The Metal Detecting Code of Ethics is a guide as to what you should and shouldn’t do when metal detecting.  It is printed in most metal detector operating manuals and plenty of sources online.  I’ve revised it a little bit to reflect some of my detecting do’s, don’ts, and pet peeves.

Here’s the iDetectorist.com Metal Detecting Code of Ethics

1. If in doubt, don’t.  If you’re not absolutely sure that you can legally detect somewhere, don’t detect there until you ARE sure.
2. If you have to keep looking over your shoulder while you’re detecting, you’re probably violating the first code.  That, or you should be there with a buddy and not by yourself.
3. Don’t take a shovel onto a park or school ground.
4. Don’t take a knife onto a school ground.
5. Dig your plugs the right size the first time.  A larger plug that gets the goodies is neater than a smaller plug that you have to make larger.
6. If the landowner asks what you found, show him.  Don’t have a secret pocket where you keep the really good stuff.
7. While you’re at it, show the landowner the trash also.
8. Sometimes it’s OK to leave it in the ground.  That ten food pipe doesn’t have to come out.
9. Don’t bust on the guy with a low cost detector.  All detectors are toys – the $150 one and the $1500 one.
10. Leave the place like you found it.  Go back later and assess your damage.  Hopefully there won’t be any.
11. Just dig up a piece of trash?  Don’t toss it into the bushes.
12. If you’ve dug a foot down and a food wide, and the detector is telling you it’s a coin 2 inches deep, its probably not a coin.  Get your back-hoe and move on.
13. Found a silver coin?  Don’t rub the dirt off.  Wait till you get home and soak it in water.

So there you have it.  Surely I left off a couple and that’s where you come in.  What would you add to the list?