Cheat sheet · PDF
Utah Trust Lands Rockhounding: Permit, Leases & Rules
Those blue squares on the Utah ownership map are usually state trust land, and in the Utah Trust Lands Administration’s own words, “trust lands are not public lands.” BLM’s casual-collecting rules stop at the trust-land line. To rockhound there you need the state’s rockhounding permit ($25 individual or family, $200 association; bought separately from the state, not included with this PDF), and TLA says collecting without one is considered trespassing. Even with the permit, it isn’t valid on land under a mineral lease, where mining is active, or where the land is posted closed. This 4-page printable cheat sheet shows you what the permit covers, how to check a parcel before you go, and the camping, vehicle and fire rules that apply once you’re there.
Price: $4.99 · 4-page PDF, US Letter · instant download · the state permit is not included
Buy the Trust Lands Rules sheet - $4.99
What's inside
- Page 1: a color-coded verdict chart for 15 trust land situations (collecting with and without a permit, petrified wood and invertebrate fossils, vertebrate fossils and tracks, artifacts, metal detecting, tools, leased parcels, active mining and posted closures, selling, club trips, state parks and sovereign lands, camping, driving off route and campfires), plus what trust land is and how it differs from BLM land
- Page 2: buying the permit step by step (online, by phone or in person), confirming a parcel on TLA’s Open Plat Map, and checking TLA’s lease data for an active mineral lease, including the “Gemstone and Fossil” lease class that covers agate, geodes, jasper, topaz, petrified wood and trilobites
- Page 3: what Utah rule R850-12 bans on trust land, the 15-day camping limit, vehicle travel rules (R850-110), campfire and target-shooting rules, the penalties under Utah Code 53C-2-301, and a who-to-call table with TLA’s area office numbers
- Page 4: a before-you-go and at-the-spot checklist, a fill-in permit card (expiry date, township, range and section, lease check), what to do if you find a bone, track or artifact, questions to ask TLA, and 16 numbered sources, each with its link
Every fact is cited to its source in the PDF: the Utah Trust Lands Administration’s permit form, brochure, web pages, rulebook and map data, the Utah Administrative Code, the Utah Code, the Utah Geological Survey and BLM.
What it isn't
Not a permit, and not permission to collect anywhere. You still buy the permit from the state. TLA’s map data is for reference only, so the sheet shows you how to check and who to call when the answer isn’t clear.
Good for
Rockhounds heading to the Utah desert, where trust land sections sit inside BLM land, rockhound club trip leaders, families planning a collecting weekend, and anyone who isn’t sure whether that square on the map is open to them.
Buy the Trust Lands Rules sheet - $4.99
Not legal advice. Facts come from public Utah Trust Lands Administration, Utah Administrative Code, Utah Code, Utah Geological Survey and BLM sources, checked October 23, 2026. Permit terms, fees, leases, closures and fire rules change, so check with the Trust Lands office for your area the week you go. The permit you buy, posted signs and agency staff override this sheet. The state permit is sold separately by the state and is not included. Independent; not affiliated with any agency, lessee or business.
Free reading first: SITLA vs BLM in Utah, the SITLA rockhounding permit and Utah land ownership maps. More cheat sheets: How to Check for Mining Claims Before You Collect, Utah Rockhounding Rules by Land Type and the Utah Fossil & Petrified Wood Collecting Rules. The whole state: the Utah Field Guide.