📚 Buying Guides
Frequencies, discrimination, ground balance — what to know first.
Metal Detecting in Mississippi: The State Park Rule Cites a Law That Never Mentions a Detector (2026)
Mississippi's own state park rules flatly ban metal detectors and cite a specific statute as the authority — but that statute is just a list of definitions. Here's what the rule actually bans, and what law actually governs digging and burials.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Delaware: One Rule Bans the Hobby Everywhere But One Strip of Sand (2026)
Delaware's state park regulation doesn't ask you to get permission — it just bans metal detecting outright, except on ocean beaches east of the dune line. Here's the one rule that controls almost every legal outing in the state.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Louisiana: A 1,300-Acre Park Reversed Decades of Policy Overnight (2026)
New Orleans City Park welcomed detectorists for decades, then banned the hobby in April 2025 with no warning and no community input. Here's what's still legal in Louisiana, and the statute that carries real jail time.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Montana: The Only State Park Rule That Names a Detector By Name (2026)
Most states never mention 'metal detector' in their park rules at all. Montana's does — an explicit ban under ARM 12.8.802, with an escalating suspension penalty found nowhere else in this series.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Alaska: The State That Built Its Identity on Gold Bans Detectors Outright (2026)
Alaska's own gold-rush mine lets you pan with a pan and shovel — but the state park system's rule on metal detectors isn't 'ask permission,' it's a flat no, with zero exceptions anywhere.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Wyoming: Its Own Gold-Rush Town Is a Historic Site, Not a Park (2026)
Wyoming lets you ask a park superintendent for written permission to detect — but at the state's own 1867 gold-rush town, South Pass City, the rule skips permission entirely and bans a detector outright.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Rhode Island: The Rule Points to Beaches It Never Names (2026)
Rhode Island's own state park regulation restricts metal detecting to 'designated areas during specified time periods' — but neither the regulation nor the state's own permit process ever publishes which areas or which times those are.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Kansas: The Rule Never Says 'Detector' (2026)
Kansas's state-land regulation never names metal detectors at all — it bans digging holes and removing historical or archeological material, which governs the hobby by accident. The state's two penalty laws also sit at opposite ends of this series: a $500 misdemeanor and a $100,000 civil fine.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in New Mexico: The First US Gold Rush Site Was Never Public Land (2026)
New Mexico's Ortiz Mountains kicked off the first gold rush in the American West in 1828 — 20 years before California. The site has been private land since an 1861 federal patent, so no public-land detecting rule has ever applied to it.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Idaho: Boise Charges a Fee Other States Give Away Free (2026)
Idaho's state parks allow metal detecting with manager sign-off, and the City of Boise goes further — it sells a $13.50 permit. Meanwhile a July 2026 law just made disturbing a Native American grave a straight felony, up to $50,000 and five years.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Nevada: The Most Open State Still Locks Away Its Own History (2026)
Nevada has more federal land open to detecting than any other state — 80.1% of it. But the ghost towns that made the state famous, like Berlin-Ichthyosaur's own preserved mining camp, are explicitly off-limits as historic sites.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Hawaii: The Simplest Rule in the Series Hides the Harshest Fine (2026)
Hawaii's state park rule is one sentence — sand beaches only. But the same cultural-protection law behind it carries a $20,000 fine, double California's previous series-high, if a find turns out to be an unmarked burial.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in California: The Gold Rush State Keeps Banning Detectors From Its Own Gold Country (2026)
California has no single statewide metal-detecting rule — just park-by-park superintendent orders. Three of them, issued in the last three years, ban detectors from the historic Gold Rush region itself, starting with the actual 1848 discovery site.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Pennsylvania: The Permission Hiding Inside a Permissive Rulebook (2026)
Pennsylvania state parks post the most detailed metal-detecting rulebook in this series — sunrise-to-sunset hours, a defined beach season, screwdriver-only tools — but still require prior approval from the specific park manager before any of it applies to you.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in West Virginia: The Look-But-Don't-Keep Rule (2026)
West Virginia state parks don't ban metal detecting outright — but W. Va. Code R. 58-31-2.2 bans keeping anything you find without written authorization from the Chief of Parks and Recreation, which guts the hobby's whole point on the state's most common public land.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Iowa: Why the Off-Season Beats Summer (2026)
Iowa's brand-new 2025 rule only allows metal detecting on designated state park beaches — but the summer swim season's window is shorter than the off-season's, and Effigy Mounds National Monument is a hard federal no.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Arkansas: The One Park Where a Detector Can't Help You (2026)
