UK Metal Detecting Laws & Code of Conduct

Right, grab yourself a cuppa and settle in, because this is one of those pages you genuinely need to read before you head out with your detector.

I know from my own experience that the legal side of metal detecting can feel a bit overwhelming when you first start out. There is a lot of it, some of it overlaps, and some of it varies depending on where in the UK you are detecting. The good news is that for the vast majority of detectorists who are doing things properly, the laws are there to protect history, not to trip you up. Get your head around the basics and you will be absolutely fine.

This page covers UK metal detecting laws in England and Wales, with a separate section on Scotland (which has its own rules). We also cover the NCMD Code of Conduct, because the law and responsible practice go hand in hand. Think of the law as the minimum requirement, and the code of conduct as how you actually look after the hobby’s reputation.

At a Glance – UK Metal Detecting Laws Summary

The Basics – Is Metal Detecting Legal in the UK?

Yes, metal detecting is perfectly legal in the UK. But – and this is important – it is only legal if you are doing it in the right way, in the right places, with the right permissions. The hobby is legal; wandering onto someone’s land without asking is not.

Unlike some European countries, where detecting is banned or very heavily restricted, the UK has a relatively sensible framework. The main pieces of legislation you need to understand are the Treasure Act 1996 (as amended), the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, and the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Beyond those, the NCMD Code of Conduct keeps the hobby’s reputation in good shape.

Permission – The Golden Rule of Metal Detecting

This is non-negotiable. Every single piece of land in the UK belongs to someone. Even land that looks wild, abandoned or seemingly public is owned, and you need the permission of that landowner before you put your detector over it.

I learned early on that the word “public” is misleading. A public footpath does not mean the land is publicly owned or that you can detect on it. It simply means the landowner has granted the public a right of access. The land itself still belongs to them, and you still need permission to detect.

Detecting without permission is trespass – a civil matter in England and Wales – which means the landowner can ask you to leave and potentially claim damages if you cause any. But if you remove finds from land without permission, that can cross into criminal territory. Theft of property belonging to a landowner is a criminal offence. This is why getting permission is so important and why having it in writing (ideally a proper search agreement) protects both you and the landowner.

What if There is a Tenant Farmer?

This catches a lot of people out. If a farm is tenanted – meaning the farmer is renting the land rather than owning it outright – you technically need permission from both the landowner and the tenant farmer. In practice, most people arrange this through the person who controls access to the land day to day, but it is worth being aware of, especially on agricultural land.

The NCMD Search Agreement form covers England, Scotland and Wales and is a good starting point for formalising any arrangement with a landowner.

The Treasure Act 1996 – What You Must Know

The Treasure Act 1996 replaced the old common law of Treasure Trove and came into force on 24 September 1997. It applies in England and Wales (Scotland has entirely different law, covered below). This is the legislation that defines what counts as Treasure, who it legally belongs to, and what you must do if you find it.

The short version: certain finds are the property of the Crown by law. You do not get to keep them automatically. You must report them.

What Actually Counts as Treasure?

This is the bit that confuses people, so let me break it down as clearly as I can. Under the Treasure Act 1996 (as amended by the Treasure (Designation) Order 2002 and the Treasure (Designation) (Amendment) Order 2023), Treasure includes:

• Any metallic object, other than a coin, that is at least 300 years old when found and contains at least 10% precious metal (gold or silver) by weight
• Any group of two or more coins from the same find that are at least 300 years old and contain at least 10% precious metal
• Any group of ten or more coins from the same find that are at least 300 years old (regardless of precious metal content)
• Any object of prehistoric date made of any base metal, found as part of a group of two or more prehistoric base metal objects (added by the 2002 Order)
• Any prehistoric object that is wholly or partly gold or silver
• Objects found in association with any of the above
• From 30 July 2023: any metal object or coin more than 200 years old that is deemed “significant” under the 2023 Amendment Order – meaning it provides exceptional insight into the country’s heritage, is a rare object, or sheds new light on an important person, event or regional history

If you are ever in doubt about whether something you have found might be Treasure, do not try to guess. Contact your local Finds Liaison Officer. That is exactly what they are there for, and there is no shame in asking.

The 14-Day Rule – Reporting Your Find

If you find, or suspect you have found, something that might be Treasure, you are legally required to report it to the coroner for the district where it was found within 14 days. In practice, you do this by contacting your local Finds Liaison Officer, who will handle the reporting process on your behalf. You can find your local FLO at finds.org.uk/contacts.

