Claim-Staking Guide

Before you spend a dime, confirm (a) nobody holds a valid existing claim on the ground, (b) the land is federal public domain open to mineral entry, and (c) who manages the surface (BLM or USFS).

• MLRS claim search (free, online) — mlrs.blm.gov. Run the Mining Claim Geospatial search by township/range. Note: existing-claim data can lag ~90 days behind brand-new locations.
• County mining-claim index — closes the MLRS lag gap. Grant County keeps a dedicated mining index. Baker, Josephine, Jackson search via the recorder (contacts below).
• GLO Records / Master Title Plats — glorecords.blm.gov → Land Status tab. The MTP is the authoritative graphic record of withdrawals.
• Questions about a specific parcel? Call the district office that manages it — Vale 541-473-3144, Medford 541-618-2200, or Prineville 541-416-6700.

Cost: $0 · Timeline: self-paced

Withdrawn land = claim void from day one, fees not refunded. Check the MTP (Step 1) for withdrawal notations; ask the district office to confirm.

If you plan to operate (not just hold title), also pre-check the Essential Salmonid Habitat (ESH) map — motorized in-stream mining is banned in ESH regardless of claim validity:

• DSL ESH Interactive Map — ~22,000 stream miles designated (updated 2026)
• Statute: ORS 468B.114 — motorized in-stream placer prohibited in ESH

Cost: $0

State law controls monument requirements (43 CFR 3832.11 defers to it). Physically mark the boundaries so they can be readily traced on the ground.

• Lode claims: ORS 517.010 — post notice at point of discovery, then mark the boundaries (substantial posts or mounds at the corners) within 30 days after posting.
• Placer claims: ORS 517.044 — post location notice on the claim; ORS 517.046 — mark the boundaries within 30 days after posting so they can be readily traced. A placer located by legal subdivision need not be staked or monumented.
• A location not marked as these sections require is void (ORS 517.065).
• Full Oregon mining statutes: ORS Chapter 517

Critical: The posting date starts the clocks — 30-day marking, 60-day county and 90-day BLM. Write it down.

Cost: materials only (posts, notice, flagging)

The Claims Wizard does this today: answer factual questions about your claim and it assembles a complete filing packet with computed deadlines and fees. No federal form exists, so content must include (per ORS 517.010/.044 + 43 CFR 3833.11):

• Claim name
• Locator name(s) and mailing address(es)
• Claim type (lode or placer)
• Date of location (the posting date)
• Legal description tied to PLSS subdivisions or a permanent monument

Historical Oregon example for layout reference (do not file as-is): Form No. 897 (historical placer notice).

Cost: $0 · Federal content rules: 43 CFR 3833.11

File a copy of the location notice with the recorder/clerk of the county where the claim sits. In person or by mail — cover letter + original notice + check.

Fees vary by county under ORS 205.320. Jackson posts $99 first page + $5/page for deed-class documents (Jan 2024 schedule). Baker confirms mining documents are largely exempt from the HB 4007 $40 housing surcharge. Call your county recorder to confirm the exact fee and check payee before mailing.

Keep the stamped copy with instrument/book-page number — BLM wants a copy of the recorded notice in Step 6.

Deadline: 60 days from posting (ORS 517.030 lode / ORS 517.052 placer) · Fees: ~$5–$99+ depending on county & page count — call to confirm

File a copy of the county-recorded location notice with BLM by the 90th calendar day after the date of location. Miss it → abandoned and void by operation of law — no grace, no appeal (43 CFR 3833.1).

Include a map or sketch. BLM wants a map or sketch showing where the claim lies with the recording — a USGS topo map with the claim drawn on it, or a sketch tied to a natural object or permanent monument. No surveyor is needed, and one map may cover several claims (43 CFR 3833.11(b)(5), which points to 43 CFR 3832.12(a)(2)).

Two ways to submit:

• Online — MLRS (preferred): mlrs.blm.gov — create an account, "Add New Claim/Site", upload the county-recorded notice and a map or sketch of the claim, pay by card/ACH.
• Paper — mail or walk-in: BLM Oregon/Washington State Office, Public Room, 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97204. Walk-in 9am–4pm M–F.

BLM fees due in full at filing (schedule effective Sept 1, 2024 — confirmed unchanged on the BLM fees page 2026-10-16):

Typical totals: Single ≤20-acre placer = $274. 40-acre association placer = $474 ($25 + $49 + $400).

Re-check the BLM fees page before every filing. Current national packet: BLM Mining Claims Packet (Mar 2026).

You receive: a BLM serial number (OR-MC-…) — everything downstream keys off it.

Claim title ≠ permission to dig. Oregon has one of the strictest regulatory regimes in the country. Permit applications and transfer paperwork aren’t wizard-guided yet — what follows is the same reference guidance the wizard will eventually walk you through. Here’s what you need before putting equipment in the water:

Path: 7a (ESH check) → 7b (DEQ) → 7c (DSL) → 7d (DOGAMI) → 7e (OWRD) → 7f (ODFW) → 7g (USFS)

Your first payment comes sooner than most people expect. Assessment years run September 1 to September 1, and the maintenance fee you pay at recording covers the assessment year you located the claim in — the one already running (43 CFR 3834.11). So the next payment is due on the first September 1 after your date of location, not a year later. Stake in July, and your first annual deadline is that same September.

Two paths to keep your claim alive each year:

Other lifecycle filings: Transfer of interest — record deed at county, then file with BLM, $15/claim/transferee. Amended location notice — county first, then BLM, $15/claim.

Source: BLM Annual Maintenance page