Arkansas allows metal detecting at nine named state park beaches on a strict season and hour window — but the state's one detecting exception, Crater of Diamonds State Park, is also the one place a metal detector is useless.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Connecticut: Keep Your Coins, Surrender the Jewelry (2026)
Connecticut allows surface-collection metal detecting on most DEEP land and hand-digging in bare beach sand — but one rule breaks from every other state in this series: jewelry and watches you find have to be turned in to the park manager, not kept.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Vermont: Why the Stone Walls Are Off-Limits (2026)
Vermont limits state-park detecting to already-disturbed ground and requires checking in with park staff first — but the rule that matters most bans detecting near stone walls and cellar holes, the literal remains of the hill farms abandoned across the state in the 1800s.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in New Hampshire: The Law That Names School Grounds (2026)
New Hampshire's RSA 227-C:12 explicitly permits metal detecting on beaches, athletic fields, and school grounds — the most detailed permitted-locations list of any state in this series. A 2024 bill tried to strip two of those after a safety incident. It failed, but the story explains why filling your holes matters.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Maryland: Beaches, Assateague & the Law (2026)
Maryland lets you detect on designated state swimming beaches without a permit — except two of them. Add Assateague's split federal/state jurisdiction and Ocean City's own municipal permit, and one coastline runs three different rulebooks.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Massachusetts: Free Beaches, Permitted Parks & the Law (2026)
Massachusetts is one of the few states that allows metal detecting on DCR beaches with no permit at all — but step off the sand onto other state land and you need a park supervisor's permission. Here's how 302 CMR 12.04 actually works.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Maine: State Park Permits, Footbridge Beach & the Law (2026)
Maine state parks allow metal detecting with a written permit from the specific park — except at historic sites, where it's banned outright. Here's how that plays out at Popham Beach, Footbridge Beach, and Acadia.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in New Jersey: State Parks, Shore Towns, and Three Separate Permits (2026)
New Jersey runs at least three separate metal-detecting permit systems — state parks, water-supply reservoir land, and Wildlife Management Areas — plus every Jersey Shore town's own beach ordinance. Here's how they differ and where to actually go.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Minnesota: State Parks Are (Almost) Off-Limits — Where to Go Instead (2026)
Minnesota Rule 6100.0900 bars recreational detecting in state parks outright — permits are only for finding a specifically lost item. Here's where Minnesota detectorists actually go, the county-permit workaround, and the law.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Utah: Special Use Permits, the 60-Day Claim Rule & the Law (2026)
Utah requires a Special Use Permit for every state park detector hunt, and every find — regardless of value — goes to lost and found first. Here's the permit process, the 60-day claim rule, and why BLM land is the real draw.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Oregon: The Approved-Locations List & the Law (2026)
Oregon only allows metal detecting in state parks and ocean-shore areas on a published approved-locations list — plus a $250 found-item turn-in rule found nowhere else in this series. Here's the list system, the beach rule, and the archaeological law.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Washington: State Park Registration, the Outer Coast & the Law (2026)
Washington requires free annual registration under WAC 352-32-235 to detect in 47 named state parks, and limits beach detecting to the outer coast tideline only — Puget Sound doesn't count. Here's the registration rule, the coastline carve-out, and the archaeological law that applies even on private land.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Illinois: State Park Permits, Cook County's Ban & the Law (2026)
Illinois state parks require an IDNR metal detecting permit and hand tools only — no shovels or picks of any size. Cook County Forest Preserves go further, banning even possession of a detector district-wide. Here's the permit rule, the county-level ban, and the felony-track law behind it.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Alabama: Park Permits, Gulf Coast Beaches & the Law (2026)
Alabama state parks require written Park Manager permission before you even switch on a detector, and a separate rule bars removing anything you find — even with that permission. Gulf Coast city beaches are the exception, open without a permit. Here's the state rule, the beach carve-out, and the felony-level protection on burial mounds.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Wisconsin: DNR Permits, County Parks & the Season Window (2026)
Wisconsin DNR land only allows metal detecting to recover a specific lost item, by written permit, between May 1 and October 15 — but Dane County Parks runs a far more open annual hobby permit on its own county land. Here's the state rule, the county-level reversal, and the archaeological cutoff.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Indiana: Laws, Best Parks & Sites (2026)
Indiana bans metal detecting on DNR land except designated sand or swimming beaches with written permission — and Indiana Dunes State Park is the marquee legal spot, open September through May. Here's the state rule, the National Park naming trap, and what Indianapolis actually allows.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Missouri: State Parks, City Rules & Free Registration (2026)