The 14 days starts from the date you found it or the date you realised it might be Treasure – whichever is later. Do not sit on it. Do not clean it beyond removing loose soil. And do not sell it.

What Happens After You Report?

The coroner will open an inquest to determine whether the item is legally Treasure. If it is deemed Treasure, museums are given the opportunity to acquire it. The valuation is carried out by the Treasure Valuation Committee, an independent expert panel that assesses fair market value. If a museum acquires it, the reward is split between the finder and the landowner (usually 50/50, though this can vary if there is a written agreement in place). If no museum wants to acquire it, the item can be returned to the finder and landowner.

The Penalty for Not Reporting

This is where it gets serious. Failing to report something you believe – or where there is good reason to believe – is Treasure is a criminal offence. The penalty on summary conviction is up to three months in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. You also lose all claim to any reward. There have been real prosecutions for this. It is not worth the risk.

I know a story – not something I was personally involved in, but well known in detecting circles – where someone found a significant Civil War hoard, reported it properly, but had quietly pocketed a couple of coins before going through the process. He ended up in serious legal trouble and received no reward at all. The system works if you work with it honestly.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS)

The Portable Antiquities Scheme, usually just called the PAS, was set up in 1997 and is managed by the British Museum. It is a voluntary recording scheme for archaeological finds made by the public in England and Wales. Most of the finds you make while detecting – coins that do not meet the Treasure threshold, buckles, buttons, Roman bits and pieces – do not legally have to be reported. But recording them with the PAS is genuinely important, and most responsible detectorists do it.

Every find recorded adds to our collective understanding of local history. The PAS database at finds.org.uk has millions of objects recorded by detectorists over the years. It has genuinely contributed to archaeology and history in ways that purely professional archaeology could not have achieved on its own.

What is a Finds Liaison Officer (FLO)?

Your local FLO is a qualified archaeologist employed through the PAS network. They are your main point of contact for recording finds, getting expert opinions on what you have dug up, and navigating the Treasure reporting process if needed. You can find yours at finds.org.uk/contacts. Most FLOs are genuinely helpful and are not out to catch you out – they want finds recorded, and they understand the detecting world.

Scheduled Ancient Monuments – Absolutely Off Limits

This is one of the clearest legal lines in detecting, and there is no grey area here at all. Scheduled Ancient Monuments – often called SAMs – are nationally important historic sites given legal protection under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

It is a criminal offence to use a metal detector on a Scheduled Monument without written consent from Historic England (in England) or Cadw (in Wales). That consent is called Section 42 consent, and in practice it is almost never granted for recreational metal detecting. The sites that carry this protection include Iron Age hillforts, Roman settlements, medieval earthworks, burial mounds and many other sites of significant national importance.

There are more than 20,000 scheduled monuments in England alone. If you detect on one without consent, you are committing a criminal offence, full stop. Penalties include an unlimited fine and/or a custodial sentence. Removing an object from a scheduled monument without consent is treated particularly seriously.

How to Check if a Site is Scheduled

You can search for scheduled monuments using the National Heritage List for England on the Historic England website. Before you detect anywhere new, it is good practice to check. Do not rely on the landowner’s knowledge of whether their land contains a scheduled monument – they do not always know, and the legal responsibility is yours if you detect on a protected site.

Other Protected and Restricted Land

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)

A Site of Special Scientific Interest is land designated for its biological or geological value. Metal detecting on an SSSI without consent from Natural England is illegal. If the foreshore you want to detect on falls within an SSSI or Marine Conservation Zone, you may need to seek additional permission before going out.

Crown Estate Foreshore and Beaches

Here is some good news for beach detectorists. The Crown Estate, which owns most of England’s foreshore (the land between mean high water and mean low water marks), operates a permissive arrangement for metal detecting. You do not need a formal permit to detect on Crown Estate foreshore, but you must follow their terms and conditions. These include using only hand tools, refilling any holes you dig, and complying with the Treasure Act and Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting.

Important exceptions: the River Thames foreshore requires a separate permit from the Port of London Authority. The Crown Estate arrangement does not cover river beds or the seabed. And if a beach is within an SSSI or National Nature Reserve, additional restrictions apply.

National Trust Land

The National Trust has its own policy on metal detecting. Generally, detecting on National Trust land is not permitted without their specific written consent. Some Trust sites may allow limited detecting under particular arrangements, but you should always contact the relevant National Trust property directly before assuming access.

Ministry of Defence Land

Detecting on MoD land without permission is illegal and potentially dangerous, given the risk of unexploded ordnance on some sites. Do not attempt it.

