I'm just getting into detecting, in the UK, and finding out about assorted laws.
To detect on Crown owned foreshore (the bit between the high and low tide limits), you need a permit issued by the Crown Estate. Amazingly, it's free. Some beaches are privately owned though, so are no go areas. Others have assorted, vague 'conservation' orders on them. No go there either, no matter what the order is supposedly conserving.
Anywhere else, including offshore, and you need the owners permission. All land in the UK is owned and there is no such thing as 'public' or 'common' land, except in name only. In fact, any land described as common is more than likely owned by the local government (who have claimed it from the people, on the people's behalf of course) and the chances of getting permission to detect there are generally below zero. There are a few very rare exceptions though where you can pay for a permit on council land. None near me though. If you ask the council for permission, there is likely to be a sign up saying 'no detecting' the next day, followed by police sneaking around for a few weeks. They've nothing better to do after all.
Even if you have permission for some farmer's land (or the foreshore), anything found is the property of the land owner unless you've managed to get a written agreement otherwise. Often that's not a problem though, most finds aren't worth enough for the land owner to care about. If you tell them.
Taking anything you find without explicit permission to do so (and not reporting it to the police) could be classed as 'theft by finding', and you could be prosecuted and face prison time. That even includes finds on beaches. I think of lot of detectorists in the UK don't realise this one.
Certain finds are classed as 'treasure':
All hoards of gold or silver coins at least 300 years old (a hoard is defined as two or more coins found in close proximity)
All hoards of other coins with a precious metal content of less than 10% and at least 300 years old (a hoard is defined as ten or more coins found in close proximity).
Objects at least 300 years old with a minimum precious metal content of 10%.
Objects found in archaeological association with treasure.
Prehistoric base metal assemblages found after 1st January 2003
If you find anything like that, it is an criminal offence not to report it and surrender it to the local authorities. You might get it back if it's found not to be treasure, or you might get a 'reward' if it is taken off you. Lucky you!
Detecting on any registered archaeological sites is illegal without permission from the Secretary of State (forget it!). Removing anything found without express permission is an additional offence.
Many local councils have specific bylaws banning the use of metal detectors on their land, even so called 'public' land, which doesn't exist now even though previously it has been given to the 'people' by the crown.
Don't even get me started on 'public land' in the UK!
Not that any of that will stop me
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