Missouri is the most open state in this series so far — 11 state parks allow metal detecting on designated beaches through a free annual registration, no lottery or special-use permit required. Here's exactly which parks, the tool-size limits, seasonal hours, and how city rules in Columbia and St. Louis County differ.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Oklahoma: State Parks, Corps Lakes & City Rules (2026)
Oklahoma's own state park FAQ says metal detecting and magnet fishing are prohibited at all state parks — no permit mentioned, despite several detecting blogs claiming otherwise. Corps of Engineers lakes like Eufaula and Texoma allow permitted detecting for lost items, and Tulsa's city parks are open. Here's what's actually legal in Oklahoma.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Kentucky: State Parks, Local Bans & the Antiquities Act (2026)
Kentucky State Parks ban metal detecting outright — only park staff, law enforcement, and utility crews may carry one, with no lost-item or hobbyist exception at all. Louisville's 122 Metro Parks add a local ban, while Bowling Green allows daylight detecting in most city parks. Here's what's actually legal in Kentucky.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Tennessee: State Parks, TVA Lakes & River Law (2026)
Tennessee State Parks prohibit metal detecting outright, with only a narrow lost-item exception supervised by the park manager — no general permit path exists. TVA-managed lakes and reservoirs ban detecting entirely and claim any artifacts as federal property. Rivers and lakes outside TVA control are generally open. Here's what's actually legal.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in South Carolina: State Parks, Beaches & River Law (2026)
South Carolina state parks are closed to metal detecting by default, opening only with a signed park-manager permit — and never at State Historic Sites. Beaches are generally open but Myrtle Beach caps holes at 2 feet, and rivers require an SCIAA license that specifically excludes metal detecting. Here's what's actually legal.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Virginia: State Parks, Battlefields & the Antiquities Act (2026)
Virginia has no general metal detecting permit — state parks allow it only at six man-made lake beaches with a DCR special use permit, and the Virginia Antiquities Act makes disturbing artifacts on state land or battlefields a criminal offense. Here's what's actually legal.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in New York: State Parks, NYC Parks & Long Island Beaches (2026)
New York runs two separate permit systems for metal detecting — a $40/year NYS Parks permit for mapped beach areas on Long Island, and a free NYC Parks application for open fields in the five boroughs. Here's how each one actually works.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Georgia: The Park Ban, the Gold Belt & the Coast (2026)
Georgia doesn't just restrict digging like most states — O.C.G.A. § 12-3-10(n) bans possessing a metal detector in any state park, historic site, or recreational area. Here's where detecting is actually legal: the Dahlonega gold belt, national forest land, and specific beaches.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Colorado: State Parks, BLM Gold Ground & Active Claims (2026)
Where metal detecting is actually legal in Colorado in 2026 — state parks allow swinging a coil but ban digging, BLM and national forest land welcome recreational prospecting, and Cripple Creek's gold country is riddled with active mining claims you need to check first.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Florida: Laws, Beaches & the 50-Year Rule (2026)
Where metal detecting is legal in Florida in 2026 — the toe-of-dune state park rule, Chapter 267's 50-year felony threshold, and why the Treasure Coast's Spanish-fleet history comes with salvage-lease no-go zones.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Arizona: BLM Gold Land vs. the State Park Ban (2026)
Where metal detecting is actually legal in Arizona in 2026 — why every state park bans it outright while BLM land and six national forests welcome gold prospectors, plus the state trust land permit trap.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Texas: Laws, Beaches & the 50-Year Rule (2026)
Where metal detecting is legal in Texas in 2026 — the Texas Antiquities Code's 50-year artifact rule, which Gulf beaches stay open, and why Padre Island National Seashore is a hard no.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in North Carolina: Laws, Best Beaches & Parks (2026)
Where metal detecting is legal in North Carolina in 2026 — why state parks are almost entirely off-limits, which Outer Banks and coastal beaches stay open, and what to know before you dig.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Ohio: Laws, Best Parks & Sites (2026)
Where metal detecting is legal in Ohio in 2026 — the state's beach-and-mowed-area rule for state parks, the best public sites for coins and relics, and what to know before you dig.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting in Michigan: Laws, Best Beaches & Sites (2026)
Where metal detecting is legal in Michigan in 2026 — DNR state park rules, the best Great Lakes beaches and old-town sites, and the detector setup that handles Michigan's mineralized sand.
Buying GuidesMetal Detector Settings Explained: How to Dial In Sensitivity, Discrimination & Recovery Speed (2026)
A beginner's walkthrough for setting up a metal detector before your first hunt — sensitivity, discrimination, ground balance, and recovery speed explained in plain language with real starting numbers.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting Finds: How to Identify, Clean (or Not), and Value What You Dig Up (2026)
What you'll actually pull out of the ground metal detecting, how to tell a silver coin from clad, why cleaning a find can wreck its value, and how to get a real appraisal — with the tools to do it safely.