National Parks

National Parks are not a blanket restriction – the designation itself does not automatically prohibit detecting. But much of the land within National Parks is either Scheduled, owned by the National Trust, or covered by other restrictions. Always check the specific site and get permission from the relevant landowner and authority before detecting anywhere within a National Park boundary.

Nighthawking and Heritage Crime

Nighthawking is the illegal use of a metal detector on land without permission or on protected sites, often (but not always) carried out at night. It is heritage crime, and it causes real damage to archaeological sites, to landowner trust, and to the hobby’s reputation. The detecting community is overwhelmingly opposed to it.

Under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and the Theft Act 1968, nighthawkers can face charges including damage to a scheduled monument, theft, handling stolen goods and aggravated trespass. Convictions have resulted in fines, confiscation of equipment and criminal behaviour orders banning offenders from metal detecting at protected historic sites.

In one of the most significant prosecutions of its type, a group of five nighthawkers who targeted Beeston Castle in Cheshire and Roche Abbey in South Yorkshire were convicted in 2021 and handed five-year Criminal Behaviour Orders banning them from metal detecting at English Heritage sites across England and Wales. The sentences sent a clear message.

Reporting Heritage Crime

If you see what you believe is illegal detecting – especially on a scheduled site or at night without obvious permission – you can report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or contact Historic England’s heritage crime team. You can also report to the local police.

The Code of Conduct – Being a Responsible Detectorist

Beyond what the law requires, the detecting community has its own code of conduct. This matters, because the hobby’s future depends on good relationships with landowners, archaeologists, farmers and the public. Every detectorist who acts irresponsibly makes it harder for everyone else to get permissions and maintain the hobby’s legitimacy.

The NCMD Code of Conduct

The National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD) Code of Conduct covers the key responsibilities of all detectorists. The most recent version (updated December 2025) sets out the following:

• Do not trespass. Obtain permission before venturing onto any land, without exception.
• Do not leave a mess or an unsafe surface. Cut a neat flap when digging, extract the object, and reinstate the ground carefully. Leave no visible trace.
• Do not disturb live ammunition or unexploded devices. Mark the site, do not touch anything, and report to the police immediately.
• It is illegal to detect on designated areas including Scheduled Monuments, SSSIs and MoD land without proper consent.
• Respect the Country Code. Leave gates as you find them. Do not damage crops, frighten animals or disturb nesting birds.
• Help keep Britain tidy. Take your rubbish away with you, and safely dispose of any hazardous items you come across.
• Report all unusual historical finds to the landowner and record them with the Portable Antiquities Scheme in England and Wales, or follow the mandatory reporting requirements in Scotland.

The PAS Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting

The Portable Antiquities Scheme also has its own Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales, which was last revised in 2017. It reinforces the key points above but also specifically covers:

• Only detecting on land where you have the landowner’s full knowledge and permission
• Familiarising yourself with the Treasure Act before you go out
• Recording finds responsibly and making them available to be recorded by the PAS
• Not detecting on land that is known, or reasonably believed, to be a scheduled monument or in an area of archaeological importance
• Working in a manner that is unlikely to cause damage to the historic environment
• Reporting all finds honestly to your landowner

Following both the NCMD code and the PAS code is not just about staying legal. It is about being the kind of detectorist that landowners are happy to let back next year, that archaeologists can work alongside, and that newer detectorists can look up to. The hobby has come a long way in terms of its relationship with the archaeological community, and that is largely because the responsible majority take this stuff seriously.

Detecting in Scotland – A Completely Different System

If you plan to detect in Scotland, please read this section carefully, because the rules are fundamentally different from those in England and Wales.

Scotland operates under a system of bona vacantia (ownerless goods) and Crown ownership of antiquities. The key principle is this: in Scotland, all newly discovered portable antiquities of archaeological, historical or cultural significance are the property of the Crown. That includes everything – it does not matter what the object is made of, how old it is, or whether it is precious metal. If it has archaeological or historical significance, it belongs to the Crown.

You must report all such finds to the Treasure Trove Unit, which is based at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The Unit acts on behalf of the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR), who handles Crown property in Scotland. Failure to report is a criminal offence.

The Crown does not always claim every find – many unremarkable items are disclaimed. But you must go through the reporting process to get that decision. Items selected for retention by Scottish museums attract a reward for the finder, assessed at market value.

There are also specific rules around Scheduled Monuments in Scotland. Detecting within 20 metres of a scheduled monument without consent can result in a fine of up to £50,000 and/or a custodial sentence. This is a stricter exclusion zone than exists in England.

