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Fossicking laws

Fossicking laws in Tasmania: licences, land access and penalties

Last verified: August 2026
You can fossick without a licence in Tasmania's 11 designated fossicking areas, but metal detectors are banned inside them. Everywhere else, searching for minerals needs a Prospecting Licence from Mineral Resources Tasmania: $39.20 per year, up to 5 years ($196), sold at Service Tasmania. National parks and other reserved land are off limits.

The rules at a glance

Licence needed?No inside the 11 designated fossicking areas; yes (Prospecting Licence) everywhere else
Licence cost$39.20 per year, up to 5 years ($196.00), current from 1 July 2026
Metal detectorsAllowed with a licence wherever prospecting is allowed; banned inside designated fossicking areas and on reserved land
Depth limit2 metres below the surface, hand tools only
Take-home limit10 kg of gemstones, semi-precious stones or rocks per 48 hours in fossicking areas
Top penaltyUp to 100 penalty units ($21,300 in 2026-27) for prospecting without a licence

Do you need a licence to fossick in Tasmania?

A Prospecting Licence is required to search for minerals anywhere in Tasmania outside the 11 designated fossicking areas. Inside those declared areas no licence is needed, but conditions apply and metal detectors are banned. MRT states plainly that fossicking outside designated areas without a licence is illegal under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995.

$39.20 per year: $39.20
Prospecting Licence (Mineral Resources Tasmania)Issued for up to 5 years (you choose 1 to 5 years)
CoversExploring for minerals to a depth of less than 2 metres below the surface (or of any pre-existing excavation) using hand-held instruments, including metal detectors, for recreational or educational purposes only. It does not by itself authorise entry to private land, mineral tenements or reserved land managed by Parks and Wildlife.
Family & kidsAnyone over 18 can apply and no proof of identity is needed. Children under 18 do not need their own licence but may only prospect while supervised by an adult who holds a Prospecting Licence or under a Group Prospecting Licence. Community groups, schools and businesses can apply for a Group Prospecting Licence covering up to 20 participants in pre-approved areas; the holder must obtain land-manager permissions and lodge activity reports at six months and then annually.
Fee note1 yr), $78.40 (2 yrs), $117.60 (3 yrs), $156.80 (4 yrs), $196.00 (5 yrs). Fees current from 1 July 2026 and revised each July.
Get it from the official site

Where you can and cannot fossick in Tasmania

Land typeStatusThe rules
Designated fossicking areas (11 declared under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995: Coal Hill, Colebrook Hill, Gladstone Hill, Killiecrankie Bay, Lord Brassey Mine, Lune River, Magnet Mine, Penguin, Tunnel Marsh, Weld River, Weymouth)AllowedNo licence needed. Hand fossicking only to 2 metres depth; power-operated or mechanised equipment and explosives are prohibited, and metal detectors are not permitted. Amateur use only, no commercial removal, maximum 10 kg of gemstones, semi-precious stones or rocks per 48 hours, and diggings must be restored to normal surface level before you leave.
Crown land and State forest outside fossicking areasPermit requiredA Prospecting Licence is required. Not all Crown land is open: use the MRT Prospecting Access map to check whether prospecting is allowed, not allowed, or needs permission at the exact spot, and whether a mineral tenement overlaps it. Entry to some areas may be restricted for timber harvesting, burns or other operations.
National parks and other reserved land managed by Parks and Wildlife (national parks, nature reserves, conservation areas and similar)ProhibitedUnder the National Parks and Reserves Management Regulations 2019 you must not interfere with, dig up, collect or remove any sand, gravel, clay, rock or mineral on reserved land, and you must not even bring or possess a metal detector there (the only exception is a detector inside a vehicle moving on a road that does not terminate on reserved land). A Prospecting Licence is not an authority on reserved land; these activities are only lawful with an authority granted by the managing authority under the regulations.
Private landConditionalYou need both a current Prospecting Licence and the landowner's permission before entering to prospect. The licence itself gives no right of entry.
Mining leases, exploration licences and retention licences (mineral tenements)ConditionalYou may only prospect on a tenement with the consent of the tenement holder. If the tenement is still under application, additional permission from the Director of Mines is required. MRT provides an Approval to Prospect within a Mineral Tenement form (MRDA P3). Check tenement boundaries before you dig; a tenement layer in a mapping app such as Detector Maps, or MRT's own map viewer, shows what overlaps your spot.
Beaches and waterwaysConditionalThere is no blanket beach exemption in Tasmania. Searching for minerals on Crown land beaches outside fossicking areas needs a Prospecting Licence, and many coastal strips are conservation areas or other reserved land where possessing a metal detector is an offence. On any waterway, excavation of natural stream banks is not permitted, banks must not be undermined, and dredges and motorised pumps are banned. Check the land tenure of the exact beach before detecting.

What equipment is legal in Tasmania

  • Hand tools (pick, shovel, gold pan, sieve): Allowed. Only hand prospecting is permitted and only hand-held tools may be used, to a maximum depth of 2 metres. Diggings must be restored before you leave.
  • Metal detectors: Allowed anywhere prospecting is allowed if you hold a current Prospecting Licence. Prohibited inside the 11 designated fossicking areas, and prohibited to bring or even possess on reserved land such as national parks.
  • Sluices and highbankers: Only hand-held, unpowered units less than 1 metre long that one person can easily carry in the field. Motor or battery powered assistance is not permitted.
  • Dredges, suction dredges, trommels and motorised pumps: Prohibited. If in doubt, check with Mineral Resources Tasmania before use.
  • Power-operated or mechanised equipment and explosives: Prohibited in fossicking areas. Under a Prospecting Licence only hand-held tools may be used and the use of any explosives is prohibited.
  • Mercury: Must not be used in prospecting to assist with the concentration, separation or recovery of gold.

