Gold panning, rockhounding and fossil collecting laws in Nevada
Most of Nevada is public land managed by the BLM, and on BLM land gold panning, sluicing without a motor, hand or battery drywashers, metal detecting and collecting rocks for your own collection are casual use: no permit and no fee. The real limit on dry ground is the mining claims: much of Nevada's gold ground is claimed, and what lies on a valid claim belongs to the claim holder.
Nevada sets its own rules in the water and on its own land. Any suction dredge in a river, stream or lake needs a permit from the Nevada Department of Wildlife, and a bigger dredge also needs a water permit from the state's environmental agency. State parks ban metal detectors without the supervisor's permission and forbid taking rocks, and objects from historic sites are protected on state and federal land. This page covers what is specific to Nevada; the federal rules that apply everywhere are on our national rules page.
Last checked: October 2026. This page explains the rules in plain English, with the exact words of the law next to each rule; it is not legal advice. Laws change, so check with the agency before you go.
In short
- BLM land: gold panning, non-motorized sluicing, hand or battery drywashers, metal detecting and collecting rocks for personal use are casual use under 43 CFR 3809.5 ↗: no permit, no fee.
- Rocks and minerals on BLM land: the BLM in Nevada publishes no pound limit, only reasonable amounts for your own collection, from unclaimed ground. Petrified wood: 25 pounds plus one piece a day, 250 pounds a year.
- Suction dredges: a permit from the Nevada Department of Wildlife before any dredge goes into a river, stream or lake (NRS 503.425 ↗). The statute sets the fee at 15 dollars.
- Bigger dredges: a nozzle over 4 inches, or more than 50 cubic yards moved in 12 months, also needs a water pollution control permit from NDEP (NDEP ↗).
- Mining claims: on public land, most minerals on a valid claim belong to the claim holder. Check before you dig (NBMG ↗).
- State parks: no metal detector without the park supervisor's permission (NAC 407.103 ↗), and no taking rocks, fossils or artifacts.
- Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, around Virgin Valley: rocks by hand from the surface only, up to 7 pounds a day (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗).
- No collecting in Red Rock Canyon and Sloan Canyon National Conservation Areas, in national parks, on reservations without the tribe's permission, or on military land.
What you can do, land by land
BLM land (most of the state)
- Gold pan: Casual use, no permit
- Hand sluice: Without a motor: casual use, no permit
- Drywasher: Hand or battery: casual use. With an engine: ask the district office
- Highbanker or pump: Not named in the federal casual-use rule: ask the district office
- Suction dredge: NDOW permit always; a small portable dredge may count as BLM casual use
- Metal detector: Casual use, no permit
- Rocks and minerals: Reasonable amounts for personal use, never from a claim
- Fossils: Common invertebrates and plants, personal use; no bones or teeth
- Meteorites: Surface finds, hand tools and detectors, 10 lb a year, not for sale
What the law says
“Casual use generally includes the collection of geochemical, rock, soil, or mineral specimens using hand tools; hand panning; or non-motorized sluicing.”
Mining claims (on BLM and Forest Service land)
The minerals on a valid claim belong to the claim holder, so collecting there needs the holder's permission. Our maps show in red the spots with a claim on record.
What the agency says
“On public land, most minerals on a valid mining claim belong to the claim holder.”
BLM wilderness and wilderness study areas
Hand collecting and panning without mechanical equipment, as long as nothing on the surface is disturbed. No motors.
What the agency says
“Recreational panning which does not involve mechanical equipment is permitted in wilderness and wilderness study areas”
Red Rock Canyon and Sloan Canyon National Conservation Areas, Stewart Valley ACEC near Gabbs
The BLM in Nevada lists these areas, together with historic and prehistoric sites and national natural landmarks, as exceptions to its collecting rules: no collecting.
Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon NCA and BLM national monuments (Gold Butte, Basin and Range)
Gold Butte is closed to new mining claims. We found no published collecting rule for these areas, so treat them as a gray zone and ask the district office: Winnemucca for Black Rock, Southern Nevada for Gold Butte, Ely for Basin and Range. Basin and Range forbids collecting any historic or prehistoric feature, old mining remnants included.
