i am a beginner, can i metal detect on public beaches

popeye_nat

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Jan 28, 2006
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I am new to this hobby and don't want to get arrested. I intend to go down to a public beach and hunt. Is it legal? I have heard that the fed's hate us digging anything up, even though we are responsible and leave the area as we found it.



Nathan
 
I can't speak for the US, but here in the UK, beaches are one of the few places where you don't need permission to detect, with a very few exceptions that is.

Best to go when there are few people about, staying away from crowded areas.
 
On Long Island, you need a MD permit ($20) to hunt the State Parks / beaches. Never had a problem on any local beach. Where are you located?
 
Who controls the beach? Do you pay a fee to get in? If the federal gov't has nothing to do with the property, don't worry about it....BUT, depending on who controls it, they may have certain rules..for instance, I'm in SD and the Game, Fish and Parks has oversight on the beaches adjacent to the Missouri River...they let you go MDing but you have to have a permit...it's a stupid rule but there it is...my recommendation find out who has oversight of the beaches you want to hunt and make contact....

Welcome to the site and the hobby...great bunch of folks here, ask lots of questions...I've been into MDing about and year and a half...its great...not sure where you are located but up north here, I'm getting cabin fever!!!

Best of luck..

:D
 
popeye_nat



If the beach is a protected beach like Cape Cod National Seashore then yes you wouldn't want to detect it unless you didn't mind losing your detector and possibly your car... but for the most part beaches are open to some kind of detecting... Where are you planning to detect? Florida also has restrictions on the treasure coast..
 
i will be MD'ing in Alabama as I going there for work

I will probably hit the local beaches, but I wil find out locally from the beach authorities. Don't want my new detector confiscated so I will run through the proper authorities.



Many thanks

Nathan
 
I live in Texas...so can anyone tell me...

about texas beaches?

I am going to Alabama for work and will be there for a couple of months. But would still like to know the Texas situation as well.

Cheers,

Nathan

BH SSII
 
Where your beaches do have restrictions, is that for the whole beach, or just the dry sand ?
Where we do have some restrictions, is where grass has been planted in sand dunes to protect and stabilize them. Away from the dunes you are OK.

Even where there are other restrictions, you are normally ok below the high water mark.
 
Alan

On the treasure coast in Florida its usually in the water on CapeCod its the dunes- dry sand...
 
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