Foraging & Collecting
Arrowheads & artifacts — the rules people break by accident
The plain answer: on your own land (or a friend's, with permission) you may surface-collect. On public land you may not. And disturbing any grave — marked or unmarked — is a felony. These are the rules that trip up well-meaning people, so they're worth getting exactly right.
On private land: surface collecting, with permission
On your own land — or a friend's, with written permission — surface collecting is generally legal. Surface only: don't dig. If you find what looks like a real site, report it to archaeologists (the University of Missouri) instead of excavating it.
On public land: leave it
On public land, removing or digging for artifacts is illegal — on state land (conservation areas, state parks) under Missouri law and MDC/DNR rules, and on federal land (the national forest, refuges, Corps lakes, national parks) under federal law. ARPA bars excavating, removing, or damaging archaeological resources on federal land without a permit.
The "arrowhead exception" is not a green light
The so-called 'arrowhead exception' removes ARPA's criminal penalty for picking up a surface arrowhead on federal land — but it does NOT make it legal. You can still be prosecuted under other laws. On public land: photo, leave it, report it.
This one is a felony
Never disturb a grave or a mound
Graves are off-limits, period. Knowingly disturbing, destroying, or damaging a marked or unmarked human burial — including Native American mounds — is a felony under Missouri law, and NAGPRA protects Native graves and remains. Never dig a mound or a burial.
River sandbars: a gray area, not a loophole
River sandbars are a legal gray area, not a loophole. There is no 'high-water mark' permission rule. Ownership, navigability, public-land status, shipwreck law, federal rules, and burial law can all come into play. The safe move: photograph it, leave it in place, and ask the land manager, DNR/SHPO, or MDC before you take anything.
Owning and selling
You can generally own and display artifacts you found legally. It is illegal to buy, sell, or trade items taken from public land, dug from sites, or removed from graves — and selling Native burial or sacred objects is a federal crime. Keep records of where and how you found things.
If you find something
What to do the moment you find it
On public land
On public land: take a photo, note the location, leave it exactly where it is, and report it to the land manager.
Possible human remains
Possible human remains: leave the area immediately, don't touch anything, and call law enforcement or the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
On private land
On private land: surface collecting only, and only with the owner's permission. Keep records of your finds — and never dig.
Before you gather
Missouri Porch explains; the landowner and the land manager decide.
Last checked: 2026-06-18. Rules differ by land type and change over time — and eating a wild plant or mushroom is a health decision, not a website decision. When in doubt, ask the land manager, check a field guide, and don't eat anything you can't name with certainty.
This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Foraging and collecting rules change and depend on whose land you're on and what you're taking — always confirm with the landowner or land manager before you gather. For a suspected poisoning, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911.
Heads up: Artifact and burial laws carry criminal penalties — disturbing a human burial is a felony. On public land the safe move is always the same: photograph it, leave it in place, and report it.
- Missouri Archaeological Society
- Mark Twain National Forest — federal-land artifacts are protected under ARPA
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