Quote from 79802pwpadmin on April 3, 2025, 10:58 pm

In Alabama, metal detecting is generally allowed on public lands, including state parks and beaches, but with specific regulations in place to protect cultural and historical resources, and you must respect private property. 

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• • Public Lands:

    Metal detector use is generally permitted on public lands, including state parks and beaches, but you should be aware of any specific regulations or restrictions. 
  • Cultural Resources:

    You cannot remove, damage, disturb, excavate, or transfer cultural materials (artifacts, sites, or debris over 100 years old) without a permit. 

• Protected Materials:

  This includes arrowheads, stone tools, grinding stones, beads, baskets, pottery, old bottles, horseshoes, metal tools, graves, and trash scatters. 

• Historic Sites:

  Historic sites like cabins, sawmills, graves, trail traces, mining areas, townsites, ranches, and railroads are not open to collecting. 

• Beaches:

  You can metal detect on the beach, using a metal detector and small sifting shovel, but be sure to fill in any holes. 

• Private Property:

  Always obtain permission from the landowner before metal detecting on private property. 

• State Parks:

  While generally allowed, each state park has specific regulations, so check with the park before metal detecting. 

• Code of Ethics:

  Follow a metal detecting code of ethics, which includes respecting private property, packing out what you pack in, and properly disposing of trash. 

• Alabama's Metal Detecting Clubs:

  Alabama has a significant number of metal detector clubs, indicating the hobby's popularity in the state. 

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