Permitted Pursuits

Metal Detecting in Florida

26 verified locations for metal detecting in Florida. Each page includes exact permit requirements, restrictions, and what to know before you go.

20 Allowed
3 Permit Required
2 Unclear
1 Prohibited

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Allowed

Amelia Island

Florida, Nassau·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at Amelia Island's county and city beaches without a permit. The island's beaches include Nassau County unincorporated sections, City of Fernandina Beach managed areas, Fort Clinch State Park (beach section only), and Amelia Island State Park (beach section only). Each section has a different managing authority. No Nassau County or Fernandina Beach ordinance banning recreational metal detecting has been found; state park sections are governed by FL DEP Rule 62D-2.014.

  • No permit required on Nassau County and City of Fernandina Beach public beach sections — no specific ordinance found banning recreational metal detecting; confirm with Nassau County at (904) 491-7333
  • Fort Clinch State Park: metal detecting allowed on the ocean beach section (between toe of dune and high-water line) under FL DEP Rule 62D-2.014; inland park areas are prohibited
Allowed

Bathtub Reef Beach

Florida, Martin·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed on the sandy sections of Bathtub Reef Beach without a permit. This Martin County beach on Hutchinson Island features a natural nearshore reef that creates a sheltered wading area — detecting is restricted to the sand and must not disturb the reef structure itself.

  • No permit required for recreational metal detecting on the sandy beach sections
  • The nearshore reef structure must not be probed, dug into, or disturbed — reef disturbance may violate Florida coastal resource protection rules
Allowed

Caladesi Island State Park

Florida, Pinellas·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed on the ocean beach at Caladesi Island State Park without a permit, but the island is accessible only by ferry or private boat — there is no road access. FL DEP Rule 62D-2.014 restricts detecting to the beach only; the island interior, bay-side areas, and nature trails are off-limits.

  • No permit required for recreational metal detecting on the ocean beach
  • Detecting restricted to the Gulf-facing ocean beach only under FL DEP Rule 62D-2.014 — island interior, bay shoreline, marina dock area, and nature trail areas are off-limits
Verify Locally

Caspersen Beach

Florida, Sarasota·Metal detecting

Caspersen Beach — Sarasota County's most productive shark tooth site — has been closed to public access since Hurricane Helene and Milton struck in September–October 2024. No firm reopening date was set as of May 2026. When the park reopens, metal detecting is allowed on county beaches under Sarasota County Code § 90-33.

  • Caspersen Beach Park is currently closed to public access due to Hurricane Helene and Milton damage (September–October 2024) — confirm current status with Sarasota County Parks at (941) 861-5000 before visiting
  • When the park reopens, metal detecting is expected to be allowed under Sarasota County Code § 90-33 (no permit required on county beaches)
Permit Required

Daytona Beach

Florida, Volusia·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at Daytona Beach with a free annual permit from the Volusia County Beach Safety Department. The county governs the beach under Chapter 20 of the Volusia County Code (Beach Code); detecting is permitted on the beach but prohibited in inland Volusia County parks. The famous hard-packed sand driving zones present an additional safety consideration for detectorists.

  • Free annual permit required from the Volusia County Beach Safety Department before detecting — provide name, address, and contact information; permit is valid for one year
  • Contact Volusia County Beach Safety at (386) 239-6484 to obtain the permit or visit a Volusia County Beach Safety station
Allowed

Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park

Florida, Charlotte·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park without a permit. Charlotte County manages this 12.67-acre Gulf Coast beach on Manasota Key; no county ordinance banning recreational metal detecting has been found. The beach sits at the southern end of the Venice-area shark tooth fossil belt, making it productive for both modern finds and surface shark tooth collection.

  • No permit required; no Charlotte County ordinance found prohibiting recreational metal detecting on county beach — verify current rules with Charlotte County Parks at (941) 743-1900 before visiting
  • Charlotte County Facility Rules (Ordinance 2016-027) govern conduct at county park facilities — review posted rules at the park
Permit Required

Fort De Soto Park

Florida, Pinellas·Metal detecting

Metal detecting at Fort De Soto Park requires a free permit from the park office. Detecting is restricted to beach zones only under Pinellas County Code Chapter 90, and all recovered items must be surrendered to park staff — including modern coins and jewelry.

