Prospecting License Rules and Fees in Eight Jurisdictions

A prospecting license is a government title that gives you the exclusive right to search for specified minerals in a defined area for a fixed term. Depending on the country it may be called a prospecting licence, an exploration licence, a prospecting right or a prospecting permit. Whatever the name, it sits between a casual permit to fossick and a full mining lease: you may sample, map and usually drill, but you may not run a commercial mine.

Try it: WA exploration licence rent and minimum spend by block count →

Most mineral discoveries begin on this kind of title, and most exploration money is spent while it is in force. So the ground you pick, and the terms you accept, shape everything that follows. We cover what a prospecting license lets you do, what it costs to keep, how the rules differ between Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Ontario, and what to check before you lodge. Where this title sits on the wider ladder, from reconnaissance to mining lease, is covered in our guide to every type of mining licence and how to apply.

“A Northern Territory exploration licence can cover up to 250 blocks, and each block is about 3.22 km².”

What a prospecting license is, and how it differs from an exploration licence

The terms overlap, and every mining act uses them slightly differently. In broad strokes there are four levels of search title:

• Personal prospecting permit. A cheap, individual permit to look for minerals on open land, with no exclusive area. Western Australia’s Miner’s Right and Victoria’s Miner’s Right are examples, and for most hobbyists they are the only gold prospecting permit they will ever need. They allow hobby prospecting and small samples, not mining.
• Prospecting license (small area). An exclusive title over a small, marked-out area. A Western Australian Prospecting Licence covers less than 200 hectares; a Victorian prospecting licence no more than 5 hectares.
• Exploration licence (large area). An exclusive title over a much larger area, usually defined by a grid of blocks. It suits companies running systematic programmes, which is why people also call it a mining exploration license. WA exploration licences run from 1 to 70 blocks.
• Prospecting right. South Africa’s term for the exploration-stage title under the MPRDA. It is valid for five years and can be renewed once for up to three.

In many African codes the prospecting license is the large exploration title. Kenya’s prospecting licence can cover up to 1,500 contiguous blocks; Ghana’s up to 750 blocks of 21 hectares. In Australia the prospecting licence is the small title and the exploration licence the large one. When you read a law, a joint-venture agreement or a sale listing, check which meaning applies.

What a prospecting license lets you do, and what it asks in return

What can you actually do on the ground? The rights are broadly similar everywhere. The holder of a prospecting license or exploration licence can usually enter the area, map it, take samples, run geophysical surveys and drill, all to find and evaluate a deposit. Kenya’s Mining Act gives a prospecting licence holder the exclusive right to carry out prospecting operations in the licence area, including demarcating it and taking reasonable measures on or under the surface.

Small-scale extraction limits

Some titles allow limited extraction for testing. In Western Australia a prospecting licence holder may extract or disturb up to 500 tonnes of material, including overburden, and an exploration licence holder up to 1,000 tonnes. The Minister can approve more. Anything beyond that needs a mining lease.

The obligations

• Rent: per hectare, square kilometre or block, every year. On Western Australia’s 2026–27 schedule a prospecting licence pays A$4.40 per hectare.
• Minimum expenditure: the work you must spend on the ground each year. A WA prospecting licence needs A$40 per hectare, with a A$2,000 minimum.
• Security: WA asks for A$5,000 per prospecting or exploration licence.
• Work approval: ground disturbance with mechanised equipment in WA needs an approved Programme of Work (PoW). The department’s exploration and prospecting page sets a target of 80% of assessments within 15 business days.
• Reporting: annual technical and expenditure reports.
• ⚠ Relinquishment: WA exploration licences applied for after 10 February 2006 must surrender 40% of the ground at the end of year six. Ghana’s prospecting licence is renewable only with the area cut to no more than half.

What a prospecting license costs to hold: a worked WA example

Application fees get the attention, but holding costs decide whether a licence is affordable. Here is how the numbers work on Western Australia’s Fees and Charges 2026–27 schedule, effective 1 July 2026 and one of the most detailed published anywhere. These are illustrations built from the published rates, not quotes. WA reissues the schedule every July, so recalculate with the one in force before you budget.

