metal detecting license????

Tom_in_CA

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Mar 23, 2007
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Nah. This is MUCH too small of a hobby, to bother with it. I mean, I bet in a city of 100,000, there's probably an average of only 5 or 8 hardcore hunters. Anyone else in that # of people just let it sit in the closet, or only pull it out when something earth-shaking or easy or obvious comes along.

There's just not enough hobbyists to merit any such thing. This is illustrated in the humourous encounters you often read about, of persons walking into city halls, park's dept's, etc... to ask if they can detect their city's parks (as if they needed to, but .... oh well). The person fielding their question often has a response something like this: You want to do what? What's that? Showing that it is more a less still an oddity, something people usually don't see or pay attention to, or even give thought to it.

Like, when you pass the average park or beach, you rarely see another md'r, right? And if WE tend to see them, it's only because it catches our eye because it's our hobby. But realistically, it's not a wide-spread hobby.

And as such, it's very rare for any city, or state, to have any sort of permit system. To create a bureuacracy to make for some sort of paperwork, would need multiple thousands of paying persons *just* to make it worthwhile, to even have any sort of thing, to begin with. Thus you rarely see any city or county or state do such a thing. Thus there certainly won't be anything national, if that's what you meant.
 

Saturna

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May 24, 2008
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Nanaimo, B.C. Canada
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When I first went to England in the early 80's, they had some kind of MD license requirement. I didn't bother with it and quietly just went to local parks. (Southport area).

I found those large Britannia pennies like modern pennies are found in North America. Parks in that area are generally Georgian and up, so I didn't find anything super old, but I did get into the 1700's.

If anyone had said anything, I would have given them the dumb tourist routine, although I was living there for 6 months. Today things might be more strict.
 

Dano Sverige

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Aug 10, 2009
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Nup..they scrapped that licence around about the time you were there, don't really need anything now except permission from landowners.


@Tom - Here in Sweden, where detecting is basically banned without really special permission anywhere but the beaches, I can count the number of known detectorists on one hand, and one of those is me! lol.
What i'm getting at is that they don't need thousands of workers for a permit scheme. I get a permit for the beaches from the county archeologist who sits in an office at the equivelent of your city hall and or the local museum. When and if a request actually comes in, then he has a little extra work other than his normal stuff and i guess he gets around to it when he can.
I doubt the US will get licences unless someone wants to be a real pain in the a$$, as your history isn't old enough to throw archeologists into an apopleptic fit...so you don't have them screaming to "ban detecting!" Like we and the UK/Europe do.
 

spartacus53

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Jul 5, 2009
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Whiting, NJ
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Dano Sverige said:
I doubt the US will get licences unless someone wants to be a real pain in the a$$, as your history isn't old enough to throw archeologists into an apopleptic fit...so you don't have them screaming to "ban detecting!" Like we and the UK/Europe do.

Dano, they are already crying here for anything that is over 50 years old :laughing7: NJ does not have licensing, but our neighbors to the east NYC does. What makes the NYC licenses a joke is that they are "FREE" but get caught detecting without one and you'll have to pay a fine, this just doesn't seem to make sense to me :icon_scratch:
 

Dano Sverige

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2,946
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Probably one of those instances of making a law for the sake of having a law. Could be that anyone who bothers applying for a licence might be seen as trustworthy and honest instead of just out for profit? :dontknow:
 

Terry Soloman

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May 28, 2010
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The permit to hunt New York State Beaches is $40 annually. - Terry
 

relichunters

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May 4, 2008
1,647
36
Virginia
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I actually came up with a system that would make you certified in metal detecting. Basically you take a course and upon completing it, you get a certification for being a professional metal detectorist.
 

jeff of pa

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relichunters said:
I actually came up with a system that would make you certified in metal detecting. Basically you take a course and upon completing it, you get a certification for being a professional metal detectorist.

I Forget who they were, or which College.
I Think Pittsburgh area;
There was a Couple who taught a College Course
in Metal detecting for a few years here in PA
 

mfitzy111

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Mar 6, 2011
572
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NEPA
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Terry Soloman said:
The permit to hunt New York State Beaches is $40 annually. - Terry

Terry

does that include long island? I know works going to send me out there this summer again, and I want to bring along my Ace350- who do I need to contact about a permit? I mean I plan on going at night - after work anyhow...headlamp on working the beach...only fair works sending me out and traveling for work in NYC sucks pretty bad for someone like me who hates driving...
from what I saw NYC does have a permit system, and they want anything you find- seems like a scam to me, you can dig anything up, you just can't keep it with out telling us (what it's worth) and if it's old we get to decide if your 'allowed' to keep it. big WTF moment for me there.

~Fitzy
 

Terry Soloman

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May 28, 2010
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Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Terry

does that include long island? I know works going to send me out there this summer again, and I want to bring along my Ace350- who do I need to contact about a permit? I mean I plan on going at night - after work anyhow...headlamp on working the beach...only fair works sending me out and traveling for work in NYC sucks pretty bad for someone like me who hates driving...
from what I saw NYC does have a permit system, and they want anything you find- seems like a scam to me, you can dig anything up, you just can't keep it with out telling us (what it's worth) and if it's old we get to decide if your 'allowed' to keep it. big WTF moment for me there.

~Fitzy
[/quote]

Yes, it includes Jones Beach, Robert Moses, Fire Island - All State Beaches. Regional Office Contact Information
625 Belmont Ave, West Babylon, NY11704, Phone: (631) 669-1000
Call them and they will send the application to you - Terry
 

Tom_in_CA

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Mar 23, 2007
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White-feather, what on earth are you talking about? ??? People metal detect FL beaches all the time (as evidenced by the numerous posts from them, showing off their latest beach finds). Where are all these people "being arrested"?

I think you are running into the technical verses real-world psychology of this. Ie.: if any of us looks long enough and hard enough, sure, he can probably find something that says you can't even hunt the local sandbox (afterall, you *might* hurt earthworms, right?) And sure, you can probably conjur up all sorts of penalties for harming those poor earthworms, right? But really now, does anyone really care if someone hunts the sandbox (till you ask)?

Read this:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,249049.0.html
 

mfitzy111

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Mar 6, 2011
572
8
NEPA
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garrett ACE350 (traded off!), minelab E-TRAC, AT-Pro
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Terry Soloman said:
Terry

does that include long island? I know works going to send me out there this summer again, and I want to bring along my Ace350- who do I need to contact about a permit? I mean I plan on going at night - after work anyhow...headlamp on working the beach...only fair works sending me out and traveling for work in NYC sucks pretty bad for someone like me who hates driving...
from what I saw NYC does have a permit system, and they want anything you find- seems like a scam to me, you can dig anything up, you just can't keep it with out telling us (what it's worth) and if it's old we get to decide if your 'allowed' to keep it. big WTF moment for me there.

Yes, it includes Jones Beach, Robert Moses, Fire Island - All State Beaches. Regional Office Contact Information
625 Belmont Ave, West Babylon, NY11704, Phone: (631) 669-1000
Call them and they will send the application to you - Terry
[/quote]


Terry- thank you. if it's free I'll get one for my summer trip vs getting in to NY do-do, and risk losing my detector to the dick-tat-ors that run the country....
thanks again man.

~Fitzy
 

niffler

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In Boise, Idaho, you need a "Park permit", which costs $3. You can only use a screwdriver 1/4" in diameter or less for recovery. No permit necessary for private property. Niffler
 

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