Bongo1962, thanks for the clarification. Then I assume you're just talking about things like vacant lots, parking strips, roadside eavesments and such? If so, I would not approach it as a "permission" issue with your city. Instead, if you feel the need to ask, approach it like this: "Is there anything that prohibits, or addresses, hobbyist metal detectors in city codes?" Then, odds are there is nothing that addresses it. If city codes/rules are silent on the issue, then ..... as long as you're not hopping a fence, or making a mess, I don't see the problem with simply going. The reason I suggest this, is that the minute you walk into any city hall asking for permission (as if it was even needed), you only allow some desk-bound bureaucrat to dream up images of geeks with shovels. And put yourself in their position, even though they'd probably never have given it a second thought, but now that you ask them, the easy answer is "no", lest you turn around and sue the city or something silly.
