Bureau of Land Management mining claims are unpatented mining claims located on federal land under the Mining Law of 1872 and recorded with a BLM state office. The BLM keeps the records for claims on its own public land and on National Forest System land, which is why the process is the same whether your ground is open desert or national forest. The claim gives you the right to develop a discovered mineral deposit. It does not give you title to the land.

Try it: BLM claim holding cost: pay the fee or take the small miner waiver? →

The process has five parts: check the land is open, choose the right claim type, stake it on the ground, record it with the county and the BLM within 90 days, and then maintain it every year. Get any one of them wrong and federal law treats the claim as abandoned or forfeited. That strictness is the main thing newcomers underestimate. Whether you call them BLM mine claims, BLM mineral claims or federal mining claims, the same five steps apply. If you are weighing an existing claim instead of new ground, our ten checks before paying for gold claims cover the buyer’s side of the same records.

“Fail to pay or file by 1 September, and the claim is forfeited by operation of law.”

Buying BLM mining claims for sale: how it works

The BLM does not sell mining claims. Every BLM mining claim for sale is a private claimant selling an unpatented claim they hold on federal land, and the buyer takes over that claimant’s rights and yearly obligations. What you get is narrow. The BLM’s guide to buying a mining claim describes it as property limited to exploring, developing and extracting a mineral deposit; the surface of almost all claims stays with the United States. You are not buying land.

The same guide tells buyers to treat internet listings as buyer beware. Sellers may give incomplete or wrong information about the claim or about what work is allowed on it, and old shafts or leftover hazardous materials can become the buyer’s long-term cost. Ask for the BLM serial number of every claim and proof that each was recorded with both the county and the BLM. A claim the BLM shows as closed gives you no rights.

The sale is done by deed. Under the BLM’s filing requirements (updated February 2026), you file a quitclaim deed, bill of sale or similar document with the BLM for $15 per claim per transferee, alongside the county recording. There is no due date, but file soon after signing: 43 CFR 3833.32 has the BLM send notices to the claimant of record, so until your transfer is on file you won’t hear about missed fees or contests. From then on the $200 yearly maintenance fee per lode claim, or per 20 acres of placer claim, is yours to pay.

The BLM publishes no sale prices. Sellers set them. Run the five checks in the claims-for-sale section further down before you pay.

Where Bureau of Land Management mining claims can be located

The BLM lists 19 states with federal land open to mining claims: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Only public domain minerals qualify, meaning minerals that have never left federal ownership. Minerals on acquired lands and on reservations are leasable only.

Within those states, large areas are closed. National parks, national monuments, Indian reservations, military reservations, most wildlife refuges, most Bureau of Reclamation projects, designated wilderness and wild and scenic rivers are withdrawn from mineral entry. So are lands closed by specific withdrawal orders. A claim staked on withdrawn land is void from the start, and working it can be treated as trespass.

BLM land vs Forest Service mining claims

On BLM public land, the BLM manages both the surface and the minerals. On national forest land, the Forest Service manages the surface while the BLM handles the mineral records. For forest service mining claims, that means you record with the BLM exactly as you would on BLM land, but your operating plan goes to the local Forest Service district ranger under 36 CFR 228, not to the BLM.

Minerals you can and can’t claim

• Locatable (claimable): most metals, including gold, silver and copper, and certain industrial minerals and gemstones.
• ⚠ Leasable (not claimable): oil and gas, coal, potash, phosphate, sodium and similar minerals, which need a federal lease.
• ⚠ Salable (not claimable): common sand, gravel, stone, pumice and cinders, removed from the Mining Law on 23 July 1955 and sold by contract or free-use permit.

Step 1: search MLRS mining claims and land status

Start with the Mineral & Land Records System at mlrs.blm.gov. The BLM launched MLRS’s mining module on 25 January 2021, and it now holds the mining claim records migrated from the older LR2000 system. MLRS maps show active and closed claims at quarter-section detail or better. For anyone searching for available mining claims or unclaimed mining claims, this is the place to begin. There is no separate BLM gold claim map: the MLRS map shows every claim, whatever mineral it was staked for, so “gold claims” and copper claims sit on the same layer.

Narrow your search to a specific area rather than browsing randomly. The BLM suggests using USGS topographic maps to find the legal description (meridian, township, range and section) and then checking three sets of records for that area:

• 📊 MLRS claim records and maps for active, closed and pending Bureau of Land Management mining claims.
• 📊 Master title plats for withdrawals, patents and other land status. MLRS links to the General Land Office records site where states have uploaded them.
• 📊 County records for location notices that may not yet have reached the BLM within the 90-day window.

