Do I need permission to hunt for meteorites?
Yes. Always get permission from the landowner, and check national and local laws, because some countries treat meteorites as state property and many protected areas ban collecting altogether.
Almost every piece of land belongs to someone, whether a private owner, a farmer, a company, a local council or the state. Searching it without permission can be trespassing, and taking anything you find may count as theft. So the first step in any meteorite hunt is to find out who owns the land and ask them, ideally in writing.
Ownership of the meteorites themselves is a separate question, and the answer depends on the country. In many places, including the UK and much of the United States, a meteorite is generally treated as part of the land it falls on, so it belongs to the landowner. That is why serious hunters agree arrangements with landowners before they start: some share the find, others buy permission or pay a fee for any finds. Other countries treat meteorites as national heritage or state property, require finds to be reported, or forbid taking them out of the country.
Protected land has extra rules. National parks, nature reserves, scheduled monuments and archaeological sites often forbid collecting or digging entirely, and public land may have its own regulations. In Antarctica, only authorised scientific expeditions collect meteorites. Using a metal detector can bring further restrictions.
Laws vary widely and change over time, so check the current rules for the specific place you want to search, perhaps with a national museum, geological survey or land management agency. Being careful also helps science: reporting your finds properly means they can be classified and studied, and keeping good relations with landowners keeps land open for the next fall. A meteorite collected illegally can be confiscated and is almost impossible to sell or register openly.