  • A free permit is required; contact Fort De Soto Park at (727) 582-2267 before your visit — permission is administered at the park level under Pinellas County Code Chapter 90
  • Detecting is permitted on beach zones only — from the waterline to the toe of the dunes; all interior park areas, campgrounds, picnic areas, and fishing piers are prohibited
Allowed

Fort Pierce Inlet State Park

Florida, St Lucie·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed on the ocean beach at Fort Pierce Inlet State Park without a detecting permit. Upland park areas are prohibited under FL DEP Rule 62D-2.014. The park marks the southern end of the 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet wreck corridor.

  • Recreational detecting is permitted on the ocean-facing beach; standard park entrance fee applies ($6/vehicle)
  • Upland park areas, picnic grounds, and dune zones are prohibited under FL DEP Rule 62D-2.014(1)(v)
Allowed

Hutchinson Island

Florida, Martin·Metal detecting

Hutchinson Island is a 20-mile barrier island split between St. Lucie and Martin counties with multiple distinct access points. Metal detecting rules depend on which section you are on: county-managed beaches are allowed without a permit; state park sections restrict detecting to the ocean beach only.

  • County-managed beach sections (St. Lucie County and Martin County public beaches) allow detecting without a permit
  • State park sections (Fort Pierce Inlet SP on the north end) restrict detecting to the ocean beach only under FL DEP Rule 62D-2.014
Verify Locally

Melbourne Beach

Florida, Brevard·Metal detecting

Metal detecting status at Melbourne Beach town beaches is unclear — the town's Chapter 40 (Beaches and Waterways) ordinance text was not publicly accessible as of April 2026. Confirm current rules with Melbourne Beach Town Hall before visiting. Two Brevard County parks within the town boundary have separate, confirmed rules.

  • Town of Melbourne Beach Chapter 40 (Beaches and Waterways) ordinance text was inaccessible online as of April 2026 — confirm status with Town Hall at (321) 724-5860 before visiting
  • No explicit metal detecting ban or permit requirement was found in any indexed section title of the town code; absence from titles does not confirm absence from full text
Permit Required

New Smyrna Beach

Florida, Volusia·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at the city and county beach sections of New Smyrna Beach with a free annual permit from the Volusia County Beach Safety Department. A critical boundary runs through this beach: Canaveral National Seashore (Apollo Beach section) begins at 7611 S. Atlantic Ave and is federal NPS land where metal detecting is absolutely prohibited under 36 CFR 2.1(a)(7). Detecting on the city/county beach north of that boundary is permitted with the free county permit.

  • Free annual permit required from the Volusia County Beach Safety Department — contact (386) 239-6484; provide name, address, and contact information; permit is valid for one year
  • CRITICAL: Canaveral National Seashore (Apollo Beach section) begins at 7611 S. Atlantic Ave, New Smyrna Beach — do not cross south of this boundary with a metal detector; NPS prohibition under 36 CFR 2.1(a)(7) is absolute
Allowed

Pensacola Beach

Florida, Escambia·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at the Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA) managed sections of Pensacola Beach without a permit. The critical boundary issue: Gulf Islands National Seashore (GUIS) wraps around both ends of the Pensacola Beach community — Fort Pickens to the west and the eastern sections beyond Portofino. Metal detecting is absolutely prohibited in all GUIS areas under 36 CFR 2.1(a)(7). The safe detecting zone is the Casino Beach area around the SRIA community, roughly centered on the beach sphere water tower.

  • No permit required on SRIA-managed Pensacola Beach sections (Casino Beach and the main community beach area) — confirm current rules with SRIA at (850) 932-2257
  • CRITICAL: Gulf Islands National Seashore begins at Fort Pickens to the west and at the eastern sections of Santa Rosa Island beyond Portofino — metal detecting is absolutely prohibited in all GUIS areas under 36 CFR 2.1(a)(7)
Allowed

Satellite Beach

Florida, Brevard·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed on Satellite Beach's city-managed public beaches. No permit is required and no city ordinance explicitly bans the activity. Florida Statute Chapter 267 applies statewide — items over 50 years old must be reported.

  • No City of Satellite Beach ordinance explicitly bans metal detecting on city beaches (confirmed via full ordinance index review, April 2026)
  • Fill all holes before leaving — open holes trap sea turtle hatchlings during nesting season (March 1 – October 31)
Allowed

Sebastian Inlet State Park

Florida, Brevard·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed on the ocean beach at Sebastian Inlet State Park without a permit. The park sits at the heart of the 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet corridor, but the offshore shipwreck sites are protected archaeological preserves — unlicensed recovery from them is a felony.

