Metal detecting permissions and UK law

There is no general right to metal detect in the UK. Obtain clear permission from the landowner or occupier with authority to grant it, even where access on foot is allowed. Protected sites and locally managed land may have additional restrictions.

Choose the rules for the country you are in

Permission from a landholder is only one check. This quick comparison points to the correct starting route; it is not permission to search a particular place.

If you are uncertain which restrictions apply to a parcel, pause before searching. The written-permission guide helps record boundaries and terms; the country guides explain the different laws in more detail.

Beaches are not automatically open

The Crown Estate currently permits detecting on the foreshore it owns, subject to its terms and third-party restrictions; this does not cover the seabed, river beds or the Thames foreshore. Check the ownership map and local rules before travelling.

Possible Treasure must be reported

In England and Wales, a find that may meet the legal definition of Treasure must be reported within 14 days of finding it or realising it may qualify. Scotland has a different Crown Treasure Trove system, while Northern Ireland combines Treasure reporting with archaeological-object duties and search restrictions. Start with the guide for England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland according to where the find was made.

Authoritative starting points: report possible Treasure on GOV.UK, read the current Treasure Act Code of Practice, and check Crown Estate foreshore permission.