Meteorite law in South Africa
Under the National Heritage Resources Act of 1999, all meteorites are the property of the state. Collecting, owning, trading or exporting one needs a permit.
Belongs to the state
The rule: South Africa's National Heritage Resources Act of 1999 states plainly that all archaeological objects, palaeontological material and meteorites are the property of the state. The responsible heritage authority can place them in a museum or public institution.
What is forbidden without a permit: disturbing a meteorite or the place where it lies; removing, collecting or owning one; trading in or selling one; exporting or trying to export one; and using a metal detector to search for one. Anyone who comes across a meteorite during building or farm work must report it at once to the heritage authority, a local authority office or a museum.
Older holdings: people who owned meteorites before the act had two years to register them; registered specimens may stay with their owner for life.
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
Glossary: Meteorite ownership, Export rules, Landowner permission, Provenance