The Oregon Beach Bill Explained: What You Can Collect, Dig and Detect on Oregon's Ocean Shore
Oregon's whole ocean shore is a state recreation area: the state owns the wet sand, and the 1967 Beach Bill secures public use of the dry sand. Its collecting rule lets you take a gallon of loose agates and shells a day, plus set amounts of sand, cobble and driftwood, and lets you metal detect in listed areas. Here are the exact limits and the places they don't apply.
Oregon's coast is public in a way few others are, and that comes from two laws. Since 1947, the state has owned the shore between ordinary high tide and extreme low tide, from the Washington line to the California line, and declared it a state recreation area (ORS 390.615). In 1967 the Beach Bill went further: it declared it state policy that the public have "free and uninterrupted use" of the ocean shore, and it vests in the state the public easements over the dry sand (ORS 390.610). The "ocean shore" runs from extreme low tide up to the statutory vegetation line or the line of upland vegetation, whichever is farther inland (ORS 390.605).
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department manages that strip as the Ocean Shore State Recreation Area, and one rule decides what beachcombers, rockhounds and detectorists can do on it: OAR 736-021-0090. It starts with a ban — no digging up or removing sand, soil, rock, historical or fossil materials — and then carves out specific personal-use allowances. Those allowances are what make Oregon the most generous beachcombing state on this site, and they're more detailed than most guides suggest.
What you can take from Oregon's ocean shore without a permit
| Material | Per person per day | Per person per year | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agates, other rocks, shells, fossils and similar non-living items | One 1-gallon container | 3 gallons | Only items loose on the ground; your own container, not shared |
| Sand | One 5-gallon container | 20 gallons | Your own container |
| Cobble | One 5-gallon container | 10 gallons | Your own container |
| Driftwood | 1 cubic yard (3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft) | 3 cords | No mechanized loading or removal; nothing embedded in the beach or dune banks |
| Ancient tree stumps (e.g., the Neskowin "ghost forest") | None | None | May not be disturbed, cut or removed |
| Anything, living or not, in marine reserves, marine protected areas, marine gardens, intertidal research reserves and wildlife refuges | None | None | No collecting of any kind |
| Archaeological objects | None without a permit | — | No excavating or removing without a department permit |
OAR 736-021-0090, effective May 26, 2025. The department can restrict removal by area, quantity and season, so check posted signs. Violations are Class A–D violations with fines under ORS chapter 153 (OAR 736-021-0050), and each occurrence is a separate offense.
Metal detecting on the ocean shore
OAR 736-021-0090(11) lets you use a metal detector on the ocean shore without a permit in the areas on Oregon State Parks' published "Detecting Allowed" list. That list covers the ocean shores of the north, central and south coast — the beach from the vegetation line seaward, wet sand and open sandy areas — with no digging in cliffs and specific parks excluded: Fort Stevens on the north coast, and Sunset Bay, Cape Arago, Seven Devils, Arizona Beach, Pistol River and Harris Beach on the south coast.
State Parks' detecting rules also limit probing and digging to an ice pick, screwdriver or small knife, require you to leave turf and dirt as you found them, and say that articles worth more than $250 found in state parks must be turned over to the park manager. If you find something that may be historic, leave it in place and contact park staff.
Where the Beach Bill allowance stops
The gallon-a-day allowance applies to the Ocean Shore State Recreation Area, not to everything that looks like Oregon beach:
- Offshore rocks and sea stacks belong to the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and are closed to public entry — at Bandon, that includes Face Rock and the other stacks (Bandon Beach).
- Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, the BLM headland next to Agate Beach, bans collecting entirely (Agate Beach).
- Marine reserves, marine gardens and refuges allow no collecting at all, under the same rule.
- Snowy plover nesting areas have seasonal restrictions, generally March 15 to September 15, on posted stretches.
- Cliffs, bluffs and seawalls: nothing may be dug out of them; the agate allowance covers only what's loose on the ground.
Oregon versus its neighbors
| State | Beachcombing on public ocean beaches | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 1 gallon a day and 3 a year of loose agates, shells and similar items; separate sand, cobble and driftwood limits | OAR 736-021-0090 |
| Washington (Olympic National Park) | A handful of empty seashells per visit; no rocks, glass or driftwood. See Ruby Beach | 36 CFR 2.1; park compendium |
| Washington (state parks and ocean beaches) | No personal-collecting allowance for rocks or shells in State Parks' rules. See Birch Bay | WAC 352-28-010 |
| California (state parks) | Depends on the unit; Glass Beach in Fort Bragg bans taking the glass. See Glass Beach | 14 CCR § 4611 |
Each linked Site page carries its own citations and verification date.
Before collecting on the Oregon coast
- Make sure you're on the ocean shore, not a marine reserve, marine garden, refuge rock or BLM headland
- Bring your own 1-gallon container for agates and shells; don't share containers
- Take only what's loose on the ground; leave cliffs, bluffs and seawalls alone
- Keep a running total against the yearly limits (3 gallons of agates and shells)
- Detecting? Check the Detecting Allowed list and bring only an ice pick, screwdriver or small knife to dig
- Watch for posted plover closures and stay off dunes
- Watch the ocean: sneaker waves and rolling logs are the real hazard in winter
Frequently Asked Questions
How many agates can I take from an Oregon beach?
Up to a 1-gallon container per person per day, and no more than 3 gallons per person per calendar year, under OAR 736-021-0090. The limit covers agates and other rocks, shells and fossils that are loose on the ground, and each person needs their own container.
Can I take sand from an Oregon beach?
Yes, a little. The ocean shore rule allows one 5-gallon container of sand per person per day, up to 20 gallons a year, and cobble up to 5 gallons a day and 10 a year.
Can I take driftwood from the Oregon coast?
Yes, up to 1 cubic yard per person per day and 3 cords per year, without machinery, and never wood embedded in the beach or dune banks.
Is metal detecting allowed on Oregon beaches?
Yes, without a permit, in the ocean shore areas on Oregon State Parks' Detecting Allowed list — the beach from the vegetation line seaward on the north, central and south coast — except at excluded parks such as Fort Stevens, Sunset Bay, Cape Arago and Harris Beach. Dig only with an ice pick, screwdriver or small knife.
Does the Oregon Beach Bill make the whole beach public?
Effectively, for recreation. The state has owned the wet sand between ordinary high tide and extreme low tide since 1947 (ORS 390.615), and the 1967 Beach Bill vests the public's easements over the dry sand in the state and declares a policy of free and uninterrupted public use of the ocean shore (ORS 390.610).
What's the penalty for taking more than the limit?
Violating an ocean shore rule is a Class A, B, C or D violation punished by a fine under ORS chapter 153, and each occurrence counts as a separate offense (OAR 736-021-0050).
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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.
Sources
- ORS 390.610 — Policy (Oregon Beach Bill)(accessed 2026-10-02)
- ORS 390.615 — Ownership of the ocean shore; state recreation area(accessed 2026-10-02)
- ORS 390.605 — Definitions (ocean shore)(accessed 2026-10-02)
- OAR 736-021-0090 — Cultural, historic, natural and wildlife resources (effective May 26, 2025)(accessed 2026-10-02)
- OAR 736-021-0050 — Fines(accessed 2026-10-02)
- Oregon State Parks — Where can I metal detect?(accessed 2026-10-02)
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