⛏ Free Resource Guide
Mining Claim Resources
Everything you need to file, research, maintain, and extract value from an unpatented BLM mining claim — from first discovery to first ounce.
Mining Claim Buyer’s Guides
New to claims? Start here — six plain-English guides that cover the whole journey, written from hundreds of real transfers.
How to Buy a Mining Claim
The full process from first inquiry to recorded deed.
Lode vs. Placer Claims
Which claim type fits how you want to mine.
Patented vs. Unpatented
What you actually own with each claim type.
Annual Fees & Deadlines
The Sept. 1 deadline, $200 fee, and the free waiver.
What You Can Do on a Claim
Camping, equipment, structures — the real rules.
How to Research a Claim
Verify any claim in MLRS and county records.
How to Make a Mining Claim
Making your own gold or silver mining claim is more accessible than most people think. Here's the complete process from land research to filed claim.
Verify Land Is Open
Most National Forest and BLM-managed public land is open for mineral entry. Exceptions include wilderness areas, national parks, and land already withdrawn from mineral entry. Check land status using the Nevada Division of Minerals open map or the BLM’s Mineral & Land Records System (MLRS) — they overlay existing claims on a Township/Range/Section map and are updated several times per year. Free — no cost to research.
Check Existing Claims
Search MLRS for your target Township/Range/Section. If claims already exist in your section, visit the county recorder's website to pull their location maps and see if any overlap your intended boundaries. Cross-reference with The Diggings for approximate GPS locations and claimant names. County recorder records are public and free.
Mark the Claim
Physically visit the location. Erect a state-approved discovery monument at the point of discovery and mark all four corners of the claim with posts or cairns. Attach your Notice of Location to the discovery monument. There are specific state guidelines for how corner monuments must be constructed — check your state's Bureau of Mines for exact requirements. See an example of a correct location map here. Cost: stakes & materials only.
File Your COL
Prepare your Certificate of Location and an accurate location map drawn to your state's standards. File with both the BLM and county recorder. Recording a new claim with the BLM costs $274 per claim — a $49 location fee, a $25 processing fee, and the $200 first-year maintenance fee. In place of that maintenance fee you may file a small miner’s waiver, if you and all related parties hold 10 or fewer claims nationwide. Some counties also require a notarized Notice of Intent to Hold, due by December 30th.
Quick Reference — Filing Costs & Deadlines
| Fee Type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BLM New Claim Filing | $274 | Per claim — $49 location fee + $25 processing fee + $200 first-year maintenance fee |
| County Filing Fee | $60–75 | Varies by county and state |
| Annual Maintenance Fee | $200 | Per lode claim, mill site or tunnel site; per 20 acres (or part) for placer — paid annually |
| Small Miner’s Waiver | Free | No filing fee, if you and all related parties hold 10 or fewer claims nationwide |
Researching Mining Claims & Gold Mines
The best gold mines are found with good research. These are the databases and tools actively used to find, evaluate, and stake productive mining claims.
🔗 BLM MLRS
mlrs.blm.gov — the official federal mining claim database, and where annual fees are paid online. MLRS replaced the retired LR2000 system; search by Township/Range/Section to find existing claims and verify land status.
🔗 The Diggings™
Cross-reference tool with approximate GPS locations, claimant names, and claim history. Excellent for initial research.
🔗 Nevada Division of Minerals
Open data map overlaying existing claims on Township/Range/Section maps. Updated several times per year.
🔗 County Recorder Offices
Pull location maps and claim documents from the county where the claim is located. All records are public.
🔗 USGS Mineral Resources
Geological surveys, mineral deposit databases, and historic production records for districts across the American West.
🔗 Google Earth / Maps
Visual terrain analysis, road access verification, and GPS coordinate plotting for claim boundaries.
📊 Nevada Open Data — Mining Claims
data-ndom.opendata.arcgis.com — ArcGIS-powered interactive map of Nevada mining claims. More granular than the standard MLRS view with downloadable data exports. Excellent for detailed prospecting research in Nevada.
💎 Mindat.org
mindat.org — The world's largest open database of minerals and their locations. Includes geolocation data for mines not found in BLM records — especially historical and obscure workings. Essential for mineralogy research.
🌐 My Land Matters
mylandmatters.org — Research current mining claims by geographical location with useful layers including mining districts and geological information. Good backup resource when MLRS is experiencing downtime.
Browse BLM-Verified Mining Claims for Sale
Skip the staking process entirely — every listing is hand-selected, filed, and ready for immediate transfer. Gold, silver, copper, and tungsten claims across the American West.
Browse Active Claims →Maintaining Your Mining Claims
Keep your mining claim active and in good standing with these annual filing requirements. Missing the September 1st BLM deadline can result in automatic forfeiture.
All BLM assessment fees must be paid before September 1st each year to keep your mining claim active. Missing this deadline forfeits the claim. Mark it in your calendar — it cannot be extended or waived after the fact.
