Metal Detecting in Kentucky State Property
Metal Detecting in Daniel Boone State Forest – Laws and Rules
No detecting is permitted https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3845177.pdf
Metal Detecting in Kentucky Wildlife Management Areas
No detecting is permitted in historic or archaeological sites (pretty much anywhere you need a digger to recover is considered historical in my experience) in KY Wildlife Management Areas per 301 KAR 3:010, which states: “Section 4. Prohibited Activities. Except as authorized by the department, on a WMA a person shall not Deface or collect artifacts from historical or archeological sites” Learn more here: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/301/003/010/
Metal Detecting in Kentucky Streams, Rivers and Waterways
This is one where there are a lot of “experts” spewing non-truths. Kentucky has public trust / public use easement for commercially navigable waterways. This means if you can use the waterway for commerce most of the year, then it may be considered public property, and state property rules apply. This doesn’t mean you can float a dinghy or canoe and call it “navigable.” Here is a really well done article on this matter with references. Almost every waterway you can detect in is going to be private property with no public easement. Good article here on this.
Metal Detecting in Land Between The Lakes – Laws and Rules
No detecting is permitted https://landbetweenthelakes.us/visit/faq/
Metal Detecting in Federal Property in Kentucky
No. Just no. Don’t even pretend to do it. You’ll lose your detector and even the vehicle you used to drive there. Archaeology permits are required for this (in case you’ve seen my posts about detecting in Gettysburg, etc.) and it is extremely unlikely that you’ll ever gain one of these as a non-professional.
The Antiquities Act and Federal Preservation laws laws apply and are very strict.
Metal Detecting in Louisville City Parks and Property
Metal Detecting in Lexington City Parks and Property
Lexington does not have any specifically applicable ordinances for metal detecting on file or listed online but has ordinances related to “excavations.” In short, they don’t want you digging holes. After 20 years of detecting in this city, I have never heard of this ordinance being used against a metal detectorist in Lexington. I think the safe rule here is to be an expert about filling holes, be heroic about removing trash and use common sense. I would say, given the destruction of novice “christmas present” metal detector users in Lexington this is just a matter of time.
Metal Detecting Laws/Ordinances in Bowling Green, KY City Parks
Metal Detecting in Covington KY Parks – Ordinances / Laws
Metal Detecting in Georgetown KY Parks – Ordinances / Laws
Metal Detecting in Richmond KY Parks – Ordinances / Laws
Metal Detecting in Florence KY Parks – Ordinances / Laws
Metal Detecting in Elizabethtown KY Parks – Ordinances / Laws
No digging allowed in parks in Elizabethtown per parks dept. Finding items on the surface is usually tolerated but don’t have a digger with you and be polite.
Many small town parks lack any real enforcement, and if you’re friendly, most city officials will leave you alone. But this is more because of the nature of relaxed small towns than any lack of ordinances. As we know, many city officials are easy-going if you’re friendly to them, haul out trash and fill plugs. And please don’t dig holes in a drought – it doesn’t matter if you fill them in, the grass dies.
Metal Detecting in City or County-Owned Roadway Easements
Powder Keg! Easements in just about every city in KY are owned by the government (state, county or city.) City easements are usually maintained by the landowner. Landowners usually don’t want you digging on “their” easements without permission no matter what the city /county says. Permission is the way to go. This is a “flash point” for pissing off property owners, and easements are usually a junk-filled mess anyway in my experience.
Metal Detecting in Kentucky County or City Schools
Most school boards will say “no” if you ask them, but they are usually pleased to see litter removal. School grounds staff are usually very friendly and curious, but if they ask you to leave, don’t make life hard on them. If there’s a school you really want to detect, you can approach a member of the school board in question with the usual “leave it better than when I arrived” promises. PS: Nobody wants holes in athletic fields, so avoid areas where ankles can be broken, etc..
Metal Detecting on Private Property in Kentucky
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