The rules at a glance
Do you need a licence to fossick in Northern Territory?
A fossicking permit is required to fossick anywhere in the Northern Territory under section 135 of the Mineral Titles Act 2010. The permit requirement is new, introduced by amendments to the Act in 2026. Fossicking without a permit or a mineral title authorising it is a strict liability offence (section 135D). A permit is free, but you must still meet the separate land access notice and consent rules for the land you fossick on.
Where you can and cannot fossick in Northern Territory
| Land type | Status | The rules |
|---|---|---|
| Declared fossicking areas (7 areas: Arltunga, Central Harts Range, Harts Range West, Mud Tank Zircon Field, Newry, Warrego, Wave Hill) | Allowed | No notice or consent needed. Carry your fossicking permit and photo ID, and comply with any conditions the Minister has set for the area, listed on each area's site information page. Camping is permitted in some areas but there are no facilities. |
| Vacant Crown land | Allowed | No notice or consent needed. Standard permit, take limits and digging rules still apply. |
| Pastoral land (pastoral leases) | Conditional | Give the landowner or occupier a written fossicking notice at least 7 days before entry. Written consent (a fossicking request, 14 days ahead) is needed instead if the area is actively being used for pastoral activity, is within 2 km of a homestead, or within 1 km of a stockyard or artificial watering point. Station mail can be slow, so send notices well in advance and report to the homestead on arrival. |
| Exploration licence (EL) areas | Conditional | Application areas of an EL, and granted EL areas when not fossicking for gold, need no notice. Fossicking for gold on a granted EL or EL in retention needs 14 days written notice to the title holder, who may decline access in the approved form if actively working the ground but must not unreasonably refuse. Check current tenements before you go, via the NT STRIKE system or a mapping app with a tenement layer. |
| Extractive mineral exploration licence (EMEL) areas | Allowed | Both application and granted EMEL areas are open to fossicking without notice or consent under section 137 of the Mineral Titles Act 2010. |
| Mineral lease, extractive mineral permit or extractive mineral lease areas (granted or application) | Permit required | Written consent is required and constructive consent does not apply, so you must hold written consent before entering. The NT Government's land access bulletin directs these fossicking requests to the Department of Mining and Energy at least 14 days before intended entry. |
| Private land (NT freehold and Crown leases) | Conditional | Written consent via a fossicking request at least 14 days before entry. If the landowner does not respond within 2 months, consent is taken to be given (constructive consent), but you must carry proof you served the request. |
| Aboriginal land and Aboriginal community living areas | Permit required | Written consent via a fossicking request is required and constructive consent does not apply. You must also hold an entry permit from the relevant land council (Northern Land Council, Central Land Council, Tiwi or Anindilyakwa) for the area. Aboriginal sacred sites are off limits entirely. |
| NT parks and reserves | Conditional | Written consent via a fossicking request at least 14 days before entry. Constructive consent can apply if no response is received within 2 months, but expect parks authorities to respond. |
| Commonwealth land, including Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks and defence facilities | Prohibited | No fossicking. These areas are excluded entirely, along with Aboriginal sacred sites. |
| Proposed fossicking areas (gazetted reserved land) | Permit required | Not yet declared fossicking areas. You need the Minister's consent (fossicking request form for proposed fossicking areas) plus a fossicking notice to the pastoralist before entry. |
What equipment is legal in Northern Territory
- Hand tools (pick, hammer, shovel, sieve, pan, shaker, basin): Allowed. Digging by hand or hand held tools only, to a maximum depth of 1 metre below the natural surface. Backfill all holes and leave hole walls no steeper than 30 degrees. No digging on roads, though you may collect loose material lying along road edges.
- Metal detectors: Allowed. Listed in regulation 99A of the Mineral Titles Regulations 2011 as permitted fossicking equipment.
- Dry blowers and sluices: Allowed for separating or screening material only. Power operated equipment must not be used to extract material.
- Dredges, jackhammers and engine driven digging tools: Banned for extraction. No power operated or engine driven equipment may be used to dig or extract material.
- Explosives: Banned. Any use of explosives is outside the definition of fossicking under the Act.
- Firearms and offensive weapons: Banned while fossicking, regardless of land tenure. Pets are also not permitted; make care arrangements before entering land to fossick.
