Fossicking Licences and Permits in Australia: What You Need, State by State
"Do I need a fossicking licence?" has eight different answers in Australia: yes, no, sometimes, and "depends what you mean by fossicking." There is no national licence and no national authority, because mining law belongs to the states. If you're not sure what counts, start with What Is Fossicking and Prospecting?. Here's the whole map, in plain English.
Two checks, every single day.
The Quick National Picture
Licence or permit required
Queensland (fossicking licence), Victoria and Western Australia (Miner's Right), and the Northern Territory (free fossicking permit, except inside its declared fossicking areas).
No general licence
NSW (but state forests need a Forestry Corporation permit), South Australia (with location exceptions), and Tasmania (inside its declared fossicking areas only).
No public fossicking areas
The ACT has no designated public fossicking areas - Canberrans generally cross into NSW.
State-by-state rules, last verified August 2026 against each authority's own page. Rules and fees change, so the official page is always the final word.
Worth knowing: the Northern Territory is widely reported online as needing no permit at all. That was true years ago and is not true now - the NT Government's own fossicking site is clear that a permit is required. It's free and lasts up to five years, so there's no reason to skip it, but plenty of hobbyist sites will tell you otherwise.
Queensland - YES, fossicking licence
Buy online, from a mines assessment hub or an authorised agent. Hand collection only, for recreational, tourist or educational purposes. Not required at tourist mines and sites that charge an entry fee. A separate camping permit is needed to camp on designated fossicking lands. Carry your licence at all times - on-the-spot fines apply. Get a licence | Fossicking rules
NSW - NO general licence, but state forests need a permit
No licence for general hand fossicking on eligible land. A 12-month permit is required in a NSW state forest, applied for online, and each person or family needs their own. Check the state forest fossicking map first, as fossicking is prohibited in some areas. Powered equipment (highbankers, dredges, trommels, pumps) is illegal and attracts on-the-spot fines. National parks and nature reserves are off limits. Apply for a state forest permit | Fossicking in NSW
Victoria - YES, Miner's Right
Required to prospect or fossick, and must be carried at all times. Valid 10 years, low cost, bought online. Children under 18 may prospect without their own permit if accompanied by an adult who holds one. Victoria maintains a list of rivers and streams where fossicking is not permitted - check before working any waterway. Get a Miner's Right | Where it's allowed in parks
Western Australia - YES, Miner's Right
Each person needs their own to prospect or fossick on Crown land. It allows passing over land to reach Crown land and taking samples up to 20 kg, with hand tools only and no mining operations. WA law defines "fossicking" as excluding gold and diamonds - searching for those is "prospecting", with extra rules. Written consent is needed from occupiers on conservation land and from tenement holders. Miner's Rights | Exploring in WA
South Australia - NO, with exceptions
No fossicking permit under the Mining Act, but landowner permission is always required off public fossicking sites. No fossicking in national parks, conservation parks or forest reserves. Designated Mount Crawford Forest sites (Gumeracha Goldfields, Watts Gully) require a ForestrySA permit. No entry to current mineral claims or leases without the holder's approval - check SARIG for tenements. Fossicking in SA | A guide to fossicking in SA
Tasmania - NO inside declared areas, licence outside them
Eleven declared Fossicking Areas, including Lune River, Killiecrankie Bay, Weld River and Penguin, need no licence, subject to the conditions on each area. Fossicking outside the declared areas requires a prospecting licence, valid up to five years. Uncommon or scientifically significant specimens found on Crown land may remain Crown property. Prospecting and fossicking | Declared fossicking areas
Northern Territory - YES, fossicking permit (free)
A permit IS required, is free of charge, and can be granted for up to five years - carry it plus photo ID. No notice needed on vacant Crown land or in declared fossicking areas. Pastoral land requires 7 days' written notice; Aboriginal land, parks, reserves and private land require a written request at least 14 days ahead, and Aboriginal land also needs a land council permit. Hand tools only, dig no deeper than one metre, and collection caps apply. Apply for a permit | Questions and answers
ACT - not available
No recreational fossicking framework and no designated public fossicking areas. Most of the Territory sits within Namadgi National Park, where fossicking is prohibited. Canberra-based fossickers cross into NSW, where no general licence is needed. Access Canberra
What a Licence Actually Gets You (and What It Doesn't)
What it gives you
The right to search for and keep what you find, with hand tools, for recreation - that's it.
What it doesn't
Access to a specific piece of land. Access is a separate question decided by who holds the land.
The two-step that never changes
(1) Hold the right licence or permit for your state. (2) Confirm the specific spot is open to fossicking, starting with Where to Go Fossicking in Australia: Gemfields, Goldfields and Public Areas.
The Rules That Apply Everywhere
Hand tools only for digging - powered digging equipment makes it mining.
Landowner permission on private land, always - and in the NT, formal written notice or consent is needed for some land, including pastoral leases.
No fossicking on someone's mining lease or claim without the holder's approval - claims are marked, and jumping them is both illegal and a genuinely bad idea socially.
National parks are off limits in every state (SA also excludes conservation parks and forest reserves). Small exceptions exist, so check the park's own rules.
Aboriginal heritage sites, artefacts and relics are protected in every jurisdiction - if you find something cultural or historic, leave it and report it.
Fill your holes, leave the site clean, and don't undermine creek banks.
The Quirks Worth Knowing
Western Australia
WA legally defines "fossicking" as excluding gold and diamonds - searching for those is "prospecting", under the same Miner's Right.
Queensland
Licences aren't needed at tourist sites that charge an entry fee - perfect for a first taste.
Tasmania
The no-licence rule only holds inside the declared fossicking areas - outside them, fossicking without a prospecting licence is illegal.
Rare finds
In some states, including Tasmania, rare fossils may legally remain Crown property - the find of a lifetime might be a donation, not a keeper.
Before you head out, grab the Before You Fossick checklist from our Resources page.
Link to downloadable resource: Before You Fossick
You'll find the legal checks, conditions, safety and the fossicking code, all to confirm before you dig. Download or print the PDF with full details and keep it in your kit. The phone download version is a quick overview reminder list.
Sources: each state's rules link to its official authority above. This guide is general information, not legal advice - always check the official page before you go.
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