Utah is permit-based in its state parks — metal detecting, digging and any treasure or artifact hunting need a permit from the Division of State Parks. Here’s the detail.
Can I detect in Utah?
The short answer for each kind of land. Tap a card for the detail and the rule’s own words.
- State parksPermit requiredpermit from the Division of State ParksChecked against the source Oct 8, 2026
- State & public landNo verdict yetSource check pending
- Public land & lakesPermit requiredpermit from the Division of State ParksChecked against the source Oct 8, 2026
- City / county parksNo verdict yetSource check pending
- National Park Service landProhibitedChecked against the source Oct 8, 2026
- BLM landAllowedChecked 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
State parks
Permit requiredUtah's park rules prohibit metal detecting, digging and any treasure or artifact hunting in division-managed parks without a permit from the Division of State Parks; ask the park office first.
- permit from the Division of State Parks
- removing any natural or cultural resource without written authorization is trespass
What the rule says
“(2) Additionally, the following activities are prohibited without a permit: ... (b) metal detecting, magnet fishing, prospecting, digging, or excavating, or any other forms of treasure, paleontological, archaeological, or antiquities hunting”
State & public land
No verdict yetUtah Code Title 9, Ch. 8a, Part 3 requires a permit to survey or excavate archaeological resources on state land; specimens from state land are state property.
Digging
Research permits onlyOnly a permitted principal investigator, or someone working under one, may survey or excavate for archaeological resources on land owned or controlled by the state, its political subdivisions or the trust lands administration.
- applies to state, political-subdivision and School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration land
- survey permit: graduate degree in anthropology, archaeology or history (or equivalent) plus professional and Utah field experience (9-8a-305(2))
- excavation permit also needs an approved research design and the landowner's permission (9-8a-305(3))
- 'excavate' means the recovery of archaeological resources (9-8a-302(8))
- class B misdemeanor plus forfeiture of all archaeological resources found (9-8a-305(10))
What the rule says
“A person, other than a principal investigator, may not survey or excavate on any lands owned or controlled by the state, its political subdivisions, or by the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration unless the person works under the direction of a principal investigator who holds a valid permit.”
Keeping finds
ProhibitedArchaeological specimens recovered from land owned or controlled by the state or its political subdivisions belong to the state (finds on school and institutional trust land belong to the trust), and any discovery must be reported.
- archaeological specimens: man-made artifacts and remains of an archaeological or anthropological nature (9-8a-302)
- survey or excavation only by a permitted principal investigator with a graduate degree or equivalent (9-8a-305(1)-(2))
- anyone who discovers archaeological resources on state or subdivision land must promptly report it (9-8a-307)
- class B misdemeanor plus forfeiture of all archaeological resources found (9-8a-305(10))
What the rule says
“Collections recovered from lands owned or controlled by the state or its subdivisions, other than school and institutional trust lands, are owned by the state.”
Public land & lakes
Permit requiredLake and reservoir shores inside Utah state parks fall under the park rule: no metal detecting or digging without a Division of State Parks permit.
- permit from the Division of State Parks
- shores outside state parks are not covered by this rule
What the rule says
“(2) Additionally, the following activities are prohibited without a permit: ... (b) metal detecting, magnet fishing, prospecting, digging, or excavating, or any other forms of treasure, paleontological, archaeological, or antiquities hunting”
City / county parks
No verdict yetNo detector rule was confirmed for city or county parks in Utah; ask the local park manager.
National Park Service land
ProhibitedPossessing or using a metal detector is prohibited in National Park Service areas.
- Exceptions include a device broken down and packed to prevent use, navigation and safety equipment, and equipment used for authorized scientific, mining or administrative activities.
What the rule says
“Possessing or using a mineral or metal detector, magnetometer, side scan sonar, other metal detecting device, or subbottom profiler.”
BLM land
AllowedBLM rules allow detectors to aid reasonable, noncommercial collection of permitted rocks and mineral specimens, outside developed recreation sites and areas and except where prohibited.
- This allowance is tied to the collection allowed by 43 CFR 8365.1-5(b); it is not general permission to search for or remove archaeological resources.