What the agency says
“no new mining claims may be located, and no new mineral leases may be issued, on lands within the Monument.”
— BLM, Gold Butte National Monument interim management guidance ↗
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
We found no forest-specific rules online; the national Forest Service rules apply.
- Gold pan: No notice needed
- Hand sluice: Without a motor: no notice needed
- Drywasher: Battery: no notice. With an engine: notice of intent to the district ranger
- Highbanker or pump: Notice of intent to the district ranger
- Suction dredge: Notice of intent to the ranger, plus the NDOW permit
- Metal detector: No notice needed
- Rocks and minerals: Hand tools, personal use; no forest limit published
What the law says
“gold panning, metal detecting, non-motorized hand sluicing, using battery operated dry washers, and collecting of mineral specimens using hand tools”
— 36 CFR 228.4(a)(1)(ii), operations that need no notice of intent ↗
Nevada state parks (Valley of Fire, Berlin-Ichthyosaur, Ice Age Fossils, Rye Patch and the others)
- Gold pan: Removing rocks is not allowed
- Metal detector: Only with the park supervisor’s permission; some parks ban it outright
- Rocks and minerals: Not allowed
- Fossils: Not allowed
What the law says
“Except as authorized by the supervisor of the park, no person may use a metal detector in the park.”
National park units (Great Basin National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Tule Springs Fossil Beds, the Nevada side of Death Valley)
No collecting, no panning and no metal detecting.
Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge (around Virgin Valley)
Rocks by hand from the surface only: digging, tools and equipment are not allowed, and collecting arrowheads, stone tools or any other artifact is strictly prohibited. To dig opal in Virgin Valley, go to the fee mines, which set their own rules.
What the agency says
“You may remove up to seven pounds of rock per day for personal use.”
— U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sheldon NWR rules and policies ↗
Desert National Wildlife Refuge (north of Las Vegas)
Fossils and archaeological sites are protected: take only pictures.
What the agency says
“All cultural and paleontological resources and sites on the refuge are protected.”
— U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Desert NWR rules and policies ↗
Reservations
Collecting needs the tribe's permission.
What the agency says
“trespassing and collecting is illegal on Indian Reservations without permission from the tribal authorities.”
Military land (Nevada Test and Training Range, Fallon and other ranges)
Closed.
What the agency says
“Trespassing and collecting is both illegal and dangerous on lands controlled by the Military.”
Green: allowed. Amber: allowed with a notice or a permit. Red: not allowed. Gray: ask the agency.
Where you can actually go in Nevada
Open BLM desert is where hobby prospecting happens in Nevada: nugget hunting with detectors in the old placer districts, drywashing where the gravel is dry, rockhounding almost anywhere outside claims. Our gold map, gem map and fossil map show the open land and, in red, the creek banks and spots with a claim on record.
Where most ground is claimed, a club with its own claims is the easy way in, and the fee digs marked with a star on our maps let you dig and keep what you find, under their own rules. The clubs are on the maps too.
Suction dredges, pumps and highbankers in Nevada
Nevada regulates dredges through its wildlife law. Before any vacuum or suction dredge goes into a river, stream or lake, you apply to the Nevada Department of Wildlife, giving the type and size of the equipment and the place where you will work; the permit is issued if the work will not harm fish.
What the law says
“Before a person may use any vacuum or suction dredge equipment in any river, stream or lake of this State, the person must submit an application to the Department.”
The permit covers only the equipment and the area named in it, and dredging without one is unlawful. On a navigable river or lake the NDOW permit is not enough: you also need a permit from the State Land Registrar, at the Nevada Division of State Lands ↗.
The state's environmental agency, NDEP, leaves small hobby dredges out of its water pollution control permits:
What the agency says
“Hobby level placer dredging utilizing a nozzle size of 4 inches or less and disturbing less than 50 cubic yards in a 12-month period.”
