Frequently Asked Questions

A mining claim is a parcel of federal public land where an individual or company has asserted the right to extract locatable minerals such as gold, silver, copper, and lithium. Mining claims are filed with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the county where the claim is located. There are two main types: lode claims for hard-rock mineral deposits found in veins or rock formations, and placer claims for minerals found in loose material like sand, gravel, or stream beds. A standard lode claim is up to 1,500 feet long and 600 feet wide (approximately 20.66 acres), while a placer claim can be up to 160 acres for an association or 20 acres for an individual.

There are three main types of mining claims on federal land: (1) Lode claims cover deposits of minerals found in solid rock veins or formations. They can be up to 1,500 by 600 feet. (2) Placer claims cover mineral deposits in unconsolidated material like stream beds, bench gravels, and alluvial fans. They follow legal subdivisions and can be up to 20 acres per individual or 160 acres for an association. (3) Millsite claims provide non-mineral land for processing operations associated with a lode or placer claim, limited to 5 acres each. Additionally, claims are classified as either unpatented (you hold mining rights but the land remains federal) or patented (full private ownership, though new patents have not been issued since 1994).

Filing a mining claim involves several steps: (1) Locate open federal land that is not already claimed or withdrawn from mineral entry. Use BLM MLRS or tools like ClaimWatch to verify availability. (2) Physically stake the claim by placing monuments at corners and posting a location notice. (3) File the location notice with the county recorder in the county where the claim is situated, typically within 90 days of staking. (4) File a copy of the location notice with the BLM State Office within 90 days of staking. (5) Pay the BLM processing fee, the $49 location fee, and the initial $200 maintenance fee with that filing. These fees cannot be waived for a new location. Fees and specific procedures vary by state -- see our state-by-state mining claim requirements guide at choraquest.com/resources/state-mining-requirements for monument specifications, filing deadlines, and notice posting rules.

The cost of a mining claim includes several components: (1) BLM location fee: $49 per mining claim, paid once when the claim is recorded, plus a BLM processing fee. (2) BLM annual maintenance fee: $200 per year for each lode claim, mill site, or tunnel site, and $200 for each 20 acres of a placer claim (due on or before September 1). (3) County recording fees: set by each county. (4) Small Miner Waiver: if you and all related parties hold 10 or fewer mining claims and sites nationwide, you may file a waiver of the maintenance fee and instead perform $100 worth of assessment work per claim per year. Purchasing an existing claim from a private seller varies widely based on location, mineral potential, and access.

Living on an unpatented mining claim is generally not permitted as a primary residence. The land remains federal property managed by BLM, and occupancy is limited to activities reasonably incident to mining. You may camp temporarily while actively conducting mining operations, but building a permanent residence is not authorized. Regulations under 43 CFR 3715 govern use and occupancy of mining claims and require that any surface use be reasonably related to mineral development. Patented mining claims, where full private ownership was granted, allow residential use because the land is private property. However, the federal government stopped issuing new mining patents in 1994.

A mining claim remains valid as long as the claimant meets annual maintenance requirements. Each year by September 1, you must either pay the BLM annual maintenance fee ($200 per lode claim, mill site, or tunnel site) or file a Small Miner Waiver. A claimant under the waiver performs the assessment work and files an affidavit of assessment work with BLM by December 30. If you fail to pay fees or file required documents, the claim is deemed abandoned and the land returns to open status. There is no expiration date on a properly maintained claim. Some claims have been continuously held for over 100 years.

An unpatented mining claim grants the right to extract minerals from federal public land, but the land itself remains property of the United States. The claimant must pay annual maintenance fees and comply with BLM regulations. A patented mining claim is one where the federal government transferred full title (ownership) of both the surface and mineral rights to the claimant. Patents required proving a valid discovery of a valuable mineral deposit and meeting improvement requirements. Congress imposed a moratorium on new mining patents in 1994, so no new patents can be obtained. Existing patented claims are private property with the same rights as any other privately owned land.

