Laws for Virginia?

[John_Deere]

Hey all,

I was wondering if anyone knew if there are any laws that stretch out over the entire state. And if anyone knows about Fairfax county laws, that would be extremely helpful as well! Thanks and HH!!

 

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[mlamp20412]

Municode.com

Hey all,

I was wondering if anyone knew if there are any laws that stretch out over the entire state. And if anyone knows about Fairfax county laws, that would be extremely helpful as well! Thanks and HH!!

I do not know about overarching state laws, but this is a good place for county and city nationwide.

Try Municode, this should take you to FFXCO municiple code. otherwise just goto Municode.com, browse database, pick state and select county. You can search by words like "detector" "dig". "excavate" etc.

HH-

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Hey all,

I was wondering if anyone knew if there are any laws that stretch out over the entire state. And if anyone knows about Fairfax county laws, that would be extremely helpful as well! Thanks and HH!!

No, there would be no all-encompassing laws for detecting that cover "the entire state". That's because the state is broken down into various sub-entities: Cities, counties, and private land. And City and county can have different (or simply no rules, ie.: silent on the subject). So anything shown to you about state-of-Virginia (like if you looked at the FMDAC's state-by-state listing), only pertain to state-owned lands. And even then-so, only state PARK land (not all state land is state "park" land). So, unlike murder, taxes, etc.... something as benign as detecting, is not all encompassing. Most cities and counties are simply silent on the subject. But you're more than welcome to check at your city and/or county level, if you want. Check it for yourself, as opposed to asking a desk-bound person "can I?" type questions. If you see nothing there saying "no metal detecting allowed", then presto, it must not be prohibited

The link mlamp20412 gives is a good starting point. But I would differ with him on assuming or thinking that if you saw something there about "dig" or "excavate", that you must automatically equate that to detecting. Because verbage like that (alterations, defacement, etc...) exist in EVERY city and/or county codes, EVERYWHERE. I mean, duh, of COURSE you can't "vandalize" and "deface" and "alter" the public's property. Doh! Those things predate detecting, and are of course. When you think of it, all such words/text inherently and distinctly apply to the END result. Do they not? So if you've left the area exactly as you found it (covered your traces, stomped and fluffed up, etc...), then by logical definition, you have not alterED, or defacED, or excavatED anything, now have you? Might someone debate you on the semantic of that, since there's the temporary evil process of extraction? SURE! Avoid such lookie-lou busy-bodies, and go at low traffic off-times (after 6pm, etc...)

 

[John_Deere]

Awesome, thanks for the advice guys! I couldn't find anything on Municode or on the actual Fairfax county website, so I'll automatically assume I'm good. Thanks for the help, and HH!

 

[olfacere]

Your local municipal codes are a great place to start. I recently did this research on the state of Georgia and found quite a vacuum. I'm sure Virginia has something like our Department of Natural Resources and they will be the ones that control most state land (including state parks). It's best to avoid federal land entirely unless you really know what you're doing. I've been trying quite hard to find some list of regulations (any list of regulations) from our local Department of Parks and Recreation, but I've found nothing. Perhaps they want each park to be independently regulated depending on its function? It's been difficult for me to figure out who controls what land, but I think I've at least got that part now. Maybe emailing the director to ask about a general list of regulations (not pertaining to metal detecting specifically) might be in order?

 

[HutSiteDigger]

John give me a few more info on what kind of laws you talking about? i.e. Did you know you can hunt state parks if you get permission from the Park Supervisor? I have done this several times in the Northern Neck of Virginia and have been granted permission. Let me know in a PM or on here what you want to know about a certain law and I may be able to help. Up in Northern,Virginia they are pretty strict about everything once you get out to more rural areas they are less strict.