your local Finds Liaison Officer or to the Treasure Registry at Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales; either fulfills the legal duty. Not reporting treasure can lead to up to three months in prison, a fine, or both.
Can I keep what I find metal detecting in Wales?
Treasure belongs to the Crown, though a reward may be paid if a museum acquires it, normally split between the landowner and the finders. Other finds are not covered by the Treasure Act, so agree with the landowner who keeps what. On Crown Estate foreshore, The Crown Estate keeps ownership of finds, and items of value are reported to it and the police and shared equally.
Can I metal detect in Natural Resources Wales forests?
Not without NRW's written authority. The Forestry Commission byelaws, which since 2013 name NRW as the authority in Wales, forbid operating a metal detector on land it manages that is open to the public. NRW's online check lists metal detecting among the activities you may need permission for.
Do I need permission to metal detect on private land in Wales?
Yes. Cadw says metal detectorists must ask the landowner's permission before using a detector on their property, and the Treasure Code of Practice says trespassing can reduce or remove a treasure reward.

Find more, remember where

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