• A 150-hectare prospecting licence: A$478 to apply and A$5,000 security. Rent is 150 × A$4.40 = A$660 a year. Minimum expenditure is 150 × A$40 = A$6,000 a year. Over the first four-year term that is roughly A$26,600 in rent and required work, before any extension.
• A 10-block exploration licence, years 1–3: A$1,800 to apply (more than one block) and A$5,000 security. Rent is 10 × A$177 = A$1,770 a year. Minimum spend is A$1,000 per block, but the schedule sets a A$20,000 floor for 6–20 blocks, so the commitment is A$20,000 a year.
• The same licence in years 4–5: rent rises to 10 × A$318 = A$3,180, and the minimum spend to A$1,500 per block with a A$30,000 floor for 6–20 blocks, so A$30,000 a year.
• ⚠ Exemptions exist but cost money too: the schedule lists a A$591 fee to apply for a one-year expenditure exemption on an exploration licence, and approval is not automatic.

The pattern is the same in most countries: the work commitment dwarfs the fees, and it rises as the licence ages. The per-block minimum climbs from A$1,000 in years 1–3 to A$3,000 from year 8, so a licence held for a decade costs three times as much per block to keep as it did at grant. A prospecting license over well-chosen blocks turns required spend into useful drilling. Over random ground, the same spend is a sunk cost.

Want your own numbers? Enter a block count and a holding period. The tool applies the per-block rent, the per-block spend and the size minimums from the same schedule.

Prospecting license and exploration licence rules compared

Eight jurisdictions, one table. Figures come from each regulator’s website or the governing act, checked in September 2026. Laws are amended and fees are indexed on each regulator’s own cycle, so confirm the details with the licensing authority before you apply.

Prospecting licence WA, NT, Victoria and South Australia

Western Australia: prospecting licence and exploration licence

Western Australia’s Mining Act 1978 is administered by the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE). A WA Prospecting Licence covers less than 200 hectares, must be marked out, and runs for four years with one further four-year extension. There is no limit on how many you may hold, but each needs A$5,000 security. On the 2026–27 fee schedule the application fee is A$478. The other WA titles, and the DMPE offices that handle them, are in our WA tenement types and fees guide.

Rent on an exploration licence steps up as the title ages, and the steps are steep. On the 2026–27 schedule a multi-block licence pays A$177 per block in years 1–3, A$318 in years 4–5, A$435 in years 6–7 and A$825 from year 8. The line below shows what that means for one block across ten years.

A WA Exploration Licence is not marked out. It is made up of graticular blocks, from one block up to 70, or 200 outside designated mineralised areas. For licences applied for after 10 February 2006, the term is five years, with a possible five-year extension and further two-year periods, and 40% of the ground must be surrendered at the end of year six. Applications, renewals and searches run through Mineral Titles Online.

“Western Australia has granted exploration licences on a graticular block system since 28 June 1991.”

Gold prospecting licence options in WA

For gold specifically, WA offers a Special Prospecting Licence of up to 10 hectares. It is marked out inside an existing prospecting or exploration licence that has been in force for more than 12 months, or inside a mining lease with the holder’s consent. You can hold an interest in no more than 10 at once. On the 2026–27 schedule the application fee is A$478 and the minimum expenditure A$2,000. It is the closest thing WA has to a “gold prospecting lease” for small operators. WA does not issue prospecting leases as such; ground held for production goes onto a mining lease.

Northern Territory

Under the NT Mineral Titles Act 2010, an exploration licence covers between 4 and 250 adjoining graticular blocks, each about 3.22 km², and can be granted for up to six years. Applicants must tell each affected landowner within 14 days of lodging.

Victoria

Victoria’s prospecting licence, under the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990, is capped at 5 hectares and may not abut an adjoining prospecting licence. Its maximum term is seven years and it cannot be renewed. Anyone searching for gold, gems or minerals in Victoria must also carry a current Miner’s Right.

South Australia: precious stones prospecting permit

Opal is governed by South Australia’s Opal Mining Act 1995. The first step is a precious stones prospecting permit, applied for in person at an Opal Mining Registrar office in Andamooka, Coober Pedy or Marla. It is current for one year, applicants must be at least 16, and you may hold only one.

