Claim Staking Laws
Bureau of Land Management Claim Fees 2024
FEES - NEW CLAIMS LOCATED ON OR AFTER SEPTEMBER 1, 2024
CLAIM TYPE: Lode Claims, Mill Sites, and Tunnel Sites
DOCUMENT NEEDED: Notice of Location Within 90 calendar days after the date of claim location.
CLAIM FEE:
Location Processing Fee – $25
Location Fee – $49
Maintenance Fee – $200
Total Per Claim Fee – $274
CLAIM TYPE: Placer Claims:
DOCUMENT NEEDED: Notice of Location Within 90 calendar days after the date of claim location.
Processing Fee – $25
Location Fee – $49
Maintenance Fee – $200 for each 20 acres or portion thereof
Note: For claims located PRIOR to September 1, or the end of one assessment year but filed with the BLM ON OR AFTER September 1, the beginning of the next assessment year, maintenance fees are charged for both assessment years, unless a valid waiver is filed with the new locations, for the assessment year beginning after the location of the claim.
For the latest BLM Fees and Regulations
Click Here for the BLM Website
MAINTENANCE FEES - EXISTING CLAIMS
DOCUMENT NEEDED: A listing of each claim name and associated BLM serial number (Forms 3830-4 and 3830-4a may be used) On or before September 1.
$200 for lode claims, mill sites, and tunnel sites.
For placer claims, $200 for each 20 acres or portion thereof.
WAIVER FROM PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES FOR EXISTING CLAIMS
To qualify for a maintenance fee waiver, each claimant and all related parties must own 10 or fewer claims– nationwide.
DOCUMENT NEEDED DATE DUE PROCESSING FEE Form 3830-2 Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification: On or before September 1
Affidavit of Assessment: On or before December 30.
$15 per claim
Notice of Intent to Hold: On or before December 30.
$15 per claim
1. An Affidavit of Assessment, along with the appropriate processing fee, may be submitted with the Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification.
2. Notice of Intent to Hold – Must be filed for the first calendar year claim(s) are located or the first instance a waiver form is filed. May be submitted with the Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification.
TRANSFER OF INTEREST/AMENDED NOTICE OF LOCATION
DOCUMENT NEEDED: Quit Claim Deed (QCD) or other type of transfer document.
$15 per claim per transferee
Amended Notice of Location: Within 90 days after recording the amended notice in the state or local recorder’s office.
$15 per claim per amendment
3. NOTE – QCDs and amendments MUST FIRST be recorded with the state recorder’s office before filing with the BLM unless your state does not require QCDs to be recorded.
How To Pay Your Fees
Claimants (except those in Alaska) may pay their annual maintenance fee online through the
Mining Claim Maintenance Fee Payment Portal. This site is available 24 hours a day. The BLM payment portal provides the ability to query eligible mining claims and sites for payment through an interface with the Legacy Rehost 2000 (LR2000) public reporting database; select claims and sites to be paid; and then transfer to Pay.gov for payment of the maintenance fees for the selected claims and sites. At this time, only credit card payments are accepted and treasury limits apply.
Claimants who file on paper must include a document listing the claim/site name(s) and the BLM serial number(s) assigned to each claim for which the fees are being paid. Form 3830-5 (lode claims) and Form 3830-5(a) (placer claims) may be used to list claims and sites when making payments by check or credit card directly to the BLM state office for the state where the claims or sites are located.
Mining Claims - Laws, Guides and Forms
This section provides selected Guides, Rules, Laws and Forms regarding the staking and filing of Mining Claims in the U.S. Visit the BLM website for more information. Regulations and Rules are subject to change check with your State BLM Office for clarifications.
Bureau of Land Management Claim Fees 2024
Official BLM forms for Mining Claims and Mineral Leases
Maintenance Fee Payment Form – Placer Claims 3830-005a-190925 (pdf)
Maintenance Fee Payment Form Lode, Millsite and Tunnel Claims 3830-005 (pdf)
Notice of Intent to Locate on Stock Grazing Homestead Land 3830-005 (pdf)
Personal Bond and Power of Attorney under Mineral Lease or Prospecting Permit for Mining 3504-001 (pdf)
Mining Claim Requirements by State
Claim guides by State
There are 19 States in which mining claims can be located on Federal Land. The 1872 Mining Law gives individual States the option to establish their own claim requirements. State requirements can vary so it is important to check the details of the State where you are going to locate claims in and the type of claim you are going to locate.
Check with your State BLM Office
Your state BLM office may have important information regarding claim requirements and information regarding areas which are open for location.
DISCLAIMER: PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. NO WARRANTIES ARE MADE OR IMPLIED. MINING LAWS AND REGULATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CONSULT THE STATUTES OF STATE YOU ARE WORKING IN AND THE BLM STATE OFFICE FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION REGARDING THE STAKING OF MINING CLAIMS.