— NDEP, When is a Water Pollution Control or Reclamation Permit Required? ↗
On BLM land the federal rule says casual use may include small portable suction dredges, so a small dredge may need no BLM paperwork beyond the state permit; the BLM decides case by case, so ask the district office before you start. In the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest a dredge needs a notice of intent to the district ranger. Dredging in water can also involve the Army Corps of Engineers under the Clean Water Act: see our national page.
What the law says
“It may include use of small portable suction dredges.”
Highbankers and pumps are the gray zone. The federal casual-use rule names hand panning, non-motorized sluicing and hand or battery drywashers, but not motorized highbankers or pumps, and we found no Nevada rule that mentions them. On BLM land, ask the district office; in the national forest, file a notice of intent with the district ranger.
Mining claims: the rule that matters most in Nevada
Much of Nevada's gold ground is under claim. On a valid claim the minerals belong to the claim holder, even on public land, so taking gold or stones from someone else's claim is theft. Our maps show in red the places with a claim on record, and the Check claims (BLM) button on each pin opens the BLM's official claim map at that spot. Our national rules page explains how to read a claim on the ground.
What the agency says
“Minerals such as gold, silver and opals found on mining claims belong to the claim holder.”
How much can you take in Nevada?
The BLM in Nevada sets no pound limit for rocks, minerals and gemstones: its rule is reasonable amounts for your own collection, from unclaimed ground.
What the agency says
“Gemstones and common rock specimens may be collected for private use on unclaimed sites.”
Two numbers do apply. Petrified wood on BLM land is limited to 25 pounds plus one piece a day and 250 pounds a year, and the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge allows up to 7 pounds of rock a day, collected by hand from the surface.
What the agency says
“Petrified wood may be collected up to 25 pounds plus one piece per person per day, with a maximum of 250 pounds per person per year.”
Fossils, meteorites, bottles and old mining relics
On BLM land in Nevada, common invertebrate fossils such as plants, mollusks and trilobites may be collected for personal use in reasonable amounts, but not bartered or sold. Bones, teeth and rare invertebrates are for researchers with a permit.
What the agency says
“Vertebrate fossils such as dinosaurs, mammals, fishes and reptiles, and uncommon invertebrate fossils may be collected only by trained researchers under BLM permit.”
Meteorites follow the BLM's national rule: surface finds only, up to 10 pounds a year, not for sale (see our national page).
Old bottles, cans, tools and mining relics are not free for the taking on state or federal land. Nevada law protects historic and prehistoric sites, and it counts as historic anything from the middle of the 18th century until 50 years ago:
What the law says
““Historic” means from the middle of the 18th century until 50 years before the current year.”
What the law says
“a person shall not investigate, explore or excavate an historic or prehistoric site on federal or state lands or remove any object therefrom unless the person is the holder of a valid and current permit”
Native graves are protected too: removing anything from a native Indian grave without the required permit, or damaging it, is a crime under NRS 383.180 ↗.
Permits and costs
Panning, sluicing without a motor, hand or battery drywashing, metal detecting, rock collecting on BLM land
What you need: Nothing: casual use
Cost: Free
Suction dredge in any river, stream or lake
What you need: Dredging permit from the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NRS 503.425)
Cost: 15 dollars, set by the statute
Suction dredge on a navigable river or lake
What you need: Also a permit from the State Land Registrar, Division of State Lands
Cost: Not published
Dredge with a nozzle over 4 inches, or more than 50 cubic yards in 12 months
What you need: Water Pollution Control Permit from NDEP
Cost: Set by NDEP
Motorized equipment or a dredge in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
What you need: Notice of intent to the district ranger
Cost: No fee
Metal detector in a state park
What you need: Permission of the park supervisor (NAC 407.103)
Cost: Not published
Excavating or removing objects from a historic or prehistoric site on state or federal land
What you need: Permit under NRS 381.195 to 381.227
Cost: Not for hobby collecting
Who to ask
Where the rules leave a gray zone, ask the office in charge directly, and get the answer in writing if you can.
