Metal Detecting on Florida's Treasure Coast (1715 Fleet beaches)
7 locations · 4 limited · 3 allowed
Rules last verified: · Florida statewide rules
Sebastian Inlet to Stuart: the beaches where the 1715 Spanish plate fleet went down, and the most famous detecting ground in the United States. The City of Vero Beach's own beaches have no detecting or digging ban, but Sebastian Inlet State Park is limited to designated zones, Indian River County beach parks like Wabasso ban digging with tools, and the offshore wreck sites are under active salvage lease — anything that looks old or Spanish belongs to the state. Hunt after nor'easters strip the sand. This is saltwater, multi-frequency territory.
Beaches and parks on the Treasure Coast
- 🟠 Sebastian Inlet State Park Limited · Indian River County
Florida State Parks allow metal detecting only in the beach zone the park manager designates, between the toe of the dune and the high-water… - 🟠 Wabasso Beach Limited · Indian River County
Wabasso Beach Park is an Indian River County park. County Code Sec. 205.03(12) bars removing beach sand or 'any other material whatsoever' a… - ✅ Vero Beach Allowed · Indian River County
The City of Vero Beach runs the city beaches (Humiston, South Beach, Jaycee, Conn) and treats them as parks under Code Sec. 54-2. Nothing in… - ✅ Fort Pierce Beaches Allowed · St. Lucie County
Beach detecting low-tide to toe-of-dune; avoid historic zones south of the inlet and active salvage leases; not in the water without authori… - ✅ Stuart & Martin County Beaches Allowed · Martin County
Martin County Code Sec. 17.9 doesn't mention metal detecting on county beaches (Sec. 17.8 counts beaches as county parks). Sec. 17.9.A.2.p b… - 🟠 Fort Pierce Inlet State Park Limited · St. Lucie County
State-park rule: detecting only in the beach zone the park manager designates (toe of dune to high-water line), never in the water; anything… - 🟠 Hutchinson Island — St. Lucie County beach parks (Walton Rocks, Frederick Douglass, Waveland, Pepper Park) Limited · St. Lucie County
St. Lucie County Code is silent on metal detecting, but Sec. 32-89(c) bans digging or removing beach sand or making any excavation by hand o…
Hunting the Treasure Coast? Salt water and buried gold call for a waterproof simultaneous multi-frequency machine — the Minelab Equinox 900 is the top pick here. See the Minelab Equinox 900 →
Local metal detecting clubs · Treasure Coast
- Treasure Coast Archaeological Society (TCAS) Sebastian Non-profit since 1997 — finds displays at meetings and a long-running annual huntMeets: 1st Wednesday · 7:30 PM · American Legion Hall Website · Facebook
Other Florida regions
Panhandle · First Coast · Daytona / Space Coast · South Florida / Keys · Gulf Coast · Central Florida
See also: Florida metal detecting laws · federal rules