Penalties
| Offence | Penalty | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Fossicking without a fossicking permit or authorising mineral title | Up to 80 penalty units ($15,520 at the 2026-27 penalty unit value of $194) | Mineral Titles Act 2010 section 135D |
| Entering pastoral land or an EL area to fossick without giving the required fossicking notice, or entering early | Up to 40 penalty units ($7,760); up to 80 penalty units ($15,520) if you enter an EL after access was declined | Mineral Titles Regulations 2011 regulation 106 |
| Entering or remaining on land requiring consent after refusal, without response, or after consent is withdrawn | Up to 80 penalty units ($15,520) | Mineral Titles Regulations 2011 regulation 107 |
| Failing to carry or show your photo ID and proof of notice or consent when asked (the NT Government also tells fossickers to carry their fossicking permit) | Up to 20 penalty units ($3,880) | Mineral Titles Regulations 2011 regulation 108 |
| Extracting more than the prescribed amounts (100 g gold per day, 1 kg gemstones, 20 kg other minerals, 100 kg mineral bearing material or ornamental stones) | Up to 200 penalty units ($38,800); failing to report a larger gold discovery within 28 days carries up to 80 penalty units ($15,520) | Mineral Titles Regulations 2011 regulation 109 |
| Ignoring landowner conditions, misusing stock water, non fossicking activities, or interfering with infrastructure or stock | Up to 80 penalty units ($15,520); non fossicking activities up to 40 penalty units ($7,760) | Mineral Titles Regulations 2011 regulations 110 to 112 |
| Entering Aboriginal land without a land council permit | Fines under Commonwealth law of 50 penalty units and under NT law of 8 penalty units | Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (Cth) and Aboriginal Land Act 1978 (NT) |
Local traps worth knowing
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to fossick in the Northern Territory?
Yes. You need a fossicking permit to fossick anywhere in the NT. Permits are free, can be granted for up to 5 years, and a personal permit can also cover your spouse and children under 18. Apply using the forms on the NT Government fossicking website. Fossicking without a permit is an offence with a maximum fine of 80 penalty units ($15,520 in 2026-27).
Can I use a metal detector in the NT without a permit?
No. A metal detector is a permitted fossicking tool, but using one to search for minerals is fossicking, so you need a fossicking permit and the correct land access notices or consents. Merely picking up an interesting rock while hiking is not fossicking under the Act.
How much gold can I keep when fossicking in the NT?
The prescribed limit is 100 g of gold per day, including nuggets. If you find a single nugget heavier than 100 g you may keep it, provided you give the Minister a notice describing the discovery location within 28 days, and also notify the exploration licence holder if you found it on a granted EL. Exceeding the limits without complying is an offence.
Where can I fossick in the Northern Territory without asking permission?
On the 7 declared fossicking areas (Arltunga, Central Harts Range, Harts Range West, Mud Tank Zircon Field, Newry, Warrego and Wave Hill), on vacant Crown land, on the application area of an exploration licence or extractive mineral exploration licence, and on the granted area of an extractive mineral exploration licence. You still need your fossicking permit and photo ID with you.
Can I fossick on Aboriginal land in the NT?
Only with written consent. You must send a fossicking request at least 14 days ahead, and constructive consent does not apply, so you cannot enter until consent is actually given. You also need an entry permit from the relevant land council, such as the Northern Land Council or Central Land Council. Sacred sites are always off limits.
Can I fossick in national parks in the Northern Territory?
Not in Kakadu or Uluru-Kata Tjuta, which are Commonwealth national parks where fossicking is prohibited. For NT parks and reserves you must send a fossicking request and obtain consent at least 14 days before entry.
Can I use a sluice or dredge when fossicking in the NT?
You may use power operated equipment such as a dry blower or sluice only to separate or screen material you have already dug by hand. You must not use any power or engine driven equipment, including dredges and jackhammers, to extract material, and explosives are banned.
Do I need permission to fossick on a cattle station in the NT?
Yes. Pastoral land requires a written fossicking notice to the landowner or occupier at least 7 days before entry. If the spot is actively used for pastoral work, within 2 km of a homestead, or within 1 km of a stockyard or watering point, you need written consent instead, requested at least 14 days ahead. Station mail can be slow, so allow extra time and call in at the homestead when you arrive.
Official sources
- NT Government, Fossicking in the Northern Territory: Questions and answers
- NT Government, Fossicking: Land access information bulletin
- NT Government, Fossicking: Offences information bulletin
- NT Government, Fossicking: Rights and obligations information bulletin
- NT Government, Fossicking: Forms and notices (permit applications)
- NT Government, Declared fossicking areas
- Mineral Titles Act 2010 (NT), Part 8 Fossicking
- Mineral Titles Regulations 2011 (NT), Part 9 Fossicking
- NT Attorney-General's Department, Penalty units
- Northern Land Council, Permits
- NT.GOV.AU, Aboriginal land: Permits for entry and other activities
Rules and fees change, and Australian government fees are commonly updated on 1 July. This page was last verified against the sources above in August 2026. Where this page and an official source disagree, the official source wins.
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