Metal Detecting in North Dakota

1. The rule, in full

North Dakota – N.D.A.C. 58-02-08-16

Read from the North Dakota Administrative Code as published by the North Dakota Legislative Branch, chapter 58-02-08 PDF (ndlegis.gov information/acdata/pdf/58-02-08.pdf), parsed locally. Re-verified word for word 3 Oct 2026. History for this section: effective 1 September 1987; amended effective 1 April 2006 and 1 May 2011.

Operative text, 58-02-08-16 "Metal detectors":

"No person may use any device for the purpose of locating or removing any metallic object or any other objects of value from a state park. Exceptions may be made by the director for approved archaeological surveys or law enforcement personnel. Use of a metal detector to find a lost item may be allowed under the direct supervision of park staff. Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a class 1 noncriminal offense."

Scope, 58-02-08-01 (Authority):

"These state park use rules apply to all those areas which are under the control of or operated by the North Dakota parks and recreation department."

Authority: NDCC 55-08-01.3 and 55-08-05.

Determination: parks and recreation department land only. Does NOT reach municipal parks.

One of the cleanest scope statements found in the whole pass – the rule says outright which lands it governs, in its own authority section.

My citation was wrong first time. I searched NDAC Title 63; that is the Board of Podiatric Medicine. Parks rules are Title 58.

Source: ndlegis.gov acdata 58-02-08.pdf, parsed locally. Checked 19 Sep 2026.

2. Cities in North Dakota that publish a rule

No city in North Dakota publishes a metal detecting rule we can quote. Of the 9 cities we checked, 7 had pages on the city’s own site that we found and read, and none of those sets out a rule. For the remaining 2 we could not locate a municipal source, so nothing is claimed about them either way.

This is a finding, not a queue. It is also not proof that no rule exists: a city that posts its rules on a noticeboard, or in a document our searches do not surface, looks exactly the same from here.

3. County rules

Awaiting review. None of the city or county rows publishes until its status is set and its quotation chosen by hand.

4. Cities checked — no published rule

Awaiting review. None of the city or county rows publishes until its status is set and its quotation chosen by hand.