Permits & rules

BLM collecting limits in Utah

Last verified against commonly cited BLM casual-use rules. Confirm with the local field office before you dig.

On most Bureau of Land Management land in Utah, hobby collecting of common rocks, mineral specimens, semiprecious gemstones, and limited petrified wood is allowed without a permit if you stay inside casual-use limits.

The numbers people actually search

For rocks and minerals these are commonly cited guidance for “reasonable amounts”; for petrified wood they are the regulation.

• 25 pounds per day plus one piece
• 250 pounds per calendar year per person
• Personal, non-commercial use only
• Hand tools — no explosives, no heavy equipment

Where those numbers come from matters. For general rocks, minerals, and semiprecious gemstones, BLM’s rule (43 CFR 8365.1-5) says only “reasonable amounts” for personal, noncommercial use; the 25 lb + 1 piece / 250 lb figure is commonly cited guidance (the Utah Geological Survey describes it as BLM’s reading of “reasonable”). The hard numbers in regulation are for petrified wood — 25 lb plus one piece per day, 250 lb per year, under 43 CFR 3622 — and a 25 lb/day limit for common invertebrate and plant fossils. Local field offices can add restrictions. Grand Staircase–Escalante, Bears Ears, ACECs, wilderness, and some recreation sites are tighter or closed.

Official places to confirm

• BLM Utah
• West Desert District (Fillmore / Salt Lake field offices)
• SITLA when the layer says State, not Federal
• Utah State Parks
• Utah DWR for tags, not rocks

What this does not cover

• National parks and most national monuments — collecting is prohibited
• Utah State Parks — removal of natural resources generally needs written authorization
• SITLA / state trust land — usually a permit or lease, not free casual collecting
• Vertebrate fossils, cultural artifacts, meteorites in some contexts, and commercial quantities

Field check before you load the bucket

1. Confirm the parcel is BLM, not SITLA or private (maps lie at section lines).
2. Look for ACEC, WSA, or monument overlays.
3. Stay under weight. A full 5-gallon bucket of agate is often already near the daily cap.
4. Do not sell material collected under casual use.

Informational only — not legal advice. Verify current rules with the BLM field office that manages the unit you are standing on.

← Utah hub · Home