Nevada · BLM
Nevada BLM collecting rules
Most of Nevada is BLM, and most of the BLM rules are national. The parts people get wrong are the 25/250 numbers and the mining claims.
The rule
- Rocks, minerals, semiprecious gemstones: “reasonable amounts” for noncommercial personal use, except on developed recreation sites or where an area is closed and posted (43 CFR 8365.1-5(b)(2)). The regulation sets no number.
- Tools: no explosive, motorized or mechanical devices except metal detectors (43 CFR 8365.1-5(a)(3)). BLM Nevada says hand tools only, for private use.
- No sale: selling collected material needs a BLM permit or contract (43 CFR 8365.1-5(c)).
- Petrified wood: 25 lb plus one piece a day, 250 lb a calendar year, no pooling with other people's limits, no power equipment, no sale (43 CFR 3622.4).
- Common invertebrate and plant fossils: 25 lb a day, with an exception for a single heavier slab, hand tools, no sale (43 CFR 49.810).
Where 25/250 is actually written down
Many sites, including older versions of this page, describe “25 pounds a day plus one piece, 250 pounds a year” as the general BLM rockhounding limit. On ordinary Nevada BLM land, that number is a regulation only for petrified wood. It is a sensible personal ceiling for other rocks, but it isn't the rule.
One big exception: in the Black Rock Desert–High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails NCA and its surrounding planning area, BLM's 2008 supplementary rules (73 FR 39027) set 25 lb + one piece a day and 250 lb a year for petrified wood, common invertebrate fossils, rocks and minerals, and they ban motorized collecting equipment.
Where you can't collect on BLM
- Active mining claims without the claimant's permission. BLM's 2024 FAQ says collecting isn't allowed on active claims. Nevada has more active claims than any other state, and the famous opal, turquoise and crystal ground is usually claimed. Check MLRS.
- Developed sites: campgrounds, picnic areas, trailheads.
- Private mineral estate under BLM surface (split estate).
- Wilderness and WSAs: BLM Nevada says only hobby collecting without surface disturbance.
- Posted closures, some ACECs and NCAs. Red Rock Canyon NCA asks visitors not to collect rock specimens or fossils.
- Artifacts, always: BLM Nevada specifically prohibits prehistoric tools and chips or flakes. ARPA and NRS 381.197 protect sites.
- Vertebrate fossils: permit only (PRPA).
Named BLM sites
BLM Nevada lists Garnet Hill near Ely and the Oak Springs Trilobite Site near Caliente as rockhounding destinations. BLM's national monuments are a separate question: see Nevada parks and monuments.
Who to call
BLM Nevada State Office 775-861-6500 · Battle Mountain 775-635-4000 · Carson City 775-885-6000 · Elko 775-753-0200 · Ely 775-289-1800 · Southern Nevada (Las Vegas) 702-515-5000 · Winnemucca 775-623-1500. Numbers are from blm.gov/nevada; confirm before you call.
Sources: 43 CFR 8365.1-5; 43 CFR 3622.4; 43 CFR 49.810; BLM Nevada rockhounding; BLM rock-collection FAQs (Feb. 28, 2024); 73 FR 39027.
Informational only — not legal advice. Rules, boundaries and seasons change. Confirm with the managing agency for the exact parcel before you collect. Last verified October 16, 2026.