guycuccio3
New member
Can anyone tell me about metal detecting laws in Sicily im going there for a few month and would like to bring my detector.
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help with metal detecting laws in Sicily
- Thread starter guycuccio3
- Start date
Isn't it simply a sub-region of Italy ? If so, I hear of persons md'ing in Italy. But it'll be like anywhere else in Europe: steer clear of obvious historic monuments, etc... In fact, if you want to just make it simple, just do farmers fields (like when fallow) with permission (like they do in Britain afterall). Because then you wouldn't be on public land. Any dire sounding laws you might read about Italy, would apply to public land, so ... there ya go !
SteveP(NH)
New member
"Although it is not illegal to buy a metal detector in Italy, there are strict rules on where you can metal detect.
There are many historical and protected archaeological areas where metal detecting is not allowed which are published by the Ityalian Government.
Metal detecting is allowed on areas which are not designated as such provided you have permission from the landowner.
Historical, Artistic and Archaeological objects as defined in law No42 January 2004 cannot be exported without an export licence.
If you discover any object of historical or archaeological importance as covered by the above law, metal detecting must cease and the find reported within 24 hours.
All Archaeological finds are the property of the state and must be reported to carabinieri/local Superintendency of Arts.
A Reward may be offered up to 10% of the value of the find.
The selling of archaeological objects is forbidden and all coins over 50 years old are considered historical.
It should also be noted that in val d
There are many historical and protected archaeological areas where metal detecting is not allowed which are published by the Ityalian Government.
Metal detecting is allowed on areas which are not designated as such provided you have permission from the landowner.
Historical, Artistic and Archaeological objects as defined in law No42 January 2004 cannot be exported without an export licence.
If you discover any object of historical or archaeological importance as covered by the above law, metal detecting must cease and the find reported within 24 hours.
All Archaeological finds are the property of the state and must be reported to carabinieri/local Superintendency of Arts.
A Reward may be offered up to 10% of the value of the find.
The selling of archaeological objects is forbidden and all coins over 50 years old are considered historical.
It should also be noted that in val d
oh wonderful, coins over 50 yrs. old are considered "historical" and must be reported, turned in. Ok, so I suppose someone follows around md'rs, with a calculator in-hand, doing the math on the age of each coin found ? 
I don't doubt that such verbage can also be found in the USA too, in places where people routinly detect. If you kept asking long enough, and high enough, of enough desk-bound archie bureaucrats.. In other words, lists like the site you copy-&-pasted from here.... you have to keep in mind how such things were compiled. Someone way back when goes and asks. Ok, sounds reasonable enough. But whatever person is tasked with answering such a question (when perhaps it was and is not an issue and no one ever cared) must pass that back and forth between multiple desks as the "pressing question".
And seriously, the part about exporting etc... Well so too might the answer be if a foreigner asked enough lawyers and bureaucrats in the USA: " Hi. If I find a gold bar on public land in the USA, is it alright if I smuggle it out of the country back to my home country of Italy?" Or "hi, can I please raid the pyramaids and keep all the goodies I find?". Well of COURSE you're always going to find dire sounding answers (that ... yes, if you keep asking long enough and hard enough can be applied to singular coins).
So, sometimes you have to read between the lines on such lists. For example, let's take a vote: How many people here think the people Don M sold those 2 Italian people detectors too, have found any 50+ yr. old coins ?
I don't doubt that such verbage can also be found in the USA too, in places where people routinly detect. If you kept asking long enough, and high enough, of enough desk-bound archie bureaucrats.. In other words, lists like the site you copy-&-pasted from here.... you have to keep in mind how such things were compiled. Someone way back when goes and asks. Ok, sounds reasonable enough. But whatever person is tasked with answering such a question (when perhaps it was and is not an issue and no one ever cared) must pass that back and forth between multiple desks as the "pressing question".
And seriously, the part about exporting etc... Well so too might the answer be if a foreigner asked enough lawyers and bureaucrats in the USA: " Hi. If I find a gold bar on public land in the USA, is it alright if I smuggle it out of the country back to my home country of Italy?" Or "hi, can I please raid the pyramaids and keep all the goodies I find?". Well of COURSE you're always going to find dire sounding answers (that ... yes, if you keep asking long enough and hard enough can be applied to singular coins).