BLM Nevada State Office
Ask about: Statewide questions and mining claim records
Phone: 775-861-6500
Email: BLM_NV_NVSO_web_mail@blm.gov
Address: 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89502
BLM Winnemucca District
Ask about: Pershing and Humboldt counties, Black Rock Desert
Phone: 775-623-1500
BLM Southern Nevada District
Ask about: Las Vegas area, Red Rock Canyon, Sloan Canyon, Gold Butte
Phone: 702-515-5000
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Supervisor’s Office
Ask about: Notices of intent and rules in the national forest
Phone: 775-331-6444
Address: 1200 Franklin Way, Sparks, NV 89431
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Ask about: Dredging permits. Regional offices: Western (Reno) 775-688-1506, Eastern (Elko) 775-777-2300, Southern (Las Vegas) 702-486-5127
Phone: 775-688-1500
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
Ask about: Water pollution control permits for larger dredges. Las Vegas office: 702-668-3900
Phone: 775-687-4670
Address: 901 S. Stewart Street, Suite 4001, Carson City, NV 89701
Nevada State Parks
Ask about: Metal detector permission and park rules
Phone: 775-684-2770
Email: stparks@parks.nv.gov
Address: 901 S. Stewart Street, Suite 5005, Carson City, NV 89701
Questions and answers
Do I need a permit to pan for gold in Nevada?
Not on BLM land: gold panning, sluicing without a motor, hand or battery drywashers and metal detecting are casual use under 43 CFR 3809.5, as long as the ground is not under someone else's claim. In the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest they need no notice either. State parks, national parks and reservations are closed.
Is a sluice box legal on BLM land in Nevada?
Yes, without a motor. The federal rule counts non-motorized sluicing as casual use, so it needs no permit. Add a pump or an engine and you are outside that rule: ask the BLM district office first.
Do I need a permit for a suction dredge in Nevada?
Yes, always. NRS 503.425 requires a permit from the Nevada Department of Wildlife before any vacuum or suction dredge goes into a river, stream or lake, and the statute sets the fee at 15 dollars. A nozzle over 4 inches, or more than 50 cubic yards moved in 12 months, also needs a water pollution control permit from NDEP.
Can I use a metal detector in a Nevada state park?
Only with the permission of the park supervisor, under NAC 407.103. Some parks, such as Valley of Fire and Berlin-Ichthyosaur, prohibit metal detecting outright, and no state park allows taking rocks or fossils.
Is there a limit on how many rocks I can take in Nevada?
On BLM land there is no published pound limit: reasonable amounts for personal use, never from a claim. Petrified wood is limited to 25 pounds plus one piece a day and 250 pounds a year, and the Sheldon refuge allows 7 pounds of rock a day, collected by hand from the surface.
Can I keep old bottles and mining relics I find in the desert?
Not from state or federal land if they come from a historic site. Nevada law counts as historic anything from the mid-1700s to 50 years ago, and removing objects from such sites needs a permit under NRS 381.197. Leave them where they lie.
Can I dig opal in Virgin Valley for free?
No. The Sheldon refuge around the valley allows only surface collecting by hand, up to 7 pounds of rock a day, with no digging and no tools. Digging for opal there happens at the fee mines, which set their own rules and prices.
More about Nevada
Sources
- 43 CFR 3809.5, definition of casual use
- 36 CFR 228.4, notice of intent in national forests
- NRS 503.425, dredging permits (Nevada Revised Statutes chapter 503)
- NDEP: When is a Water Pollution Control or Reclamation Permit Required?
- BLM Nevada: Collecting on Public Lands
- Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology: Rocks and Minerals
- NAC 407.103, metal detectors in state parks
- Nevada State Parks: Valley of Fire park rules
- Nevada State Parks: Berlin-Ichthyosaur park rules
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Sheldon NWR rules and policies
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Desert NWR rules and policies
- BLM: Gold Butte National Monument interim management guidance (2024)
- BLM: Basin and Range National Monument
- NRS 381.195 to 381.227, historic and prehistoric sites
- NRS 383.180, native Indian graves
- BLM Nevada State Office and district offices
- Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Supervisor’s Office
- Nevada Department of Wildlife: contacts
- NDEP: Bureau of Mining Regulation and Reclamation contacts
- Nevada State Parks: contacts
- Nevada Division of State Lands