Fossil Shark Teeth
Fossil shark teeth, megalodon included, are the most collected fossils on this site's pages, documented at eight places from Venice, Florida, to Big Brook, New Jersey. Whether you can keep them depends less on the tooth than on the land: Florida exempts them from its fossil permit, South Carolina's state parks forbid taking them, and on federal land they don't count as a casual collectible at all.
Sharks shed teeth constantly, and their enamel fossilizes well, so fossil shark teeth turn up wherever old marine sediments meet the surface: Florida's Gulf beaches and rivers, the South Carolina Lowcountry, the Chesapeake cliffs, North Carolina phosphate spoil and New Jersey streams. Most finds are small teeth from sand tigers, lemons and other species; the prize is Otodus megalodon, whose teeth are documented at Venice, the Peace River, Aurora, Calvert Cliffs and Purse.
The rules depend on who owns the ground, and the same tooth is treated three different ways:
- Florida state land: shark and stingray teeth are explicitly exempt from the Florida Fossil Permit, while other vertebrate fossils need one. See our Florida fossil permit page.
- State parks: often off-limits regardless. South Carolina bars removing any rock, mineral or geological feature from its state parks (S.C. Code § 51-3-145), and Florida's permit doesn't apply in state or national parks.
- Federal land: shark teeth are vertebrate fossils. Federal "casual collecting" covers only common invertebrate and plant fossils (43 CFR 49.810), so the free-collecting allowance on BLM land doesn't reach them, and national parks ban all fossil collecting (see our PRPA guide).
Shark tooth rules by landowner
| Where | Can you keep shark teeth? | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Florida state land (rivers, submerged land, state-owned beaches) | Yes, for personal use — no permit | Florida Museum of Natural History: "fossil plants, invertebrates, and shark and stingray teeth collected from state land" are exempt; other vertebrate fossils need the Florida Fossil Permit (fee capped at $5, Fla. Stat. § 1004.576) |
| Florida city and county beaches | Usually yes, if washed up | Local codes. Venice and Sarasota County ban digging fossils from beaches but exempt "shells, sharks' teeth, and other natural materials that wash up" |
| South Carolina beaches above mean low water (not state parks) | Yes, by hand, under local beach rules | No state permit above mean low water |
| South Carolina waters below mean low water | With an SCIAA Hobby License — hand collection only, no tools or digging | S.C. Code Title 54, Chapter 7 (Underwater Antiquities Act) |
| South Carolina state parks | No | S.C. Code § 51-3-145; SC State Parks applies it to fossils |
| Federal land (BLM, national forests) | Not as casual collecting; vertebrate fossils need a permit | Paleontological Resources Preservation Act; 43 CFR 49.810 limits casual collecting to common invertebrate and plant fossils |
| National Park Service units | No | 36 CFR 2.1 |
| Private land, fee-dig sites and museum fossil parks | With the owner's permission or on their terms | Owner's rules (e.g., Aurora Fossil Museum's pits: small hand tools and screens only) |
Checked October 2026 against the Florida Museum's fossil-permit legal page, SCIAA's Hobby License FAQ, 43 CFR 49.810, and the Site pages below. Each Site page lists its own sources.
Where fossil shark teeth are documented on this site
| Site | State | Verdict | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venice Beach / Caspersen Beach | Florida | Allowed | Sift washed-up surf-zone shell hash; digging into the beach face, bank or dune isn't covered by the local exemptions |
| Peace River | Florida | Allowed | Shark teeth need no permit; vertebrate bone does. Banks above the high-water line are mostly private, and collecting isn't allowed on state lands between Bartow and Wauchula |
| Folly Beach | South Carolina | Allowed | Free on the city beach down to the low-tide line; below mean low water needs a Hobby License. The county parks at each end bar removing materials |
| Huntington Beach State Park | South Carolina | Prohibited | State park rule: no removing fossils without a Department permit |
| Calvert Cliffs State Park | Maryland | Allowed | Loose fossils on the beach and in the surf only; the cliffs are off-limits; 1.8-mile hike each way |
| Purse (Nanjemoy WMA) | Maryland | Allowed | Loose teeth on the shoreline only; no artifacts or metal detectors without permits |
| Aurora Fossil Museum | North Carolina | Allowed | Two public pits of donated phosphate-mine spoil; free; keep what you find |
| Big Brook Preserve | New Jersey | Allowed | In-stream only, no digging the banks; daily limits differ between the county and Colts Neck sections |
Verdicts as published on each Site page.