So, sometimes you have to read between the lines on such lists. For example, let's take a vote: How many people here think the people Don M sold those 2 Italian people detectors too, have found any 50+ yr. old coins ?
Just keep one thing in mind; You won't be in the U.S.A. so what you think to be all right to do can have a VERY bad ending
and if that happens you can find your self in VERY DEEP brown stinky stuff with out a shovel !
If your going to some other country, abide by THERE LAWS, if you can't do that then do yourself and the rest of us a favor
and stay home. On second thought, maybe you should go and do your thing then maybe the rest of us won't get ban from
where ever you do your hunting here, because I can't help but believe if you don't care about there law's you sure don't
care about ours.
and if that happens you can find your self in VERY DEEP brown stinky stuff with out a shovel !
If your going to some other country, abide by THERE LAWS, if you can't do that then do yourself and the rest of us a favor
and stay home. On second thought, maybe you should go and do your thing then maybe the rest of us won't get ban from
where ever you do your hunting here, because I can't help but believe if you don't care about there law's you sure don't
care about ours.
Good points as always, Tom.
"There are many historical and protected archaeological areas where metal detecting is not allowed which are published by the Italian Government." That should make it easy to figure out where not to go.
Here's a trick question:
If an archie from hell had proof of you finding a 1964 US dime in 2015 and took you to court, would you be guilty if there was an over 50 year coin turn-in law?
"There are many historical and protected archaeological areas where metal detecting is not allowed which are published by the Italian Government." That should make it easy to figure out where not to go.
Here's a trick question:
If an archie from hell had proof of you finding a 1964 US dime in 2015 and took you to court, would you be guilty if there was an over 50 year coin turn-in law?
And you know what's funny? Is the exact same things you're saying works in reverse too: Someone from Italy tells another md'r there scary things about the USA. Eg.: Those two md'rs have looked up ARPA, read scary things about state park's laws, seen some scary stories of bootings, and conclude the same thing as you just did: The one Italian md'r says to the other: Detecting in the USA can have a very bad ending !
I once sold a detector to a fellow from Spain. (He'd answered an internet classified ad I'd posted) As he and I cemented the deal to go through with the sale ....... I couldn't help it. My curiousity got the better of me I linked him to a website which had ... uh ... "very dire" sounding laws regarding metal detecting in Spain . In fact, an out-right "no" if I recall. So I asked him "how do you detect there in light of this?". He replied back that such things only apply to public land and/or archaeological sites. So therefore they all hunt farmers fields with permission (same as they do in England for that matter). Or ... he said .... quite frankly .... they're so far back in the forests that there's really no one out there, to care, to begin with.
But at first glance at the website though, you'd think it's an absolulte no-no wouldn't you ?
I once sold a detector to a fellow from Spain. (He'd answered an internet classified ad I'd posted) As he and I cemented the deal to go through with the sale ....... I couldn't help it. My curiousity got the better of me
I linked him to a website which had ... uh ... "very dire" sounding laws regarding metal detecting in Spain . In fact, an out-right "no" if I recall. So I asked him "how do you detect there in light of this?". He replied back that such things only apply to public land and/or archaeological sites. So therefore they all hunt farmers fields with permission (same as they do in England for that matter). Or ... he said .... quite frankly .... they're so far back in the forests that there's really no one out there, to care, to begin with. But at first glance at the website though, you'd think it's an absolulte no-no wouldn't you ?
Robert2300
New member
I agree with the prson who said, stay away from historical ruins.
Do the beach, and ask permission to do your detecting on
farmers fields. You should be ok.
Robert 2300
Do the beach, and ask permission to do your detecting on
farmers fields. You should be ok.
Robert 2300
Robert2300
New member
"X2, When you ask, always show respect for them and there property.There people too, But in Sicily respect is taken to a higher level. you will be fine.
Yes, and remember not to use the word "wack." That has a special meaning there.
Robt2300
Yes, and remember not to use the word "wack." That has a special meaning there.
Robt2300