State Mining Claim Guides

Current 2025 BLM regulations and filing requirements

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📋 Federal Requirements (All States)

All mining claims on federal land must comply with BLM regulations. Here are the key requirements for 2025:

2025 Annual Maintenance Fees

  • $200 per lode claim, tunnel site, or mill site
  • $200 per 20 acres (or portion thereof) for placer claims
  • Fee increased from $165 on July 1, 2024

⏰ Critical Deadline

September 2, 2025 - Annual maintenance fees and small miner's waivers must be filed by this date. (Extended from Sept. 1 due to federal holiday)

Small Miner's Waiver

If you own 10 or fewer claims/sites on Federal land nationwide, you may qualify for a maintenance fee waiver:

  • File Form 3830-002 by September 2, 2025
  • No processing fee for the waiver itself
  • Must file Affidavit of Assessment Work by December 30, 2025
  • $15 processing fee per claim with assessment work
  • Must prove $100 worth of labor/improvements per claim

Initial Recording Requirements

New claims must be recorded with both the county recorder and BLM state office within 90 days of the date of location (varies by state - some require 30-60 days).