Metal Detecting Laws in England (2026): Permission & Finds

Permission checklist

Six yeses before your first sweep.

01
Owner
Get the landowner’s permission.
02
Occupier
Ask the tenant or occupier too.
03
Boundary
Mark exactly where permission starts and stops.
04
Protection
Check the National Heritage List and other restrictions.
05
Local rule
Read current council and manager conditions.
06
Finds
Write down who may keep or share a find.

A footpath, open-access sign, or public entrance does not grant a right to search or dig. Carry the permission and fill every hole.

Protected ground

A landowner’s yes cannot cancel heritage law.

STOP

Scheduled monument

Do not detect or remove a detector find there without Section 42 consent. Historic England says recreational consent is exceptional and normally tied to a recognised archaeological project.

CHECK

Managed land

Stewardship agreements, environmental designations, leases, and council rules may add limits. Ask the responsible manager.

CHECK

Open-access land

Open access covers activities such as walking. GOV.UK lists metal detecting among activities that need separate permission.

After an important find

Stop, record, and use the correct clock.

Now
Do not widen the hole.
A group of coins or objects may still hold archaeological context.
Now
Save the evidence.
Record the location privately. Photograph both sides and the edge before cleaning.
PAS
Contact your local Finds Liaison Officer.
They can help identify and record archaeological finds through the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
14 days
Report suspected Treasure.
This is the legal deadline. Ask your Finds Liaison Officer when you are unsure.
28 days
Report wreck material.
Use the Receiver of Wreck route for material recovered from the sea or tidal water.

Beaches and foreshores

A beach is not automatically free detecting ground.

The Crown Estate allows detecting on foreshore it owns—the land between mean high and mean low water—without formal Crown Estate consent, but only under its terms and subject to third-party rights.

It applies only to Crown Estate foreshore, not the seabed, riverbeds, or other Crown Estate land.
It does not replace council, tenant, conservation, or protected-site rules.
The River Thames foreshore needs a separate Port of London Authority permit.
Wreck material still follows the Receiver of Wreck process.

30-second decision route

One “no” means stop and check.

1Owner and occupier permission?No → do not detect

2Outside scheduled monuments?Unsure → check the List

3No local or management restriction?Unsure → ask the authority

4Finds agreement written down?Yes → detect carefully

England FAQ

Five short answers before you go.

Can I metal detect beside a public footpath?

Not without permission. A right to walk across land is not a right to search it or dig into it.

Can a farmer let me detect on a scheduled monument?

Landowner permission alone is not enough. Using a detector on a scheduled monument requires Section 42 consent from Historic England.

Is every old coin Treasure?

No. Treasure has a legal definition. Use the official Treasure checker or ask a Finds Liaison Officer instead of guessing.

Can I keep what I find?

Do not assume finders keepers. Ownership depends on your landowner agreement and any Treasure, lost-property, or wreck process.

Where can I check protected places?

Use the National Heritage List for England and still ask the land manager about local, environmental, and stewardship restrictions.