Claim owners · Idaho
Selling mining claims in Idaho
Idaho has more than 40,000 active mining claims. They are filed with the BLM Idaho State Office in Boise and recorded with the county recorder. Before selling, confirm the BLM fee or waiver is current and check the county record for each year’s labor affidavit, and for any state placer or reclamation permit that would need to be assigned to the buyer.
Before you sell
What to check for Idaho claims
| BLM office | BLM Idaho State Office, Boise |
|---|---|
| Federal fee | BLM maintenance fee of $200 per lode claim, or per 20 acres of placer, by September 1 each year, or a small miner waiver if you hold 10 or fewer claims. |
| County filing each year | An affidavit of labor recorded within 60 days after the period allowed for the work; where federal law waives the labor, the notice accepting that is recorded the same way (Idaho Code 47-606). A missing affidavit is evidence the work was not done. |
| New locations | Notice posted and corners monumented, then a duplicate lodged with the county recorder within 90 days of location, or the claim is deemed abandoned (Idaho Code 47-602, 47-604), with the locator’s affidavit (47-611). A copy goes to the BLM within 90 days. |
| Transfers | Deed recorded with the county, then filed with the BLM. An Idaho Department of Lands permit or reclamation plan on the ground is assigned to the buyer separately. |
| Permits and reclamation | Idaho Department of Lands: a permit and bond for placer mining disturbing more than half an acre, on any land, and reclamation plans for surface mining and larger exploration. |
| Commonly claimed | Gold, silver, copper and molybdenum. |
Rules and fees change. Confirm them with the BLM and the county recorder before relying on them.
How a sale of Idaho claims usually works
- Check each claim on the BLM’s records system. How to check a claim.
- Check the county record for the location notice and each year’s affidavit.
- List any Idaho Department of Lands permits or reclamation plans tied to the ground.
- Agree the structure and terms in writing.
- Every claimant of record signs the deed; it is recorded with the county recorder.
- File the recorded deed with the BLM state office, with a processing fee per claim for each new owner. The BLM does not recognize the buyer until the transfer is filed, and keeps treating the seller as the owner of record.
- Assign any state permit or plan to the buyer, and agree who pays the next September 1 fee.
Things that trip up Idaho sellers
- A location notice that claims more than one location is void in Idaho (Idaho Code 47-608).
- An existing state reclamation plan is cancelled only after the buyer’s plan and financial assurance are approved.
Sources: Idaho Code title 47, chapter 6; BLM, mining in Idaho; Idaho Department of Lands, minerals procedures (2026); BLM, 2027 mining claim season fees; 43 CFR part 3833 (recording and transfers). General information, not legal advice.
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