Metal detecting is legal in Scotland with the landowner’s permission, but the finds law is far more comprehensive than south of the border. When in doubt, contact the Treasure Trove Unit directly for guidance before detecting in Scotland.

Detecting in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has its own legislation and heritage body (the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities). The key law is the Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, and it is much stricter than England and Wales. It is an offence to search for archaeological objects, which includes metal detecting where it involves digging, without a licence from the Historic Environment Division, and those licences are only issued for genuine archaeological projects. In practice that means recreational detecting for archaeological objects is not permitted in Northern Ireland without a licence. Treasure finds are covered separately by the Treasure Act 1996 (as amended, including the 2023 changes) and must be reported. If you are planning to detect in Northern Ireland, check the current rules with the Historic Environment Division before you go out.

Frequently Asked Questions About UK Metal Detecting Laws

Do I need a licence to metal detect in the UK?

No, there is no licence required to use a metal detector in the UK. However, you do need the landowner’s permission to detect on any land, and you must comply with the Treasure Act 1996 and all other relevant legislation. NCMD membership is not legally required, but it provides public liability insurance and demonstrates that you take the hobby seriously, which helps with getting permissions.

Can I metal detect on the beach without permission?

For most Crown Estate foreshore (the strip between the high and low water marks) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you can detect without a specific permit, as long as you follow the Crown Estate’s terms and conditions. However, some beaches have additional restrictions – for example, if they fall within an SSSI or Marine Conservation Zone. The River Thames foreshore requires a separate permit from the Port of London Authority. Always check before you go.

What happens if I find something that might be Treasure?

Stop digging. Note the exact location. Contact your local Finds Liaison Officer (find yours at finds.org.uk/contacts) within 14 days. Do not clean the object beyond removing loose soil, do not sell it, and do not show it around publicly until it has been assessed. Your FLO will guide you through the reporting process to the coroner.

Can I metal detect on a public footpath?

No. A public footpath simply means the public has a right to walk across land. The land is still privately owned, and you still need the landowner’s permission to detect on it. The right of way is for passage, not for metal detecting.

What is the difference between trespass and theft when it comes to detecting?

In England and Wales, trespass (detecting on land without permission) is a civil matter – the landowner can ask you to leave and may claim civil damages, but it is not automatically a criminal offence. However, if you remove finds from that land without permission, you may be committing theft under the Theft Act 1968, which is a criminal offence. The distinction is important, but the practical advice is simple: always get permission, always show finds to your landowner.

Is it legal to sell metal detecting finds?

Anything that does not qualify as Treasure and that you are entitled to keep (with the landowner’s agreement) can generally be sold. The landowner technically has ownership rights over finds made on their land, so your arrangement with them matters. Anything that is Treasure cannot be sold without going through the proper Crown process. Selling Treasure without reporting it is a criminal offence.

What should I do if I find a bomb, live ammunition or human remains?

Stop immediately. Do not move the object. Mark the spot carefully and contact the police. For unexploded ordnance, call 999. Do not try to identify or move the item yourself. The same applies to suspected human remains – stop, do not disturb, contact the police. The NCMD has specific guidance on bombs, bones and burials worth reading before you go out.

What is nighthawking and why is it such a big deal?

Nighthawking is illegal metal detecting – detecting without permission or on protected sites, often but not always at night. It destroys archaeological context (the information about where a find was, what it was near, how deep it was is lost forever once an object is lifted illegally), damages landowner trust, and damages the hobby’s reputation. It is a serious criminal offence. The legitimate detecting community strongly opposes it. If you see it happening, report it.

Sources and Further Reading

• Treasure Act 1996 – legislation.gov.uk
• Treasure Act 1996 Code of Practice (3rd Revision, 2023) – GOV.UK
• The Treasure (Designation) Order 2002 – legislation.gov.uk
• The Treasure (Designation) (Amendment) Order 2023 – legislation.gov.uk
• Report Treasure – GOV.UK
• Portable Antiquities Scheme – finds.org.uk
• Find Your Local FLO – finds.org.uk
• Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales – PAS
• NCMD Code of Conduct – ncmd.co.uk
• NCMD Treasure Law Guidance – ncmd.co.uk
• Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 – legislation.gov.uk
• National Heritage List for England (check for scheduled monuments) – Historic England
• Heritage Crime – Historic England
• Metal Detecting on Crown Estate Foreshore – The Crown Estate
• Thames Foreshore Permits – Port of London Authority
• Information for Finders in Scotland – Treasure Trove Scotland