First-Year Requirements
In the first year of a new mining claim, you must complete both of the following:
- Pay the $200 annual maintenance fee to the BLM before September 1st — OR file a small miner’s waiver, free of charge, if you and all related parties hold 10 or fewer claims nationwide
- File a Notice of Intent to Hold (or an Affidavit of Assessment Work) by December 30th — required every year with the BLM if you take the small miner’s waiver, and required by some counties regardless. Several counties want it notarized. Contact your county recorder's office for their specific requirements.
Ongoing Annual Requirements
After the first year, annual maintenance is straightforward: pay the BLM maintenance fee before September 1st and you can hold the claim indefinitely. Some claimants have held the same mining claims for 80+ years and passed them on to heirs. Since a mining claim is a tradable asset — like a deed to property — its value can appreciate significantly with changes in precious metal prices.
For the full schedule of BLM mining claim fees and payment instructions, visit the BLM Mining Claims page, or pay online at mlrs.blm.gov.
Annual Maintenance Calendar
$200 per claim
Only if holding 10 or fewer claims
Annually if you use the waiver. Also required by some counties. File with BLM and county recorder.
As long as fees are paid on time
Fire Assay & Mining Equipment
Knowing exactly how much gold and silver is in your ore — in real time — is the difference between a profitable operation and a costly guess. Here's how to do it right.
Commercial labs charge $30–$50 per sample with 10-sample minimums and weeks of turnaround. For ~$2,000 in equipment (oven, crucibles, cupels, litharge), you can do your own. After just 40–50 samples the setup pays for itself, and subsequent assays cost approximately $3 each. Over a few seasons, this saves thousands.
Recommended Assay Resources
🧪 American Assay Labs (AAL)
aallabs.com — Reno, Nevada. Professional fire and geochemical assay lab. Minimum order 10 samples. Pricing $30–$50 per sample. Gold, silver, copper, platinum group elements.
⚙️ Lmine.com
lmine.com — Full assortment of lode and placer mining equipment, crushers, tables, geological tools, sample bags, screens, and fire assay supplies. Also stocks the classic Bugbee fire assay textbook.
Floatation & Milling
Extracting gold, silver, copper, and zinc from lode deposits requires crushing, gravity concentration, and chemical processing. Here's how to think about small-scale milling.
Extracting precious metals from lode deposits often involves a combination of crushing, gravity concentration, and flotation chemistry. Lead, zinc, silver, gold, and copper can all be extracted from sulfide and oxide ores using the flotation method — the same process used by industrial mines, scaled down for small operations.
Mountain Man Mining Pilot Mill
Mountain Man Mining™ operates a pilot mill site in Gold Point, Nevada, capable of milling up to 20 tons per day. Our pilot mill is capable of extracting gold from lode and placer deposits using a variety of methods:
- Gravity concentration — shaker tables and sluices for free-milling gold
- Heap leach — cyanide-free and cyanide-based options
- Mercury amalgamation — traditional method for fine gold
- Flotation — for sulfide ores containing copper, lead, and zinc
- Direct smelt — for high-grade ore with low iron content
Educational Video Resources
▶ Small Scale Floatation Plant
YouTube · Ore Processing
▶ Laboratory Silver & Gold Floatation
YouTube · Metallurgy Demo
Mining Claim Glossary
Essential terminology for anyone buying, selling, or working a mining claim in the American West.
State-by-State Mining Claim Resources
Direct links to county recorders, BLM field offices, and state mineral divisions for each state where active gold and silver mining claims are available.
🏔 Colorado
Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining & Safety. Denver County Recorder for claim filings. BLM Colorado State Office in Lakewood.
🌵 Nevada
Nevada Division of Minerals. BLM Nevada State Office in Reno. County recorders in each claim county (Clark, Douglas, Humboldt, etc.).
☀️ Arizona
Arizona State Mine Inspector. BLM Arizona State Office in Phoenix. County recorders in La Paz, Yavapai, and other claim counties.
🦌 Montana
Montana Bureau of Mines & Geology. BLM Montana State Office in Billings. Madison County Recorder for local claim filings.
🥔 Idaho
Idaho Department of Lands. BLM Idaho State Office in Boise. Boise County Recorder for claim documentation.
🌉 California
California Department of Conservation — Division of Mine Reclamation. BLM California State Office in Sacramento. County recorders in Sierra, Plumas, and other claim counties.
Free Guides & Downloads
Two free PDFs you can download right now — no signup required.
Paydirt — Mountain Man Mining Edition
A practical field guide to the economics of small-scale gold mining: what a claim really produces and how to buy smart.
⬇ Download PDFGold Rush — Modern Prospecting
An introduction to modern prospecting methods and where to find gold on public land across the American West.
⬇ Download PDFSkip the Staking Process
Rather than staking your own? Browse 9 hand-selected gold, silver, copper, and tungsten mining claims with full documentation, assay reports, and transfer handled within 48 hours.
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