Metal Detecting In South Carolina? You Should Know The Law

If you are Metal detecting in South Carolina, pay attention to the Antiquities Act of 1906.

I have provided you with a link below to that law. Read the explanation of that law. Most of the law has to do with Indian artifacts. Some of the problems people face who break this law, and others, are located at links throughout this page.

The Antiquities Act does not refer to "metal detecting", but you need to understand what that law states about digging artifacts.

Do not take this law and the others lightly.

Metal Detecting In South Carolina
And The Antiquities Act

The Antiquities Act of 1906

Here is a brief explanation of where you can find the codes for South Carolina State Parks. More on State Parks below.

Regulatory and Legal Authority

Section 51-3-70 (Rules and Regulations for State Parks) of the 1976 Code of Laws of South Carolina authorizes the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism to make such rules and regulations as it deems advisable for the protection, preservation, operation, use, and maintenance and for the most beneficial service to the general public of the State Parks in this state. In addition. removal of cultural artifacts from state parks may be considered a violation of Title 16 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Code.

To make metal detecting in South Carolina even more difficult you need to be aware of another law, The National Historic Preservation Act - NHPA.

Click the link below for information about that law.

National Historic Preservation Act

And, There Is Another Law To Be Aware Of

ARPA, Archaeological Resources Preservation Act

Yup, there are laws, and then there are more laws. Fortunately though, the NHPA, and ARPA  laws feed off of the Antiquities Act of 1906. They basically are mirror images of the the 1906 law.

But to keep this law stuff as simple as possible; if you are detecting in South Carolina, especially on State Land, do not dig anything that you believe is an artifact, or anything that is older than 100 years.

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

For detecting in South Carolina, 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I cannot be responsible for any outdated laws from the time of this posting.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 TV Series Caused The Archaeologists To Get Their Shorts All Bunched Up 

I was the first to film a metal detecting, TV series. And boy did the archaeologists get mad. Find out why.

Have you been metal detecting in South Carolina ghost towns?

Be careful and don't break the law!