You can look up mining claims through several sources: (1) BLM MLRS (Mineral & Land Records System) is the BLM record system for mining claims, with case records by serial number and public reports. (2) MLRS replaced the older LR2000 system, and the serial numbers in LR2000 were carried into it. (3) The BLM National PLSS dataset locates mining claims by township, range, and section. (4) State geological surveys and mines departments maintain their own databases in many western states. (5) County recorder offices have the original location notices and amendments. (6) ClaimWatch by ChoraQuest consolidates data from multiple sources into a single searchable platform covering 4.4 million claims across 12 western states, with maps, reports, and spatial data.

On an unpatented mining claim, you can build structures that are reasonably necessary for mining operations, such as storage sheds, equipment shelters, or processing facilities. Any construction must be directly related to the extraction and processing of minerals. Building a cabin, house, or other residential structure for non-mining purposes is not permitted under 43 CFR 3715. A BLM plan of operations may be required for significant surface disturbance. On a patented mining claim, you can build whatever local zoning and building codes allow, since the land is private property.

Mining claims work under the General Mining Law of 1872, which allows U.S. citizens to locate and claim mineral deposits on open federal public land. The process works as follows: (1) You identify open land with locatable minerals (gold, silver, copper, lithium, etc.). (2) You physically stake the claim and post a location notice. (3) You file the claim with the county and BLM. (4) You maintain the claim by paying annual fees or performing assessment work. (5) The claim gives you the exclusive right to extract minerals from that parcel. Mining claims do not transfer land ownership -- the federal government retains title to the land. Claims can be bought, sold, transferred, or inherited like other property interests.

A BLM mining claim is a claim filed on federal public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. BLM manages approximately 245 million acres of public land, primarily in 12 western states. When someone files a mining claim, BLM records the claim in its record system (MLRS), assigns a serial number, and tracks annual maintenance fees. BLM also reviews plans of operations for mining activities that disturb more than 5 acres, and manages the overall regulatory framework for mining on public lands under 43 CFR Parts 3700-3860. Note that BLM operations can be affected by federal government shutdowns -- see our analysis of the 2025 government shutdown impact on mining and energy projects at choraquest.com/blog/government-shutdown-2025.

Buying an existing mining claim involves several due diligence steps: (1) Verify the claim is in good standing by checking BLM records for current maintenance fee payments. (2) Review the claim file for any disputes, contests, or pending actions. (3) Examine the county records for the chain of title and any liens. (4) Visit the property to assess access, terrain, and mineral potential. (5) Review any geological data, assay results, or production history. (6) Execute a quitclaim deed transferring the claim interest. (7) Record the deed with the county and file a transfer notice with BLM. Services like ChoraQuest can perform claims research and due diligence to help evaluate a claim before purchase.

A "closed" mining claim is one whose case is no longer active in the BLM records (MLRS). A claim is closed for one of several reasons: it was relinquished (voluntarily given up by the claimant), forfeited or declared abandoned and void because the annual maintenance fee was not paid or a required filing was missed, declared null and void due to a defective location, or administratively closed. When a claim closes, the ground it covered generally returns to open federal land and becomes available for relocation by a new claimant -- unless the land has since been withdrawn from mineral entry. The BLM disposition code on the serial register page indicates why and when a claim closed. Because "closed" can mean very different things (a clean relinquishment versus a fee-default forfeiture), ChoraQuest translates the raw BLM case codes into plain-language status so you know whether ground is truly open before you rely on it.

Mining claim due diligence is the investigation performed before acquiring, financing, or joint-venturing an unpatented mining claim, to confirm the claim is valid and the interest is worth what is being paid. A complete review covers: (1) good standing -- BLM maintenance fees paid and assessment filings current; (2) chain of title -- every location certificate, amendment, and transfer recorded at the county and with BLM; (3) senior/junior conflicts -- whether older claims or overlapping locations impair the block; (4) land status -- withdrawals, patents, split estate, and surface-management overlays that limit use; (5) encumbrances -- liens, leases, royalties, and litigation; and (6) access and mineral potential. ChoraQuest performs this as a professional service, combining mineral title research, GroundControl seniority and validity analysis, and the ClaimWatch Land Status report that joins six authoritative datasets to a claim footprint.

