Meteorite law in the United States
Meteorites belong to the owner of the land where they are found. Federal land has its own rules, including a 10-pound yearly limit for hobby collecting on BLM land.
Landowner or finder
Private land: American courts have held since the Iowa case of 1892, Goddard v. Winchell, that a meteorite belongs to the owner of the land, not the finder, because it becomes part of the soil where it lands. The rule was confirmed for the Willamette meteorite in Oregon in 1905.
Federal land: meteorites on federal land belong to the government. On land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, hobby collecting is allowed without a permit up to 10 pounds (about 4.5 kilograms) per person per year, by hand and without motorised tools, for personal use only; such finds may not be sold. Scientific collecting needs a permit and the specimens must go to an approved repository; commercial collecting needs a land-use permit and a payment. Collecting is forbidden in national parks, wilderness areas and other closed areas. The 2.75-tonne Old Woman iron, found on federal land in California in 1975, was claimed by the government.
Tribal and state land: meteorites on tribal land belong to the tribe, and state lands have their own rules.
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