Hunting and collecting meteorites
Everything a responsible hunter or collector needs: how to tell a meteorite from a look-alike, where the great strewn fields are and how they formed, who owns a find in each country, and how to keep a meteorite safe once you have one.
Meteorite law by country
Who owns a find, export rules and permits, in general terms for each country.
FieldsFamous strewn fields
Sikhote-Alin, Gibeon, Campo del Cielo, Chelyabinsk, Winchcombe and more: the fall, the ellipse and the law.
Look-alikesMeteor-wrongs
Slag, magnetite, hematite, basalt, concretions, industrial iron, chert and obsidian, and how to tell them apart.
CareCaring for meteorites
Storage, rust and lawrencite, humidity and desiccants, handling and display.
CheckerIs my rock a meteorite?
Nine quick home checks with an honest verdict and safe next steps.
GuideHave I found a meteorite?
The step-by-step identification guide, and how to get a find confirmed.
The responsible hunter's code
- Get the landowner's permission before searching, and agree in writing who keeps any find.
- Never collect in parks, reserves, protected sites or Antarctica.
- Record the exact place, date and finder of every find, and photograph it where it lay.
- Share fresh falls with science: tell a museum or university quickly.
- Check the law before you sell or export, and keep the paperwork.
This is general information to help you ask the right questions, not legal advice. Laws change and their details matter, and this summary was last reviewed in 2026. Before you search, buy, sell or export a meteorite, check the current law with the authorities of the country concerned or a qualified lawyer. See meteorite law by country.
Related pages
- How do I start looking for meteorites?
- Is it legal to own a meteorite?
- How should I store a meteorite?
Glossary: Meteorite ownership, Landowner permission, Strewn field, Meteorwrong, Lawrencite