Arizona · State Trust Land
Arizona State Trust Land: why you can’t collect there
Coming from Utah, you'd expect a trust-land rockhounding permit. Arizona doesn't sell one. Its recreational permit gets you onto State Trust Land to hike and look, and the state's own law makes taking a rock a crime.
What State Trust Land is
- At statehood, Congress granted Arizona land to support public institutions, mostly the common schools. The Arizona Senate's 2022 issue brief lists 13 beneficiaries and notes sections 2, 16, 32 and 36 of each township.
- It's big: more than 9 million acres, about 13% of Arizona (same brief). The Arizona State Land Department (ASLD), created in 1915, manages it to earn money for the beneficiaries.
- The brief: “Although trust land belongs to the state, it is not considered public land.” Public use is regulated through leases and permits, and nearly all trust land is under one or more leases.
The rule, in the state's own words
- A.R.S. 37-501: “A person is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor who: … 2. Knowingly extracts or removes oil, gas, coal, mineral, earth, rock, fertilizer or fossils of any kind or description therefrom.”
- A.R.S. 37-502: civil liability for the damage, three times the amount if the trespass was willful, and the department may seize what was removed.
- A.A.C. R12-5-533(A) repeats the offense for “extracting or removing any oils, gases, coal, minerals, earth, rocks, fertilizer or fossils of any kind.”
- ASLD's FAQ: recreation under the permit “is limited to: geocaching, hiking, horseback riding, picnics, bicycling, photography, sightseeing and bird watching.” Rockhounding isn't on the list.
- BLM Arizona: “Arizona State Trust Land is not public land… Rockhounding and metal detecting are not allowed on Arizona State Trust Land.”
The recreational permit: what it does and doesn't do
| Permit (ASLD, 2026) | Fee | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $15 | One person for one year. Day use; camping no more than 14 days a year. |
| Family | $20 | Two adults and children under 18 in the same household, one year. |
| Removal of Natural Product | $200 application | A land-use application with a site map and project description. A commercial process, not a hobby permit. Ask ASLD before assuming it fits you. |
The permit's terms: existing roads and trails only, leave gates as you find them, camp at least ¼ mile from livestock or wildlife water, and stay off land the Commissioner has closed. The permit portal lists among the permittee's responsibilities that they “shall not remove natural products from or visit archaeological sites on State Trust land” (verify on the current permit). ASLD warns that entering without a permit, or breaking its terms, “may result in criminal misdemeanor charges for trespassing on Trust land.”
Verdict
| On Arizona State Trust Land… | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Rocks, minerals, gems, petrified wood | No. A.R.S. 37-501(2); R12-5-533. |
| Fossils of any kind | No. “fossils of any kind or description.” |
| Artifacts, ruins, rock art | No. A.R.S. 41-841; the permit bars visiting archaeological sites. |
| Metal detecting | No. Not a permit activity; BLM Arizona says not allowed. |
| Hiking, photography, sightseeing | With a permit. $15 individual, $20 family. |
How to stay off it
- Check ASLD's parcel viewer before every trip, and again for the exact spot you plan to dig.
- Look for square blocks inside BLM country on any land-status map. In Arizona those are often trust sections.
- If you're unsure, don't collect there. Photograph it and move back to confirmed BLM land.
Arizona State Land Department, Phoenix: 602-542-4631 (from land.az.gov).
Utah comparison: SITLA vs BLM in Utah · SITLA rockhounding permit. Nevada: why Nevada has no SITLA.
Sources: A.R.S. 37-501; A.R.S. 37-502; A.A.C. Title 12, Ch. 5; ASLD FAQs; ASLD recreational permit terms; ASLD applications and permits; Arizona Senate issue brief, Arizona State Trust Land (2022); BLM Arizona rockhounding brochure.
Informational only — not legal advice. Rules, boundaries and seasons change. Confirm with the managing agency for the exact parcel before you collect. Last verified October 19, 2026.