In some cases, you will find that paying your taxes does not give you the right to metal detect in township parks, schools, or sidewalk strips. A dog can take a dump in any of these places. A kid can eat dirt in any of these places. A hipster can play his guitar and a homeless man can nap in any of these places. Do they pay taxes? Probably not. But they have these rights because you pay your taxes.

There is a township near me called South Middleton Township. This township has all the ingredients for a perfect detecting experience. I’ve touched on it before, but in case you forgot–underground railroad, halfway point on the Appalachian Trail, iron ore mining industry, Victorian mansions, a ‘healing’ spring, a man-made lake that is drained once every couple years… I have pictures of women in fancy dresses with parasols boating on this lake. Could you imagine what they may have dropped in the water?

All that being said, the township has this to say about metal detecting. You MAY NOT:

That says nothing about metal detecting! I can hear you all saying it. You’re right. It doesn’t say anything about metal detecting, but the township interprets it as a no metal detecting ordinance.

In the township of South Middleton, this means that the lake is off limits, the healing spring is off limits, and the old parks and picnicking spots are all off limits. This is because they are owned and maintained by community tax-dollars. Why not work on private permissions? You might ask. I do work on private permissions within the township, but the public property is where these people gathered and where they lost their valuables.

I chose this topic for my post because I don’t want anyone assuming that they can detect on public property–which in essence is supposed to be public. By assuming you can detect, you could be breaking the law–which would result in losing your machine and your finds, in addition to facing a hefty fine. Not many new detectorists realize this and as a result, they are most often the ones to lose their detectors.

Please. I am begging you–both the newbies and the experts–you need to reach out to the township and make sure that you have permission to detect the parks, the schools, and the curb strips.

ALWAYS ask permission for public OR private property. That is my policy.

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