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How to stake a mining claim in Oregon
Lode and placer claims on federal land in Oregon follow the federal mining law and ORS 517.010 to 517.330. Here is what Oregon requires, from discovery to the annual filings.
Lay out a Oregon 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 the notice of discovery and location on the claim (ORS 517.010).
- Within 30 days after posting, mark the boundaries with four substantial posts, one at each corner, projecting at least 3 feet above the ground and made of wood at least 1½ by 1½ inches, or with mounds of stone (or earth and stone) at least 2 feet high (ORS 517.010).
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 the notice in a conspicuous place on the claim (ORS 517.044).
- Unless the claim is located by legal subdivisions, mark the boundaries within 30 days with posts or monuments like those for lode claims at each corner or angle, and along any side or end more than 1,320 feet long without a corner (ORS 517.046). Staking the corners is recommended even for legal-subdivision claims.
Monument markings
Mark each monument with the name of the claim and the number of the corner (recommended; not required by statute). Monument types Oregon accepts:
- wooden post at least 1½ inches by 1½ inches projecting at least 3 feet above the ground
- mound of stone, or of earth and stone, at least 2 feet high
The notice or certificate of location
The lode notice states the name of the claim, the locators, the date, the feet claimed along the vein each way from the point of discovery with the width on each side, and the general course of the vein with reference to a natural object or permanent monument (ORS 517.010). The placer notice states the name, the locators, the date and the feet or acres claimed with a description by legal subdivisions if practicable (ORS 517.044).
Recording with the County Clerk
Within 60 days after posting, record a copy of the posted notice with the County Clerk in the Mineral and Mining Record (ORS 517.030, 517.052).
Fees: About $86 for the first page in many counties ($5 per page plus $1 + $10 + $60 statutory fees and county fees, ORS 205.320, 205.323).
Notarization
ORS 517 requires no acknowledgment for the notice. The affidavit of annual compliance must be sworn (ORS 194.285(3) form).
Document format
- Type 10 point or larger on paper no larger than 8½ × 14 inches (ORS 205.232).
- Page 1 shows the name of the transaction, the names of the parties, and the name and address to which the recorded document is returned (ORS 205.234). Counties reserve a label space (for example 4 × 2 inches at the upper right). A non-conforming document costs a $20 penalty.
Claim map
Oregon does not require a map with the notice; BLM does.
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
Within 30 days after doing the annual labor or paying the federal fee, record an affidavit of annual compliance in the county Mineral and Mining Record (ORS 517.210); $5 for each additional claim listed.
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 Oregon
- Recording is due within 60 days and monumenting within 30 days of posting, earlier than BLM's 90 days.
- Posts must be wood or mounds of stone or earth; no marking text is prescribed.
- Claim posts not made of natural materials must be removed when a claim is dropped or declared invalid (ORS 517.010(3)).
- Within 30 days of paying the BLM fee, record an affidavit of annual compliance with the county.
- A location that does not comply is void (ORS 517.065).