If the mining claim is on State Land, call the Colorado State Land Board at 303-866-3454. If the claim is on Federal Land, contact the US Bureau of Land Management 303-239-3600. If the claim is on private land, contact the county clerk &, recorders office where the property is located.
How much does a gold claim cost in Colorado?
FEES – NEW CLAIMS LOCATED ON OR AFTER SEPTEMBER 1, 2019
| Claim Type | DOCUMENT NEEDED | PER CLAIM FEE |
|---|---|---|
| Placer Claims | Notice of Location | Processing Fee – $20 Location Fee – $40 Maintenance Fee – $165 for each 20 acres or portion thereof |
How do you get a gold claim?
How to stake a mining claim.
- Locate it: Find an area of public land that is not currently claimed.
- Prospect it: Visit the area of land, dig up some material, pan it and find at least one piece of gold.
- Stake it: Place a monument in each corner of the claim, labeling the name of the claim.
How does a gold claim work?
In the United States, a placer claim grants to the discoverer of valuable minerals contained in loose material such as sand or gravel the right to mine on public land. Other countries such as Canada, Mexico, and Australia grant similar rights.
How do I get a mining claim in Colorado?
Federal unpatented mining claims, call the BLM Colorado State Office mining law division at 303-239-3782. The BLM and Forest Service have local offices where you can ask questions and discuss your plans.
When you buy a gold claim Do you own the land?
When you own a mining claim, you have purchased the exclusive rights to mine the minerals on that land, but you are not purchasing real estate. The land itself is not yours.
Can I live on a mining claim?
A miner has the right only to the minerals; he may not live on the land without permission. If a cabin is located on a new claim, it belongs to the BLM and may not be used by the miner. A mining claim may also be staked on certain Forest Service (USFS) land, with much of the same requirements.
How long do you own a mining claim?
The maximum period is 90 days from the staking of a claim or site on the ground. However, some states require earlier filings, such as 30 or 60 days from the date of location.
What if you find gold on your property?
If your find can’t be considered a treasure, you are legally required to take it to the police. It will go into their custody and be handled like any other case of lost property. However, if you’ve got a bonafide treasure trove you’re probably in luck.
How long can you camp on a mining claim?
You cannot camp longer than 14 days, and you cannot come back and camp again for another 14 days within the same 90 day period, nor can you camp on a different claim or site if it is within 25 miles of where you previously camped within that 90 day period.
How much is it to buy a gold claim?
Understand that it generally costs less than $200 to file an unpatented mining claim. If the seller is asking thousands of dollars for their claim, the burden is on them to prove to you that there is enough gold there to justify the price tag.
Can you build a home on a mining claim?
You may not construct, place, or maintain any kind of building or other structure, road, trail, fence or enclosure, and place or store equipment without the prior approval of a plan of operation from the Forest Service. Prospecting and exploration activities usually do not justify the use of such structures.
How do I find my mining claim?
Mining claims can be located on open public land administered by another federal agency (most commonly on Forest Service land). You may prospect and locate claims and sites on public and NFS land open to mineral entry.
Do you need a permit to pan for gold in Colorado?
The BLM allows gold panning, rockhounding and non-mechanized sluicing on most public lands without requiring miners to obtain permits.
How big is a mining claim in Colorado?
20 acres
The maximum size is 20 acres per locator, and the maximum for an association placer is 160 acres for 8 or more locators. The maximum size for a corporation is 20 acres per claim. Corporations may not locate association placer claims unless they are in association with other locators or corporations as co-locators.
Are Colorado’s federal lands open to mining?
Federal mining claims are available in 19 states: Arizona, Alaska, California, Oregon, New Mexico, Wyoming, Florida, Colorado, Washington, Nebraska, Nevada, Arkansas, Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Utah, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Can you build on a patented mining claim?
Patented Claims
A patented claim gives the miner the right to both the minerals and the land itself. If the government approves a patent request, it transfers property title to the miner. At that point, the miner can explore, extract the minerals or build permanent mining structures and a home.
What is a lode claim?
Lode claims are staked on veins or lodes of quartz or other rock in place bearing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, copper, or other valuable deposits. Placer claims are staked on all forms of depos- it, excepting veins of quartz, or other rock in place.
Can you mine on your own land?
If you own surface rights, you are allowed to sell or transfer title to the land surface, but you may not sell or lease your property to an oil, gas, or mining company for exploration or extraction. Those rights do not legally belong to you.
Is a mining claim private property?
A mining claim is a parcel of land for which the claimant has a right to develop and extract a discovered, valuable, mineral deposit. It is not private property and does not carry the same rights as private property. Mining claims may be located on public lands open to mining under the 1872 Mining Law.
Can you still stake a claim in the US?
At this point it may seem like nearly all of the federal lands are off-limits, but rest assured that there are millions of acres of public land that you can still stake a claim. It’s simply a matter of doing your research and understanding land designation before you start prospecting for gold.