Penalties

OffencePenaltyStatute
Prospecting without a Prospecting Licence (outside designated fossicking areas)Fine not exceeding 100 penalty units (up to $21,300 at the 2026-27 penalty unit value of $213)Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 (Tas), s 107
Contravening the conditions of a declared fossicking area100 penalty units (up to $21,300 at the 2026-27 penalty unit value of $213)Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 (Tas), s 116(4)
Interfering with, digging up, collecting or removing sand, gravel, clay, rock or mineral on reserved landFine not exceeding 20 penalty units (up to $4,260 in 2026-27)National Parks and Reserves Management Regulations 2019 (Tas), reg 5(2)(c)
Bringing a metal detector onto, or possessing one on, reserved landFine not exceeding 20 penalty units (up to $4,260 in 2026-27)National Parks and Reserves Management Regulations 2019 (Tas), reg 5(10)
Removing, damaging or disturbing any coin, Aboriginal relic or object of archaeological, historical or scientific interest on reserved landFine not exceeding 50 penalty units (up to $10,650 in 2026-27)National Parks and Reserves Management Regulations 2019 (Tas), reg 5(4)

Local traps worth knowing

The rule inversion catches almost everyone: the 11 fossicking areas need no licence but ban metal detectors, while detecting anywhere else requires the licence. Plan gold detecting for licensed ground, not fossicking areas.
On reserved land (national parks, nature reserves, conservation areas) merely possessing a metal detector is an offence, not just using one. The only exception is a detector in a vehicle moving on a road that does not terminate on reserved land.
A Prospecting Licence is not a key to every tenure. Parks and Wildlife manages reserved land under separate regulations, and the licence gives no authority there; private land and mineral tenements need the owner's or tenement holder's consent on top of the licence.
Sluices and highbankers must be hand-held, unpowered and under 1 metre long. Battery power counts as powered and is banned.
In fossicking areas you may remove at most 10 kg of gemstones, semi-precious stones or rocks in any 48 hours, and anything too heavy for one person to carry by hand stays Crown property and must be reported, not moved or broken up.
Mercury is explicitly banned for gold recovery under the July 2026 licence conditions.
Everything is capped at 2 metres depth, including in fossicking areas; below that the ground can sit inside someone else's exploration licence.
Fees are revised every 1 July, so recheck the Service Tasmania fee table before buying a multi-year licence.
Killiecrankie Bay, famous for the topaz sold as Killiecrankie diamonds, is on Flinders Island in Bass Strait, so factor in a flight or ferry.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to fossick in Tasmania?

Not inside the 11 designated fossicking areas declared under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995, where anyone can hand fossick free of charge subject to conditions. Everywhere else in Tasmania, searching for minerals requires a Prospecting Licence, and MRT states that fossicking outside designated areas without one is illegal.

How much is a prospecting licence in Tasmania?

$39.20 per year as at 1 July 2026. You can take it out for one to five years, so a five year licence costs $196.00. Buy it at any Service Tasmania service centre, at the MRT Burnie or Hobart office, or by email or post after phoning (03) 6165 4800 to pay. No proof of identity is required.

Can I use a metal detector in Tasmania's fossicking areas?

No. Metal detectors are not permitted inside the designated fossicking areas. This surprises many visitors because it is the reverse of the licence rule: the areas where you do not need a licence are exactly the areas where detectors are banned. With a current Prospecting Licence you can detect anywhere else that prospecting is allowed.

Can I pan for gold in Tasmania without a licence?

Only within a designated fossicking area, using hand tools to a depth of 2 metres. Outside those 11 areas you need a Prospecting Licence even to pan. Hand-held unpowered sluices under 1 metre are allowed, but dredges, trommels, motorised pumps and any powered equipment are prohibited statewide, and mercury must not be used.

Can kids go prospecting in Tasmania?

Yes. A child does not need their own licence but must be supervised by the holder of a Prospecting Licence or a Group Prospecting Licence. Applicants for their own licence must be over 18.

Can I metal detect on the beach in Tasmania?

It depends on the tenure of that beach. On Crown land where prospecting is allowed you need a current Prospecting Licence. Many Tasmanian coastal strips are conservation areas or other reserved land, where it is an offence even to possess a metal detector, let alone dig. Check the exact spot on MRT's Prospecting Access map before you swing.

Where are Tasmania's designated fossicking areas?

There are 11: Coal Hill, Colebrook Hill, Gladstone Hill, Killiecrankie Bay (Flinders Island), Lord Brassey Mine, Lune River, Magnet Mine, Penguin, Tunnel Marsh, Weld River and Weymouth. Each has its own access notes and conditions on the Mineral Resources Tasmania website, and the areas extend only 2 metres below the surface.

Official sources

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.

Keep reading
Where to fossick in TasmaniaThe public districts Tasmania is known for, when to go, and what has actually been found.Gold prospecting clubs in TasmaniaClubs and branches that run organised trips, some of which carry the licence and the insurance for you.How to fossick: nine techniquesPanning, sluicing, detecting and sniping, explained step by step with video.

See exactly where these rules let you dig.

Detector Maps puts Tasmania's legal fossicking ground, live mining tenements and a century of historic workings on one map, online or off.

Tasmania gold maps Where to fossick in Tasmania

Fossicking laws Tasmania · Detector Maps