Land rules
Metal detecting in New York
New York State Parks allows detecting by regional permit, in designated areas of listed parks. On Long Island, detecting is allowed by permit only, in designated areas of listed parks, and two other regions publish their own permits.
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What the texts say
One line per rule: the land it covers, what it says, and the text it comes from, with the date we read it.
| Land | Rule | Text |
|---|---|---|
| New York, Long Island state parks Permit required | Metal detecting is allowed by permit only, in designated areas of listed parks. Jones Beach, Sunken Meadow, Hither Hills, Montauk Point, Napeague, Orient Beach, Valley Stream and Wildwood are among them. | NYS Parks, Long Island Region Metal Detecting Permit Guide (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 16, 2026 on parks.ny.gov |
| New York, Long Island state parks Permit required | The permit costs $40 a year and expires December 31. | NYS Parks, Long Island Region Metal Detecting Permit Guide (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 16, 2026 on parks.ny.gov |
| New York, Long Island state parks Allowed with limits | The permit maps mark some designated areas as open year-round and others as open only from Memorial Day to Labor Day. | NYS Parks, Long Island Region Metal Detecting Permit Guide (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 16, 2026 on parks.ny.gov |
| New York, Long Island state parks Permit required | In designated areas, by permit only, no digging tool may be larger than 1.5 in wide by 6 in long. Dug ground must be restored at once. | NYS Parks, Long Island Region Metal Detecting Permit Guide (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 16, 2026 on parks.ny.gov |
| New York, Long Island state parks Finds turned in | Items worth more than $20 and any archaeological artifact go to Park Police. | NYS Parks, Long Island Region Metal Detecting Permit Guide (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 16, 2026 on parks.ny.gov |
| New York, Long Island state parks Prohibited | Beach dune areas, golf courses, driving ranges, residences and landscaped areas are off limits. Detecting must not interfere with wildlife and piping plover nesting areas. | NYS Parks, Long Island Region Metal Detecting Permit Guide (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 16, 2026 on parks.ny.gov |
| New York, Central Region state parks Permit required | A $10 permit allows a metal detector in the sandy beach area only of listed parks, in daylight. It runs from Jan. 1 to May 15 and from the Tuesday after Labor Day to Dec. 31. Coins may be kept; other finds go to the park office. | NYS Parks, Central Region Metal Detector Permit (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 17, 2026 on parks.ny.gov |
| New York, Saratoga-Capital District state parks Permit required | A $10 permit allows detecting in the designated beach areas of Moreau Lake, Grafton Lakes, Cherry Plain and Thompsons Lake, only outside the swimming season. Detectors are prohibited in all NYS Historic Sites. | NYS Parks, Saratoga-Capital District Metal Detector Permit (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 17, 2026 on parks.ny.gov |
| New York state parks (property of the state parks office) Digging or removal prohibited | Making an excavation on, or injuring, defacing, removing or tampering with, any real or personal property, tree or other plant life is absolutely prohibited. | 9 NYCRR 375.1(e) (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 17, 2026 on law.cornell.edu |
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What the Long Island permit covers
NYS Parks publishes a permit guide for its Long Island Region, with a map for each park. Jones Beach, Sunken Meadow, Hither Hills, Montauk Point, Napeague, Orient Beach, Valley Stream and Wildwood are among the listed parks. The permit costs $40 a year and expires December 31.
Not every mapped area is open all year. Some are marked open year-round, others only from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Look at the map of the park you plan to visit before you drive out.
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Tools, finds and closed areas
Inside a designated area, no digging tool may be larger than 1.5 in wide by 6 in long. Dug ground must be restored at once. Measure the blade before you go, since most sand scoops are wider than that.
Finds worth more than $20 must be handed over. Items worth more than $20 and any archaeological artifact go to Park Police. Beach dune areas, golf courses, driving ranges, residences and landscaped areas are off limits. Detecting must not interfere with wildlife and piping plover nesting areas.
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Central Region and Saratoga-Capital District
Upstate, the Central Region sells a $10 permit. It covers the sandy beach area only of listed parks, in daylight. It runs from Jan. 1 to May 15 and from the Tuesday after Labor Day to Dec. 31. Coins may be kept; other finds go to the park office.
The Saratoga-Capital District also charges $10. Its permit covers the designated beach areas of Moreau Lake, Grafton Lakes, Cherry Plain and Thompsons Lake, only outside the swimming season. Detectors are prohibited in all NYS Historic Sites.
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The statewide park rule
One rule applies to all property of the state parks office. Under 9 NYCRR 375.1(e), making an excavation on, or removing or tampering with, any real or personal property, tree or plant life is absolutely prohibited.
For the regions without a permit on this page, ask the park office whether any area is open to detectors.
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Federal land in the state
Federal rules apply on federal land, including national seashores. In National Park Service areas, possessing or using a metal detector is prohibited, with a few exceptions. At Corps of Engineers lakes, detectors are permitted on designated beaches or other previously disturbed areas, unless the District Commander prohibits them.
ARPA protects archaeological resources on federal public lands and Indian lands. An item qualifies only if it is at least 100 years old. Excavating or removing one needs a permit or a listed exemption.
| Land | Rule | Text |
|---|---|---|
| National Park Service areas (national parks, seashores, and monuments the NPS manages) Prohibited | Except as the chapter provides otherwise, possessing or using a metal detector is prohibited. Exceptions include a device broken down and stored or packed to prevent its use, and one used for authorized scientific, mining or administrative work. | 36 CFR 2.1(a)(7) (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 16, 2026 on ecfr.gov |
| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes and projects Allowed with limits | Metal detectors are permitted on designated beaches or other previously disturbed areas unless the District Commander prohibits them to protect archaeological, historical or paleontological resources. The Manager's Office has the metal detector policy and designated use areas. | 36 CFR 327.14(d) (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 16, 2026 on ecfr.gov |
| Federal public lands and Indian lands Digging or removal prohibited | Excavating, removing, damaging or defacing an archaeological resource, or trying to, is prohibited without a permit or a listed exemption. A knowing violation is a federal crime. | 16 U.S.C. 470ee(a) and (d) (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 16, 2026 on law.cornell.edu |
| Federal public lands and Indian lands Definition | An item is an archaeological resource under ARPA only if it is at least 100 years old. | 16 U.S.C. 470bb(1); 43 CFR 7.3(a) (opens in a new tab)Read Oct. 16, 2026 on law.cornell.edu |
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What stays with the land manager
New York City parks, county and town beaches, state lands outside the parks system and private owners set their own rules. None of the texts above covers them, so ask the manager or the owner first.
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Questions
Answered from the texts on this page, read Oct. 16, 2026 to Oct. 17, 2026.
The three regional permits we read require one. On Long Island, detecting is allowed by permit only, in designated areas of listed parks. The Central Region and the Saratoga-Capital District each sell a $10 permit for beach areas.
It costs $40 a year and expires December 31.
The permits answer differently. On Long Island, items worth more than $20 and any archaeological artifact go to Park Police. In the Central Region, coins may be kept, and other finds go to the park office.
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