Prospecting licences in Africa: South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana

South Africa: prospecting right

A South African prospecting right lets you survey or investigate land to identify an actual or probable mineral deposit. It is valid for five years and can be renewed for no more than three. You apply online, pay a non-refundable fee and apply for environmental authorisation at the same time. The right is granted only if you have the finance and expertise to prospect optimally, can comply with the Mine Health and Safety Act, and no one else already holds a right for the same mineral and land. If the application is accepted, you consult the landowner and occupiers and report the outcome to the regional manager within 30 days. Mining rights, permits and the SAMRAD and Indwe systems are explained in our guide to South African mining rights and permits.

Kenya: prospecting licence and permit

Under Kenya’s Mining Act, 2016, a prospecting licence covers a block or up to 1,500 contiguous blocks and runs for no more than three years. Small-scale operators use a prospecting permit instead, which is reserved for Kenyan citizens and companies at least 60% owned by Kenyans. Applications go through the online mining cadastre portal.

Nigeria: exploration licence

Nigeria’s Mining Cadastre Office grants exploration licences of up to 200 km² for an initial three years, renewable in two-year periods. The Mining Cadastre Office FAQ gives the fee for the first 100 cadastral units as NGN 500,000, and titles are granted first-come, first-served. Each cadastral unit measures 450 m × 450 m.

Ghana: reconnaissance and prospecting licences

Ghana offers a Reconnaissance Licence (up to 5,000 blocks for 12 months, no drilling) and a Prospecting Licence (up to 750 blocks for three years, renewable with the area reduced to no more than half). Blocks are 21 hectares each. All applications go through the Minerals Commission’s online repository.

• Tanzania and Uganda also issue prospecting and exploration licences through online cadastre portals. See our mining cadastre portal guide by country for the official addresses.
• Guyana sits outside Africa, but the model is familiar: the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission manages prospecting licences and mining permits through its eServices portal. Our GGMC permits, forms and fees guide has the per-acre rents.

Prospecting in North America: claims, licences and permits

Ontario: prospector’s licence plus claims

Canada works differently. In Ontario you first buy a prospector’s licence through the online Mining Lands Administration System (MLAS), then register mining claims on the map, 24 hours a day. The claim is your exclusive title; the prospector’s licence is your personal qualification to hold it. Early exploration then needs an exploration plan or an exploration permit. According to Ontario’s exploration plan and permit guide, a plan usually takes effect about 30 days after circulation. For a permit, communities have 30 days to raise concerns, and the ministry decides within 50 days of circulation.

Other provinces and the USA

• Newfoundland and Labrador: claims are staked online through the province’s MIRIAD system, and registration is free.
• Saskatchewan: tenure is managed online in MARS; you need a Free Miner’s Certificate before staking.
• USA: on open federal land there is no prospecting license for locatable minerals such as gold. You locate a claim and record it with the BLM through MLRS. A lode claim filed on or after 1 September 2024 costs $274 in first-year BLM fees.

How to apply for a prospecting license, step by step

Eight steps cover most jurisdictions, especially those with online cadastre portals:

1. Decide which title fits. Small, marked-out ground and hands-on work suits a prospecting licence. A regional programme across many blocks suits an exploration licence.
2. Register an account on the official system, such as Mineral Titles Online in WA, MLAS in Ontario, SAMRAD in South Africa, or the national cadastre portal in Kenya or Nigeria.
3. Search the register for existing titles and pending applications, and save a dated copy.
4. Define the area: pick blocks, enter coordinates, or mark out the ground where the law requires it.
5. Prepare the work programme and budget. Regulators want to see realistic plans that meet the minimum spend. WA asks for a Section 58 statement with exploration licence applications.
6. Lodge and pay the non-refundable application fee and any security.
7. Handle notice and consultation. In WA, native title parties have four months to object where the expedited procedure applies. In South Africa you consult landowners and occupiers.
8. After grant, get work approvals (such as a WA Programme of Work) before any mechanised ground disturbance, then keep up with rent, spend and reports.

