State guides › Colorado
How to stake a mining claim in Colorado
Lode and placer claims on federal land in Colorado follow the federal mining law and C.R.S. 34-43-101 to 34-43-116. Here is what Colorado requires, from discovery to the annual filings.
Lay out a Colorado claim on the map
Lode claims
A lode claim may be up to 1,500 feet long and 600 feet wide (300 feet on each side of the middle of the vein), with parallel end lines.
- Post a plain sign at the point of discovery with the name of the lode, the locator's name and the date of discovery (C.R.S. 34-43-106).
- Mark the surface boundaries with six substantial posts, hewed or marked on the sides facing the claim and sunk in the ground: one at each corner and one at the center of each side line (C.R.S. 34-43-107). Where bedrock prevents sinking a post, set it in a pile of stones; where the true point is dangerous, set it at the nearest practicable point, suitably marked.
- For a lode claim, within 60 days of uncovering the lode, sink a discovery shaft at least 10 feet deep (or an equivalent open cut, crosscut, tunnel or adit), or instead attach to the certificate a map at about 1 inch = 500 feet, prepared from an actual field survey, showing the discoverer's name and address, the legal subdivisions, and the claim with courses and distances tied to the nearest section or quarter corner (C.R.S. 34-43-106, 34-43-108, 34-43-109). Digging may need BLM or Forest Service approval and a state notice of intent.
Placer claims
Placer claims are 20 acres per locator, up to 160 acres for an association of 8, described by aliquot parts of at least 10 acres and complete lots.
- Post a plain sign on the claim with its name, the locator's name, the date of discovery and the acres or feet claimed (C.R.S. 34-43-112).
- Mark the surface boundaries with substantial posts sunk in the ground, one at each angle of the claim (C.R.S. 34-43-112).
Monument markings
Mark each monument with hewed or marked on the sides facing the claim, with the claim name and corner. Monument types Colorado accepts:
- substantial wooden post hewed or marked on the sides facing the claim and sunk in the ground
- post set in a pile of stones (where bedrock prevents sinking a post)
- capped (closed-top), unperforated metal post sunk in the ground and marked on the sides facing the claim
The notice or certificate of location
The lode certificate states the name of the lode, the locator's name, the date of location, the feet claimed on each side of the discovery shaft (or point), the general course of the lode, and a description that identifies the claim with reasonable certainty; a certificate missing any of these is void (C.R.S. 34-43-103, 34-43-104). The placer certificate states the name (designated a placer), the locator, the date, the acres or feet claimed and a description by reference to natural objects or permanent monuments (C.R.S. 34-43-112). One claim per certificate.
Recording with the County Clerk and Recorder
Record the location certificate with the County Clerk and Recorder within 3 months after discovery for a lode claim, and within 30 days after discovery for a placer claim (C.R.S. 34-43-103, 34-43-112).
Fees: $43 per document ($40 plus surcharges, since July 1, 2025), so $43 per claim certificate.
Notarization
Acknowledgment is not required; if acknowledged, the certificate is prima facie evidence of its execution (C.R.S. 38-35-101).
Document format
- A top margin of at least 1 inch and side and bottom margins of at least ½ inch (C.R.S. 30-10-406(3)(a)); larger top margins are appreciated by recorders.
- A newly created legal description should state the name and address of the person who created it (C.R.S. 38-35-106.5).
Claim map
A map at about 1 inch = 500 feet, attached to a lode certificate, may be filed instead of sinking a discovery shaft (C.R.S. 34-43-106(2)). One map may show several contiguous claims.
Filing with BLM
Within 90 days of location, file a copy of the recorded notice, a map, and the processing, location and initial maintenance fees ($274 per lode claim or per 20 acres of placer, as of October 11, 2026) with the BLM State Office or online in MLRS.
Every year
Optional: an affidavit of labor or of fee payment may be recorded with the County Clerk and Recorder by December 30 (C.R.S. 34-43-114). Small miners on a waiver must record the federal affidavit or notice of intent to hold.
Federally, pay the $200 maintenance fee per claim by September 1, or file a small miner waiver and the annual affidavit or notice of intent to hold by December 30.
What is different in Colorado
- Colorado still requires a 10-foot discovery shaft (or equivalent cut, tunnel or adit) for lode claims within 60 days of uncovering the lode, unless a surveyed map is attached in lieu of the shaft.
- Recording deadlines run from DISCOVERY: 3 months for lodes and only 30 days for placers.
- Lode claims need six posts: four corners and the center of each side line.
- One claim per certificate; a certificate describing several claims together is void as to all.
- Claims located before April 13, 1923 may be narrower than 300 feet per side.