- Reasonable amounts for noncommercial purposes only; the exception does not apply at developed recreation sites and areas or where collection is prohibited.
What the rule says
“Use on the public lands explosive, motorized or mechanical devices, except metal detectors, to aid in the collection of specimens permitted under paragraph (b) or (c) of this paragraph.”
Federal land
Digging
Permit requiredExcavating or removing archaeological resources on the public and Indian lands defined by ARPA requires authorization.
- This archaeological-resource rule does not establish general detector permission.
- Section 470ee(a) recognizes a permit under 470cc, a permit referred to in 470cc(h)(2), or the exemption in 470cc(g)(1).
What the rule says
“No person may excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface, or attempt to excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface any archaeological resource located on public lands or Indian lands unless such activity is pursuant to a permit”
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.
Metal detecting in Utah state parks
Utah’s park rules (Utah Admin. Code R651-635-1(2)(b)) list “metal detecting, magnet fishing, prospecting, digging, or excavating, or any other forms of treasure, paleontological, archaeological, or antiquities hunting” among activities prohibited without a permit in division-managed parks. Separately, removing any natural or cultural resource from a park without the division’s specific written authorization is trespass (R651-620-2). Ask the park office about a permit before you go.
Utah’s antiquities law
Utah Code Title 9, Chapter 8a, Part 3 requires a permit to survey or excavate archaeological resources on land owned or controlled by the state, its political subdivisions or the trust lands administration, and a permitted principal investigator or a person working under that investigator’s direction may do it (9-8a-305). Under §9-8a-305(8), collections recovered from state or political-subdivision lands belong to the state, except that collections from school or institutional trust lands belong to the respective trust. Section 9-8a-307 requires prompt reporting of archaeological discoveries on state or political-subdivision lands.
Public land, lakes & federal
Lake and reservoir shores inside state parks fall under the same park permit rule. National Park Service units ban detectors unless broken down and stowed (36 CFR 2.1). BLM rules allow detectors to aid reasonable, noncommercial collection of permitted rocks and mineral specimens, outside developed recreation sites and areas and except where prohibited. The Archaeological Resources Protection Act restricts unauthorized excavation or removal of archaeological resources on public lands or Indian lands, subject to its statutory permit routes and exemption. We haven’t sourced city and county park rules. See our national guide.
Sources
Official and statutory sources this page is based on (source check: October 8, 2026):
- Utah State Parks — drones & metal detecting (link no longer resolves at our last check; kept for the record)
- Utah Code Title 9, Ch. 8a, Part 3 (Antiquities)
- Utah Admin. Code R651-635-1, Commercial activities, privileged, or special uses in park areas require a permit (LII mirror)
- Utah Admin. Code R651-620-2, Trespass (LII mirror)
- 36 CFR §2.1, Preservation of natural, cultural and archeological resources (eCFR)
- 43 CFR §8365.1-5, Property and resources (BLM public lands) (eCFR)
- 16 U.S.C. §470ee, ARPA prohibited acts (and §470bb definitions)
- R651-635, Commercial, Privileged, and Special Uses of Division Managed Park Areas (Utah Administrative Code)
- 16 U.S.C. §470bb, ARPA definitions
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 you metal detect in a Utah State Park?
- Yes, but only with a permit from the Division of State Parks; detecting or digging without one is prohibited (R651-635-1(2)(b)). Ask the park office first.
- Do you get to keep what you find in Utah?
- Not historic or cultural finds. Removing any natural or cultural resource from a state park without the division’s written authorization is trespass (R651-620-2), and archaeological collections from state land are state property (Utah Code 9-8a-305).
- What about Utah’s public deserts and mountains?
- BLM rules allow detectors to aid reasonable, noncommercial collection of permitted rocks and mineral specimens, outside developed recreation sites and areas and except where prohibited. The Archaeological Resources Protection Act restricts unauthorized excavation or removal of archaeological resources on public lands or Indian lands, subject to its statutory permit routes and exemption. National Park Service units ban detectors.
Find more, remember where
Download LuckyFind — free for iPhone and Android — to track your routes, log your finds, and keep your permitted spots organized.
