Staking a mining claim works about the same way in every western state. You post a notice, mark the corners, record it with the county and file with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) within 90 days. What changes from state to state are the deadlines, the markers and the paperwork, and missing one can cost you the claim.
Last checked November 2026. This is a plain-words summary of federal and state law, not legal advice. Fees and rules change, so confirm dates and costs with your county or BLM before you rely on them.
Pick your state
Each guide walks through that state’s steps in order, with every county office’s address and phone number. Each one is also a free printable PDF you can take with you.
The steps in every state
- Find open groundOur state gold maps show active and closed claims, so you can see which sections are worth a closer look. Before you go, look the spot up in BLM’s records with our step-by-step MLRS guide. You can’t stake in national parks, national monuments, wilderness areas, Indian reservations, military land or on private land.
- Pick lode or placerA lode claim covers gold in solid rock, like a quartz vein, and can be up to 1,500 feet long and 600 feet wide. A placer claim covers loose gold in sand and gravel, and can be 20 acres per person, up to 160 acres for a group of eight or more.
- Post your location noticePut up a signed notice on the claim. In most states the day you post it starts the clock for every deadline. In Colorado, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming, the county deadline counts from your discovery instead.
- Mark the boundariesSet posts or stone piles at the corners, and in some states at the side centers too. Each state sets its own markers and its own deadline, listed in the table below.
- Record with the countyRecord your notice or certificate at the county office where the claim sits. In Alaska that’s the state recording district. Depending on the state, you get 30 to 90 days.
- File with BLMWithin 90 days of posting, file a copy of the recorded notice, a map and the fees with BLM, online in MLRS or at the BLM state office. A claim that isn’t filed with BLM and the county in time is void, even if the ground is good.
- Keep it each yearPay BLM $200 per lode claim, or per 20 acres of placer, on or before September 1, or you lose the claim. Most states also want a yearly filing at the county, and your state’s guide has the date.
Deadlines in each state
These come from our state guides, which use the safest date when the sources disagree. Every state also gives you 90 days after posting to file with BLM.
| State | Mark the boundaries | Record with the county |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska, federal land | Before you record | 90 days after posting |
| Alaska, state land | When you post the notice | 45 days after posting |
| Arizona | 90 days after posting | 90 days after posting |
| California | Lode, 60 days after posting; placer, before you record | 90 days after posting |
| Colorado | Before you record | Lode, 90 days after discovery; placer, 30 days after discovery |
| Idaho | Before you record | 90 days after posting |
| Montana | 30 days after posting | 60 days after posting |
| Nevada | 60 days after posting | 90 days after posting |
| New Mexico | Before you record | 90 days after posting |
| Oregon | 30 days after posting | 60 days after posting, or 30 for a mill site |
| South Dakota | Before you record | 60 days after discovery |
| Utah | Before you record | 30 days after posting |
| Washington | 30 days after discovery, before you record | 30 days after discovery |
| Wyoming | Before you record | 90 days after discovery |
Claims on Alaska state land don’t go through BLM. You pay rent to the state Department of Natural Resources instead, as the Alaska guide explains.
What it costs
| Claim | BLM fees when you file | BLM fee each year after |
|---|---|---|
| Lode | $274 | $200 |
| Placer, up to 20 acres | $274 | $200 |
| Placer, 21 to 40 acres | $474 | $400 |
The $274 is a $25 processing fee, a $49 location fee and the first $200 maintenance fee. Each added 20 acres of placer adds $200. Add the county’s recording fee too, which varies a lot: one page costs $10 in Idaho and $303.50 in Washington.
With 10 or fewer claims nationwide, you can do at least $100 of work on each claim instead of paying the yearly fee. File the free waiver with BLM by September 1, on paper, then file a record of the work by December 30 at $15 per claim.
If you stake before September 1 but file with BLM after it, you’ll owe two maintenance fees at once, one for each year.
Re-staking a closed claim
Many of the closed claims on our maps are ground someone gave up. Re-staking one means making a brand-new claim. None of the old owner’s rights carry over, and every step above still applies.
A few states ask for more. A Colorado or Washington lode claim needs new discovery work, such as a new shaft or the old one dug 10 feet deeper. Nevada, South Dakota and Wyoming want new or renewed boundaries. Your state’s guide covers the details, and our guide to abandoned gold claims explains what a closed claim is.
Before you dig
A claim doesn’t give you a free hand on the surface. Work beyond hand tools can need a notice or a plan of operations, so talk to the local BLM field office or Forest Service ranger district first. Some states also want permits for dredging or for working in streams.
More help
- How to check a mining claim in BLM’s MLRS, step by step
- Abandoned gold claims explained: whether you can pan or stake them
- What an unpatented mining claim is, and the rest of the glossary
- Mining claims by state: how many active claims each state has