Available gold claims: what “open” means on public land

Search forums and listing sites talk about open gold claims or public gold claims as if the BLM kept a stock of vacant claims to hand out. It doesn’t. Bureau of Land Management mining claims only exist once someone stakes and records them, so what you are really looking for is open ground: public domain land in one of the 19 claim states that is not withdrawn and not covered by an active claim. MLRS, the master title plats and the county records together tell you whether a parcel qualifies. If it does, the gold is yours to claim only after you find it, stake it and record it within 90 days.

Once you have found open ground, find out whether it’s worth the fees. You can draw the area on mining.farmonaut.com: Map Your Mining Site, or send the coordinates through our mining query form for a satellite prospectivity read before you stake.

BLM mining claim research: how to check a claim’s status and history

You can research any BLM mining claim yourself, at no charge, through the BLM MLRS reports page. The public reports need no login, though owner details carry Privacy Act redactions; a Login.gov account unlocks the unredacted versions.

1. Search by area. Run the Mining Claims – Geographic Report with the meridian, township, range and section (MTRS) and choose Active or Closed claims. Western Mining History walks through this report step by step.
2. Search by claim. If you have a serial number, open the Serial Register Page (SRP), which lists every data field held for that claim. New MLRS serial numbers start with the two-letter state code, and old LR2000 numbers are still searchable, per the BLM.
3. Read the case actions. The Case Action(s) report lists what has been filed on the claim over time. For a claim audit before buying, check that every assessment year shows a maintenance fee payment or a waiver with its affidavit of assessment work.
4. Go to the county. Deeds, liens, royalties and the original location notice sit with the county recorder, not the BLM.

A gap in any year, a closed disposition, or a claimant name that does not match the seller’s deed is a reason to stop and ask questions before paying.

Step 2 and 3: choose the claim type and stake it

Bureau of Land Management mining claims come in two kinds, lode and placer, plus two supporting sites. The geology decides which you need. A lode claim located on a placer deposit is invalid, and a placer claim located on a lode deposit is generally invalid too.

Fees in the table are from the BLM’s fee page for claims filed on or after 1 September 2024. The BLM adjusts them periodically, so check the BLM’s current fee schedule for the schedule in force before you file or pay. To see what a package costs over several years, and whether the small miner waiver changes the answer, run your numbers here.

Staking a mining claim on the ground

Federal regulations (43 CFR 3832) only require claim boundaries to be distinctly and clearly marked so they can be readily identified. The Mining Law lets each state add its own rules on the size, material and placement of corner posts and discovery monuments. Before staking a gold claim, check with the state agency that handles mining claims, often the state geological survey or lands department.

1. Erect corner posts or monuments as your state requires. Claims described by legal subdivision may not need corner monuments in some states, but every claim needs a location or discovery monument.
2. Post a notice of location in a conspicuous place, usually at the point of discovery.
3. Tie the discovery point to a permanent object such as a survey monument, benchmark, bridge, stream fork or road junction.
4. Use wildlife-safe markers. The BLM does not allow perforated or uncapped pipes as monuments, corner posts or side-line posts because they trap wildlife.

State rules that sit on top of Bureau of Land Management mining claims

The Mining Law allows states to pass their own rules on how claims are located and recorded, as long as they are consistent with federal law. In practice, that means Bureau of Land Management mining claims follow one federal framework but 19 slightly different sets of staking instructions. The BLM’s advice is simple: check with the proper state agency before you locate a claim. Depending on the state, that may be the state geological survey, a mineral resources department, a lands commission or an environmental agency.

Arizona is a useful example of how specific state law can be. Its statutes require a lode location monument of stones at least three feet high, or a post projecting at least four feet above ground, with the location notice posted on it. The locator must then record the notice with the county recorder, with a map, plat or sketch attached, and monument the boundaries so they can be traced, both within 90 days of location. Missing either step counts as abandonment under Arizona law. For what that means when buying rather than staking, see our buyer checks for Arizona and New Mexico gold claims. If you are looking at existing claims in that state rather than staking new ground, run through our checks before buying Arizona claims first.

• Monument rules differ: height, material and whether side-line or end-line posts are needed.
• County deadlines differ: the federal maximum is 90 days, but some states require filing within 30 or 60 days.
• Tunnel sites: some states add requirements; the BLM notes that Nevada requires centre-line stakes at 300-foot intervals.
• Annual county filings: most states want an affidavit of assessment work or notice of intent to hold within 30 to 90 days after the end of the assessment year.
• State permits: reclamation, water and dredging permits are separate from the claim itself.