  • Recreational detecting is permitted on the ocean beach; standard park entrance fee applies ($8/vehicle)
  • Items over 50 years old are state property under Florida Statutes Chapter 267 — must be reported to FL Division of Historical Resources before removal
Allowed

Siesta Key Beach

Florida, Sarasota·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at Siesta Key Beach without a permit under Sarasota County Code § 90-33. The famous white quartz sand produces modern finds consistently; fossils, minerals, and cultural resources may not be removed under county ordinance.

  • No permit required on the public beach; Sarasota County Code § 90-33 permits recreational metal detecting on county beaches
  • Fossils, minerals, rocks, sand, and cultural resources may not be removed under § 90-33 — modern jewelry and coins are not restricted
Allowed

South Beach (Fort Pierce)

Florida, St Lucie·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at South Beach in Fort Pierce without a permit. This free St. Lucie County public beach sits on the south side of Fort Pierce Inlet — the inlet mouth concentrates finds, and proximity to the 1715 Fleet corridor means occasional historic material after significant storms.

  • No permit required for recreational beach metal detecting on the public beach
  • Items over 50 years old are state property under Florida Statutes Chapter 267 — must be reported to FL Division of Historical Resources before removal
Allowed

St. Augustine Beach

Florida, St Johns·Metal detecting

Metal detecting appears to be allowed at the City of St. Augustine Beach's public beach, but this area demands heightened care: the City of St. Augustine (a separate historical municipality) prohibits metal detecting on all city-owned property, St. Johns County prohibits disturbing archaeological sites on county lands, and the density of significant historical deposits in this area makes Chapter 267 compliance especially important. The beach itself is managed by the City of St. Augustine Beach, not the historic city.

  • No permit required on the City of St. Augustine Beach's public beach — no specific city ordinance prohibiting recreational metal detecting found in Chapter 5; confirm with the City of St. Augustine Beach at (904) 471-2122
  • IMPORTANT: The City of St. Augustine Beach and the City of St. Augustine are two separate municipalities — the historic city explicitly prohibits metal detecting and excavation on all city-owned property (Archaeological Preservation Ordinance, Chapter 6)
Allowed

St. Pete Beach

Florida, Pinellas·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at St. Pete Beach without a permit. No city ordinance has been found restricting recreational metal detecting; Florida Chapter 267 applies statewide. The Pass-A-Grille section at the southern end offers potential for older finds in one of the Gulf Coast's earliest beach communities.

  • No permit required; no City of St. Pete Beach ordinance found restricting recreational metal detecting
  • Stay below the high-tide line; dunes and dune vegetation are protected under Fla. Stat. § 161.053 — no digging year-round
Allowed

Stuart Beach

Florida, Martin·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at Stuart Beach without a permit. The City of Stuart manages this free public beach at the south end of Hutchinson Island near St. Lucie Inlet — the inlet dynamics concentrate finds near the beach's northern end.

  • No permit required for recreational metal detecting on the public beach
  • Items over 50 years old are state property under Florida Statutes Chapter 267 — must be reported to FL Division of Historical Resources before removal
Allowed

Venice Beach

Florida, Sarasota·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at Venice Beach without a permit. The city is marketed as the Shark Tooth Capital of the World — shark teeth can be collected freely, but metal detecting rules and shark tooth rules are distinct activities governed by different frameworks.

  • No permit required for metal detecting; City of Venice Code does not contain a specific ordinance prohibiting recreational metal detecting on public beach
  • Shark teeth may be collected freely on the public beach — no permit required for shark teeth specifically
Allowed

Vero Beach Jaycee Park

Florida, Indian River·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at Jaycee Beach Park in Vero Beach without a permit. The park sits in the southern end of the 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet corridor — any item over 50 years old is state property under Florida's antiquities law and must be reported.

  • No permit required for recreational beach metal detecting
  • Items over 50 years old are state property under Florida Statutes Chapter 267 — must be reported to FL Division of Historical Resources
Allowed

Vilano Beach

Florida, St Johns·Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed at Vilano Beach without a permit. This unincorporated St. Johns County beach sits north of St. Augustine on the barrier island side of the Tolomato River. Governed by St. Johns County Beach Code (Ordinance 2007-19), Vilano is more straightforward than the city beaches to the south — no separate city ordinances, no overlapping historic city ban. The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve begins to the north; detecting is not permitted in the reserve.

  • No permit required; metal detecting is allowed on St. Johns County beaches under Ordinance 2007-19; contact St. Johns County Beach Services at (904) 209-0331 to confirm current rules
  • St. Johns County Land Development Code § 3.01.07 prohibits knowingly disturbing archaeological sites on county-owned or managed lands — do not excavate potential archaeological deposits