Why prospecting applications are refused or lost

Most failed applications fail for boring reasons, and almost all of them are avoidable. Registries rarely refuse a prospecting license because the ground is poor. They refuse it, or rank it behind a competitor, because something in the file is wrong.

• Overlap with an existing title or earlier application. South Africa will not grant a prospecting right where someone else already holds a right for the same mineral and land. Tanzania requires the applied area to be free of existing licences.
• Incomplete documents. In first-come, first-served systems an incomplete file can lose its place in the queue. Kenya’s Act allows 90 days to complete an application.
• Missed consultation deadlines. South African applicants must report on landowner consultation within 30 days; NT applicants must notify landowners within 14 days.
• Unrealistic work programmes. A budget that cannot meet the minimum expenditure invites refusal or, later, forfeiture.
• Eligibility. Kenya’s small-scale prospecting permit is reserved for citizens and companies at least 60% Kenyan-owned.

A clean boundary, a complete file and a work programme matched to the ground are the three things that protect an application. The first and third both improve when you know where the targets are before you draw the polygon.

If you already have a boundary, you can get a satellite read on it before you commit. Draw it on mining.farmonaut.com (Map Your Mining Site), or send it through our mining query form.

What to do before you apply: pick ground worth the fees

A prospecting license buys time on a piece of ground. The best way to get value from that time is to start with a clear view of where the likely targets sit. Otherwise the first year or two of rent and spend go on reconnaissance you could have done beforehand.

That is the gap satellite analysis fills. With the boundary you plan to apply for, our satellite-based mineral detection analyses multispectral and hyperspectral imagery. Each mineral and alteration zone reflects energy in a distinctive spectral signature, and we use that to flag likely mineralised target zones, alteration halos, faults and fractures, before any field team is deployed.

• ✔ Input: coordinates, KML/KMZ or a polygon, plus the country and target mineral. It is the same boundary your licence application needs.
• ✔ Turnaround: 5–20 business days, depending on area size and mineral complexity.
• 📊 Deliverables: prospectivity heatmaps, high-potential zones with estimated location and depth ranges, geological interpretation, and PDF plus georeferenced GIS files. Premium+ adds TargetMax™ drilling intelligence and 3D subsurface models.
• 📊 Savings: up to 80–85% lower early-exploration cost, and timelines cut from months to days, compared with starting on the ground.
• ⚠ Limits: satellite targets are exploration targets, not a resource estimate. They show where to sample and drill first.

The satellite-driven 3D mineral prospectivity mapping overview shows a typical deliverable. We have scanned 100,000+ hectares for 20+ mineral types across 25+ countries.

Pre-application checklist for a prospecting license

1. Confirm the title type and its limits on area, term and extraction.
2. Check eligibility, since some small-scale titles are citizens-only.
3. Search the register and record neighbouring titles.
4. Screen the ground by satellite to choose the strongest blocks.
5. Size the area to what you can afford to explore properly.
6. Budget the full term: rent, minimum spend, security, reporting and renewal.
7. Plan relinquishment before you need it.

Frequently asked questions

Reviewed September 2026 against Western Australia’s DMPE licence pages and Fees and Charges 2026–27, the Northern Territory’s exploration licence page, Resources Victoria’s prospecting licence guidelines, South Australia’s opal mining guidance, gov.za’s prospecting right service page, Kenya’s Mining Act 2016 and Ministry of Mining FAQ, Nigeria’s Mining Cadastre Office FAQ, Ghana’s Minerals Commission and Ontario’s exploration plan and permit guide.

Licence rules and fees in this guide come from regulators’ websites and statutes: Western Australia’s DMPE (including the 2026–27 fees schedule), Northern Territory Government, Resources Victoria, South Australia’s Department for Energy and Mining, South Africa’s gov.za service pages, Kenya’s Mining Act, 2016, Ghana’s Minerals Commission, Ontario’s Ministry of Mines, the BLM, and our verified cadastre research. Fees are indexed on each regulator’s own cycle and laws are amended, so confirm with the licensing authority before you file or pay. Nothing here is legal or investment advice.