Because Bureau of Land Management mining claims are recorded in two systems (the county and the BLM), a claim is only as sound as the weaker of the two filings. Keep copies of every recorded document with the county’s recording stamp, and match the BLM serial number to each one. That paper trail is what a future buyer, lender or the BLM itself will ask to see.

BLM placer mining claims: what a legally filed placer claim looks like

BLM placer mining claims have one extra wrinkle. Where the land has been surveyed, placer claims should be located by legal subdivision, such as a quarter-quarter section, rather than by metes and bounds. A legally filed placer claim therefore describes aliquot parts of a section, carries the right number of real co-locators for its acreage, and pays $200 per 20 acres or part each year. For traditional placers, each 10 acres must also be mineral in character if the claim is ever tested. An unpatented placer mining claim that fails those tests, or that was staked on a lode deposit, can be challenged and lost even if every fee was paid.

Step 4: record Bureau of Land Management mining claims within 90 days

Under Section 314 of FLPMA, as the BLM’s recording page sets out, you must record a new claim in two places within 90 days of the date of location: with the county (or Alaska borough) under state law, and with the proper BLM state office. The 90 days start the day after location. Some states set earlier county deadlines, such as 30 or 60 days, so check yours.

What the county filing needs

State law requires the original location notice or certificate to be filed with the county recorder, county clerk or borough office where the claim sits. The BLM lists the basic contents: the date of location, each locator’s name and mailing address, the claim name, the claim type, the acreage, and a description of the parcel. The BLM’s recording page adds that the description should include the state, meridian, township, range, section and aliquot part to the quarter section.

What the BLM filing needs

Within the same 90 days, file a copy of the recorded notice with the proper BLM state office (in Alaska, the Fairbanks district office also accepts filings). Include a map of the claim boundaries and any other documents your state requires, plus the processing, location and initial maintenance fees. Even if your state doesn’t require county recording, you must still file with the BLM. New claims can be filed online through MLRS.

“Recording a claim is not approval of it: the BLM leaves land status and prior claims to the claimant.”

Step 5: BLM mining claim fees, the small miner waiver and the payment portal

Once recorded, Bureau of Land Management mining claims must be maintained every assessment year. The assessment year begins at 12:01 a.m. on 1 September and ends at midnight on 31 August. On or before 1 September, you either pay the maintenance fee for the coming year or, if you qualify, file a waiver.

Maintenance fees

As listed on the BLM fee page in September 2026, the BLM charges $200 per lode claim, mill site or tunnel site, and $200 for each 20 acres or part of 20 acres of a placer claim. When 1 September falls on a weekend or holiday the BLM has announced a later date; in 2024, for example, it set the deadline as 3 September. Confirm the exact date and amount on the BLM’s fee page each year.

Placer ground is where the bill climbs. Because the fee is charged per 20 acres or part, a 160-acre association placer pays eight times what a lode claim does, and a 21-acre placer pays the same as a 40-acre one.

The small miner waiver

If you and all related parties hold 10 or fewer claims nationwide, you can file a Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification (Form 3830-2) instead of paying. You must then perform at least $100 of assessment work per claim during the assessment year and file an affidavit of assessment work with both the county and the BLM by 30 December. The BLM fee page lists a $15-per-claim fee for that affidavit (checked September 2026). Geological, geophysical and geochemical surveys can count as assessment work for a limited period if you file a detailed report.

The BLM mining claim payment portal

You can pay maintenance fees on Bureau of Land Management mining claims online through the MLRS payment portal by credit card; the BLM’s 2024 notice also listed payment by phone, by mail and in person at a state office. Most other claim documents can be filed online too. The exception is anything that needs an original signature, such as the maintenance fee waiver, which must go by mail or in person to your BLM state office.

Transfers and amendments

If you sell or buy Bureau of Land Management mining claims, record the deed with the county and file the transfer with the BLM. The BLM lists a $15 fee per claim per transferee for a transfer and $15 per claim for an amended notice of location on its fee page (checked September 2026). If no transfer is filed, the BLM only recognises the last owner of record and will serve notices on them, not the new owner.

Found open BLM ground? Check what’s under it before you stake.

Send us the coordinates, KML/KMZ or polygon of the area and your target mineral. We’ll return ranked target zones, alteration and structure mapping, and GIS files in 5-20 business days, so your filing fees go on the best ground.

