Nevada · state lands
Why Nevada has no SITLA (and what state land is now)
Coming from Utah, you'll look for the blue trust-land squares and the permit to go with them. In Nevada there aren't any to speak of, and there's no permit.
What happened
- 1864: at statehood Nevada was granted sections 16 and 36 of every township for schools, roughly 3.9 to 4 million acres (Nevada Division of State Lands).
- 1880: the scattered sections were hard to survey and sell, so Nevada gave the grant back in exchange for 2 million acres it could select wherever federal land was available. NDSL says Nevada was the only state granted this exchange.
- Sold off: the state sold the selected land, at $1.25 to $2.50 an acre, and nearly all of it was gone by the end of the 1800s. In 1926 Congress let Nevada swap its last 30,000 acres of grant land for an equal 30,000-acre credit, most of which was also selected and sold.
- Today: NDSL reports about 3,000 acres of school trust land (2,914 acres in its portfolio summary), mostly in Washoe, Carson City, Nye and Clark counties (the 2026 Land Portfolio also lists small parcels in Lyon and Elko), managed for the Permanent School Fund.
So can you collect on Nevada state land?
Treat it as no unless the State Land Office says yes. There is no rockhounding permit like Utah's. The Nevada Division of Minerals describes state lands as “technically private” for collecting purposes and suggests contacting State Lands. It also notes that state land you're likely to run into is a park or historic site, where collecting normally isn't allowed.
Other state-owned land is mostly state parks (no collecting under NRS 407.250), Nevada Department of Wildlife management areas (ask NDOW), and historic sites. On any state or federal land, NRS 381.197 requires a permit to dig in or remove objects from a historic or prehistoric site, which includes paleontological sites.
What the map trap looks like in Nevada
In Utah, the odd square on the map is often SITLA. In Nevada it's more likely a patented mining claim (private property) or an unpatented claim on BLM land. Check the county parcel map and MLRS before you assume it's open.
Utah comparison: SITLA vs BLM in Utah · SITLA rockhounding permit.
Sources: Nevada Division of State Lands (State Land Office; History of State Lands; State Lands Portfolio Executive Summary); Nevada Division of Minerals FAQ and 2024 mining-claims overview; NRS 381; NRS 407.
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 16, 2026.