A mining claim is cheap to hold — but unforgiving if you forget. Miss the annual deadline and the claim is conclusively deemed abandoned: no grace period, no appeal, and the ground reopens to the next person who locates it. Here's everything on the calendar, and what it costs.
The Maintenance Fee: $200, Due September 1
The BLM's annual maintenance fee is $200 per lode claim. Placer claims pay $200 per 20 acres (so a 40-acre placer is $400). Payment must be received by the BLM on or before September 1 each year for the upcoming assessment year — mail it early or pay online; a postmark isn't enough. The BLM adjusts fees periodically, so confirm the current schedule with your state office before paying.
The Small-Miner Waiver: Free, With Sweat Equity
If you hold 10 or fewer claims nationwide, you can skip the fee entirely by filing a Maintenance Fee Waiver by the same September 1 deadline. There's no charge to file, but the waiver comes with a genuine obligation: perform at least $100 of assessment work per claim per year — labor or improvements like sampling, road work, or excavation — and record an affidavit of that work with the county and file it with the BLM. For someone actively working their claim, the assessment requirement usually takes care of itself.
County Paperwork
Most western states also expect a county-level filing — commonly a Notice of Intent to Hold, and in your first year, the recorded location notices. Requirements and deadlines vary by state and county, so check with the county recorder where your claim sits. When you buy from us, your new-owner packet spells out what your county wants; the FAQ covers the common cases.
A Claim Owner's Calendar
- June–July: decide fee vs. waiver. If waiver, get your $100 of assessment work done while the weather's good — and photograph it.
- Early August: pay the fee or file the waiver. Never ride the deadline; September 1 is a received-by date.
- After filing: confirm your claim still shows as active in BLM records — our research guide shows where to look.
- Year-round: keep copies of every receipt and affidavit with your claim papers.
Perspective: $200 a year — about $17 a month — maintains exclusive mineral rights on 20 acres of the American West. It's one of the cheapest property interests in the country to hold. Just respect the deadline. Questions about a specific claim's status? Ask us — checking is free.