The claimant of record for an unpatented mining claim is listed in the BLM records (MLRS) by serial or lead-file number, and the original location notice and any transfers of interest are recorded with the county where the claim sits. Start with the BLM serial register page for the current claimant name and address, then pull the county chain of title for prior owners and quitclaim deeds. One complication: the named claimant is frequently a holding company, LLC, or trust rather than the operating party, and a single owner may hold claims under several entities registered to the same address. ChoraQuest's Entity & Address Investigation cross-references a claimant against every BLM-registered entity at their mailing address -- searching hundreds of thousands of registered entities -- to reveal the corporate cluster and true ownership network behind a claim.

A fractional interest is an undivided ownership share in a mining claim held by two or more co-owners, typically as tenants in common. Rather than dividing the ground physically, each co-owner holds a percentage of the whole claim -- for example, a 50%, 25%, or 1/8 undivided interest. Fractional interests arise through inheritance, partial sales, or the assignment of a share by quitclaim deed, and each fractional interest can be conveyed independently. All co-owners share responsibility for the annual maintenance fee or assessment work, and a co-owner who fails to contribute can, under the mining law, be advertised out of their interest. Because fractured ownership is one of the most common defects found in a mineral title exam, ChoraQuest maps the full ownership stack when researching chain of title for an acquisition.

The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the federal rectangular survey method used to describe and locate land across most of the western United States. It divides land into townships (roughly six miles square), each subdivided into 36 sections of about one square mile (640 acres), which are further divided into aliquot parts -- quarter sections, quarter-quarters, and so on. Mining claims, BLM land status, and mineral ownership are all described in PLSS terms (township, range, section, and aliquot), which is why accurate PLSS geometry is essential to plotting claims and analyzing conflicts. The BLM CadNSDI dataset is the authoritative digital PLSS. ChoraQuest builds its maps and claim analysis directly on BLM CadNSDI PLSS data so that claim footprints, section registers, and land-status overlays line up with the legal descriptions of record.

ClaimWatch is our mining claims intelligence platform. It delivers complete research packages -- reports, publication-ready maps, Excel workbooks, and GeoJSON spatial data -- for any area of interest across the western United States. Instead of cross-referencing multiple federal and state systems yourself, ClaimWatch consolidates claims data, disposition records, mineral deposits, and land status into a single deliverable.

Every ClaimWatch project includes four components: (1) A narrative report in HTML and PDF with executive summary, geological framework, land status findings, and claimant analysis. (2) A publication-ready map with PLSS grid, claim density, mineral deposits, terrain, and professional cartouche. (3) A multi-tab Excel workbook with sortable claims inventory, deposits, claimant roster, and section register. (4) GeoJSON spatial data compatible with ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, and other GIS platforms.

ClaimWatch covers 12 western U.S. states with over 4.4 million claims tracked. Coverage spans every PLSS section in the western states where BLM mining claims are filed. Data is sourced from authoritative public records and verified before delivery.

Mining companies use it for project monitoring and competitor tracking. Geologists use it for site selection and prospectivity analysis. Landmen use it for claims research at scale. Investors and acquirers use it for due diligence on mineral asset acquisitions. If you make decisions based on mining claims data, ClaimWatch was built for you.

ClaimWatch runs the workflow a land or exploration team actually orders. (1) Mineral Exploration Report -- commodity in, ranked ground out, with the open / verify / closed land-status screen already applied. (2) Land Status Report -- section-by-section audit of the ground you picked, shipped with the General Land Office documents behind it. (3) Claim Mapping & Ground Verification -- plotting the active claims and confirming what is genuinely open. (4) Claim Staking Package -- statutory certificates, corner cards, and monument positions; claims staked on the ground and filed with the agencies. (5) AOI Change Monitoring -- a standing watch on ground you hold. (6) GroundControl -- captured acreage, third-party overlaps, and phantom gaps, for regulatory and investor reporting. On the acquisition path, the Leadfile Examination reviews a seller's filing and maintenance record before closing. Specialty reports (Entity & Address Investigation, AY2013 Gap Year Exposure, Maintenance Fee Lapse Watch, State Claimant Leaderboard) run on request. Every report ships as a Word document and PDF with an Excel evidence workbook and spatial data.