Shark tooth or something you can't keep?
The exemptions cover teeth, not everything found beside them. In Florida, bone, turtle shell, horse and mammoth teeth are vertebrate fossils that need the Florida Fossil Permit on state land. Arrowheads, pottery and other human artifacts are a different category entirely: no fossil permit or exemption covers them, and none of the sites on this page allows taking them. When in doubt, photograph it in place and leave it.
Where Fossil Shark Teeth Is Documented
Venice Beach
FloridaAllowedWashed-up teeth in surf-zone shell hash are exempt from local digging bans; megalodon documented.
Peace River
FloridaAllowedShark and ray teeth need no permit; vertebrate bone needs the Florida Fossil Permit.
Folly Beach
South CarolinaAllowedFree above mean low water on the city beach; Hobby License below it.
Huntington Beach State Park
South CarolinaProhibitedProhibited: South Carolina state parks bar removing fossils.
Calvert Cliffs State Park
MarylandAllowedLoose teeth on the beach and in the surf only; never from the cliffs.
Purse State Park (Purse Area, Nanjemoy WMA)
MarylandAllowedLoose teeth on the Potomac shoreline at low tide.
Aurora Fossil Museum Fossil Park
North CarolinaAllowedPublic pits of phosphate-mine spoil; everything you find is yours.
Big Brook Preserve
New JerseyAllowedCretaceous teeth from the streambed only; daily limits apply.
Each site’s own page is the source of truth on current rules and limits — this page only gathers what’s already documented there. Verdicts shown reflect that site as a whole, not this material specifically, since a single site can allow one material while restricting another.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to collect fossil shark teeth in Florida?
Not on Florida state land. The Florida Museum of Natural History lists "fossil plants, invertebrates, and shark and stingray teeth collected from state land" as exempt from the Florida Fossil Permit, which covers other vertebrate fossils. State land for this purpose excludes private property and state and national parks, and city or county beach codes can still restrict digging.
Can I collect shark teeth in a state park?
It depends on the state. South Carolina state parks forbid removing fossils (S.C. Code § 51-3-145), as at Huntington Beach State Park. Maryland's Calvert Cliffs State Park allows loose fossils on the beach but not from the cliffs. Florida's fossil-permit exemption doesn't apply in state parks, which have their own rules. Check the specific park.
Can I keep shark teeth I find on BLM or national forest land?
Not under the free casual-collecting allowance. Federal rules limit casual collecting to common invertebrate and plant fossils (43 CFR 49.810), and shark teeth are vertebrate fossils, which require a permit on federal land. In national parks, all fossil collecting is prohibited.
Where can I find megalodon teeth legally?
Among the sites on this page, megalodon teeth are documented at Venice and the Peace River in Florida, the Aurora Fossil Museum's public pits in North Carolina, and Calvert Cliffs and Purse in Maryland. Each has its own collecting rules, listed on its Site page.
Do I need a license to collect shark teeth underwater in South Carolina?
Yes. Below the mean low-water mark, South Carolina's state waters require an SCIAA Hobby License, which allows hand collection of naturally exposed fossils only: no tools, digging or moving sediment.
Disclaimer
Information is provided for general guidance only. Regulations change frequently. Always verify current rules with the official jurisdiction before relying on this information for legal decisions. Permitted Pursuits is not a substitute for official agency guidance. Report an error.
Last updated: 2026-10-02