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Working Bureau of Land Management mining claims: casual use, notices and plans

Holding a claim and working it are separate questions. On BLM land, exploration and mining are governed by 43 CFR 3809 and occupancy by 43 CFR 3715. You must prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of the land, and the level of paperwork depends on how much ground you disturb.

• Casual use: activity that causes only negligible disturbance, such as work without earth-moving equipment or explosives. Usually no notification is needed, except in areas a BLM State Director has designated, where you must contact the BLM 15 calendar days before starting.
• Notice: required for exploration that disturbs 5 acres or less.
• Plan of operations: required where surface disturbance exceeds 5 acres. Both a notice and a plan need a reclamation plan and financial security (a bond) before work proceeds.
• Suction dredges: contact the BLM first; where threatened or endangered species may be present, don’t start until the BLM finishes Endangered Species Act consultation. Some states, such as Alaska, California and Oregon, also require state permits.
• Structures and equipment: you can’t build permanent or mobile structures or store equipment without prior approval.

Reclamation is owed even if a claim is later declared abandoned, forfeited or relinquished. That obligation stays with whoever caused the disturbance, which matters when you are buying a claim someone else has worked.

Unpatented mining claims for sale, closed claims and expired claims

Many people searching for BLM mining claims for sale or blm gold claims for sale, including BLM mining claims for sale in Colorado, Nevada or Arizona, are really looking for a shortcut to good ground. Unpatented mining claims for sale are legal to buy. Bureau of Land Management mining claims are real property and can be sold by recorded deed without BLM consent. But the BLM doesn’t vet listings, and its case file isn’t a complete chain of title. Liens, royalties and competing deeds are recorded with the county, not the BLM.

1. Look up every serial number in MLRS and confirm the status is active.
2. Check the fee history for every assessment year, not only the most recent payment.
3. Search the county records for deeds, liens and royalties.
4. Confirm the land was open when the claim was located.
5. Check for surface-management obligations such as open notices, plans or reclamation bonds.

Closed and expired Bureau of Land Management mining claims are different. A forfeited or abandoned claim no longer exists, so nobody can sell it to you. If the land is still open to entry, you can locate a new claim yourself by following the steps above. Ask why the old claim lapsed; ground that was held and then dropped may already have been tested.

If you’re comparing listings with open ground, note that other jurisdictions work differently: our guide to British Columbia gold claims for sale shows how Canadian tenure compares, and our mining cadastre portal guide by country covers how licensing works outside the US.

Before you stake: make sure the ground deserves the fees

Every one of your Bureau of Land Management mining claims costs money every year from the moment you file. A package of 20 lode claims carries $4,000 a year in maintenance fees at the $200 rate listed in September 2026, before any work is done. That is a strong reason to know where the mineral potential is before you set a single post.

For a small miner the choice is between two cost paths. The chart follows ten lode claims for five years: both start at $2,740 in filing fees, then split between $2,000 a year in fees and $1,150 a year in affidavit filings plus the minimum assessment work.

Our satellite-based mineral detection analyses multispectral and hyperspectral imagery over your area of interest. Each mineral and alteration zone has its own spectral signature. We use that to map likely mineralised zones, alteration halos and structures such as faults and fractures, so you can stake the strongest cells rather than simply the open ones.

• ✔ Input: coordinates, KML/KMZ or a polygon, plus the target mineral.
• ✔ Turnaround: 5-20 business days, depending on area and mineral complexity.
• 📊 Deliverables: prospectivity heatmaps, ranked high-potential zones with estimated location and depth ranges, geological interpretation, PDF plus georeferenced GIS files. Premium+ adds TargetMax™ drilling intelligence and 3D subsurface models.
• 📊 Cost and time: up to 80–85% lower early-exploration cost and timelines cut from months to days, compared with starting on the ground.
• ⚠ Limitation: results are exploration targets, not a resource estimate. Field sampling confirms them.

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

Frequently asked questions

Reviewed September 2026 against the BLM’s mining claim, locating, recording, fee and patent pages, its September 2024 fee-deadline announcement and its “Mining Claims and Sites on Federal Lands” publication.

Procedures and fees in this guide come from the Bureau of Land Management’s mining claim, recording, locating and fee pages, its 2024 fee-deadline announcement, and its publication “Mining Claims and Sites on Federal Lands”, checked in September 2026. Fees are adjusted periodically and state location rules vary; confirm current requirements with your BLM state office, county recorder and state agency before staking, filing or paying. Satellite results are exploration targets, not mineral resources. Nothing here is legal advice.