All data is sourced from authoritative public records, principally the BLM Mineral and Land Records System and ChoraQuest's in-house archive of General Land Office documents. Every figure printed in a report is computed once from the same fact base that populates the Excel workbook delivered with it, so a printed number equals the row count of the sheet that backs it -- and an automated gate enforces that on every report generated. Federal case records and disposition codes are translated into plain-language narratives so you get context, not just codes.

Yes. Contact us at contact@choraquest.com and we will send you a sample report package -- no commitment required.

The Leadfile Examination Report is the ClaimWatch report ordered on the acquisition path, when a company buys mining claims rather than staking them. It reconstructs every required BLM filing and maintenance fee across the life of the mining claims from the BLM record, assessment year by assessment year, decodes the BLM action codes, and flags gaps such as late fee payments, missing FLPMA filings, and conflicting actions. Findings are then confirmed against the stamped lead file documents obtained from BLM. The report establishes standing in the federal record: what BLM required, what was filed and paid, what is missing, and who BLM currently recognizes as claimant. It is not a chain of title, because title to an unpatented mining claim is conveyed by instruments recorded at the county.

The Entity & Address Investigation Report takes one entity name and uncovers the full network of related companies and individuals operating at the same address. Mining-claim holders frequently use multiple corporate vehicles (LLCs, holding companies, trusts) registered to the same suite or PO box. The report normalizes addresses, consolidates claim portfolios across all related entities, identifies inter-entity transfers (tagged as intra-cluster, inbound, or outbound), and maps their geographic footprint. Used for M&A target diligence, counterparty risk, beneficial-ownership compliance (FinCEN / Corporate Transparency Act), and litigation discovery. The report searches across 223,382 distinct BLM-registered entities.

GroundControl is our proprietary seniority and validity analysis tool. It examines existing claim blocks for senior/junior conflicts, DM placement, excluded-lands overlaps, and acreage accounting. Each claim receives an outcome classification with supporting analysis. The output is built for attorney review, not a legal opinion.

Our automated staking system produces complete, print-ready staking packages including location certificates, corner cards, and maps. It can generate 1,000 staking packages faster than you can prepare one by hand. Packages go from open ground identification to filed certificates in 24-48 hours.

We build custom GIS tooling compatible with Esri ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, and MapLibre. We develop Python automation, QGIS plugins, and custom MapLibre map modules. Our spatial data exports in GeoJSON, shapefiles, geodatabases, KML, and other standard formats compatible with any major GIS platform.

Yes. We build custom GIS tools compatible with ArcGIS Pro and QGIS, custom MapLibre map modules, web mapping applications, mobile GIS solutions, and enterprise geodatabases. Every tool we build at ChoraQuest started as a solution to a problem on a real project. If you have a repetitive spatial workflow, we can probably automate it.

Automated staking packages can be delivered in 24-48 hours. ClaimWatch reports typically take 3-5 business days depending on the area size and report type. Custom GIS development timelines vary by scope -- we provide detailed estimates during consultation.

We serve mining and exploration companies, oil and gas operators, renewable energy developers, industrial development firms, landmen, title professionals, and investors involved in mineral asset acquisitions. Our expertise applies across any sector dealing with land acquisition, mineral rights, or spatial data in the western United States.

Our mineral title research includes chain of title investigation, ownership verification, encumbrance identification, rights analysis (surface vs. mineral), and comprehensive reporting. We search county records, BLM databases, and other relevant sources to provide a complete title picture for acquisitions and closings.

Maps are delivered in PDF, TIFF, and PNG. GIS data comes as shapefiles, geodatabases, GeoJSON, or KML. ClaimWatch reports include HTML, PDF, Excel workbooks, and GeoJSON. We tailor deliverables to your existing systems.

Yes. We maintain strict confidentiality protocols and sign NDAs as needed. All project data is stored securely with access limited to project team members only.

Contact us at contact@choraquest.com. We will discuss your needs, provide a quote, and outline the timeline. We can typically start work within 1-2 business days.