Metal Detecting In Washington?

You Should Know The Law

Metal detecting in Washington follows the ARPA (Archeological Resources Preservation Act).

Please click on the link below for the ARPA explanation and some of the problems people face who break this law.

Be sure and read through the entire page.

Even though ARPA does not specifically mention "metal detecting", you need to understand what ARPA says about digging artifacts.

Pay particular attention to the section of stories that have been related to me about what happens when individuals break these laws.

ARPA and YOU

Below is a link to a comprehensive site on Washington State law in regards to archaeolgy.

Washington Laws

To keep this law stuff as simple as possible;

If you are detecting in Washington, especially on land that is not privately owned,

do not dig anything that you believe is an artifact, or anything that is older than ugh 100 years.

If you want to detect on private property, then be sure you get written permission from the landowner.

For detecting in Washington, town, village and city parks, you'll need to check with those local officials.

I cannot be responsible for any outdated laws from the time of this posting.

My home page is all about metal detecting in eastern ghost towns.

Have you been metal detecting in Washington ghost towns?