Buying GuidesIs Metal Detecting Worth It? The Real Costs vs. What You'll Actually Find (2026)
Metal detecting rarely pays for itself in cash — average clad-coin finds run under $1 per hour. Here's the honest math on cost, time, and what actually makes the hobby worth it.
Buying GuidesCan You Take a Metal Detector on a Plane? TSA Rules Explained (2026)
Yes — TSA allows metal detectors in both carry-on and checked bags, but full-size machines almost always need to fly checked. Here's how to pack one without a hassle.
Buying GuidesCan Metal Detectors Detect Plastic? No — Here's the Physics Behind Why (2026)
No — metal detectors cannot detect plastic, and it's not a settings issue. Plastic is an electrical insulator, so it can't produce the eddy current a detector's coil relies on. Here's why, and the one exception that trips people up.
Buying GuidesCan Metal Detectors Detect Gold? Yes — Here's Why It's Harder Than Coins (2026)
Metal detectors can absolutely find gold, but nuggets are harder to detect than coins. Here's the conductivity and frequency science, plus the machines built specifically for it.
Buying GuidesDoes Aluminum Foil Set Off a Metal Detector? Why It's the #1 Junk Target (2026)
Yes — aluminum foil sets off metal detectors, and it's the most-dug trash target in the hobby. Here's why foil reads in the same range as gold jewelry, and how to dig less of it.
Buying GuidesMulti-Frequency Metal Detectors Explained: VLF vs. Multi vs. PI (2026)
What a multi-frequency metal detector actually does differently from single-frequency VLF and pulse induction, when the extra cost pays off, and which multi-frequency machines are worth buying in 2026.
Buying GuidesDo Metal Detector Apps Actually Work? The Truth for 2026
Free "metal detector" phone apps can't detect metal at all — here's why the physics makes it impossible, and what beginners should buy instead to actually find something this weekend.
Buying GuidesHow Much Does a Metal Detector Cost in 2026? Real Prices by Tier
What a metal detector actually costs in 2026, broken down by budget, beginner, mid-range, and flagship tier — plus the real total once you add a pinpointer, digging tool, and headphones.
Buying GuidesHow Does a Metal Detector Work? Electromagnetic Induction Explained (2026)
The physics behind every metal detector on the market — electromagnetic induction, the VLF vs. pulse induction vs. BFO technologies, and how target ID actually reads what's in the ground.
Buying GuidesGround Balance Explained: What It Is and How to Set It (2026)
What ground balance actually cancels out, why the entire Garrett ACE line skips it, and the four ways detectors handle it — one-button auto, manual, terrain-tracking, and Fisher's trigger FastGrab.
Buying GuidesMetal Detector Target ID Numbers Explained (2026)
What the 0-99 and VDI number scales on Garrett and Minelab detectors actually mean, why a nickel and a pull tab can read almost identically, and how to use target ID without over-trusting it.
Buying GuidesMetal Detector Coil Guide: DD vs. Concentric Coils Explained (2026)
What a Double-D coil actually does differently from a concentric coil, when coil size trades depth for separation, and when it's worth buying an aftermarket coil instead of a new detector.
Buying GuidesHow Deep Can Metal Detectors Detect? Frequency, Coil Size & Soil Explained (2026)
Why no manufacturer publishes a detection-depth spec, the four variables that actually decide how deep your detector reaches, and which machines are built for maximum depth in 2026.
Buying GuidesIs Metal Detecting Legal? Federal, State & Private Land Rules (2026)
Where metal detecting is actually legal in 2026 — why it's banned outright in national parks, permitted in national forests, permit-by-park in state parks, and always fine on your own land.
Buying GuidesMetal Detector Rental: Is Renting Worth It, or Should You Just Buy? (2026)
What metal detector rental actually costs in 2026, real per-day and per-week rates from working rental shops, and the break-even math that shows when renting beats buying — and when it doesn't.
Buying GuidesMetal Detecting for Beginners: The Complete 2026 Start Guide
How to start metal detecting the right way in 2026 — the three settings that matter, where you're allowed to swing, how to dig a clean plug, and the starter kit that finds coins on day one.
Buying GuidesIs Amazon Prime Worth It for Metal Detecting Shoppers? (2026)
Prime costs $139/yr and needs ~20 small orders to pay for itself. Detectorists place about five. Here's the honest math — plus the dealer bundle that beats free shipping outright.