Metal Detecting in Kansas

1. The rule, in full

Kansas – K.S.A. 74-5401 et seq. (Kansas Antiquities Act)

Operative text, 74-5403:

"No individual, institution or corporation shall excavate in, remove material from, vandalize or deface any site or area" on lands belonging to the state, counties, municipalities, or where qualified agencies conduct archaeological work.

Scope: reaches municipal land. The statute names state, county and municipal lands directly.

Definition, 74-5401:

"'Antiquities' means historic or prehistoric ruins and other archeological sites, including evidence of such features as constructions or inscriptions by human agency or other evidence of human activity having antiquity but not including any unmarked burial site subject to the provisions of the Kansas unmarked burial sites preservation act."

What it actually prohibits: excavating, removing material from, vandalising or defacing an archaeological site. Permits are available only to educational and research institutions, public museums and nonprofit scientific corporations (74-5404) – so there is no permit route for a hobbyist.

What it does NOT prohibit: metal detecting. The word does not appear. A park that is not an archaeological site is not reached by this statute at all.

Directory entry should read: on state, county and municipal land in Kansas it is unlawful to excavate in, remove material from, deface or vandalise an archaeological site. It should NOT read that metal detecting is prohibited in Kansas city parks.

2. Cities in Kansas that publish a rule

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

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.