Amended Location
A revision to an existing mining claim's boundaries, description, or other details filed with the recording office and BLM.
Detailed Definition
An amended location is a formal revision to an existing mining claim that modifies its boundaries, legal description, or other recorded details. The amended location is filed with the county recorder and BLM to update the official record of the claim.
Reasons for amending a location: - Correcting errors in the original legal description - Adjusting boundaries to resolve conflicts with adjacent claims - Changing the claim name - Updating locator information (e.g., after assignment) - Correcting acreage calculations - Adjusting boundaries after discovering an overlap with a senior claim
Requirements: - An amended location certificate must be prepared - Filed with the county recorder's office - Filed with the BLM within 90 days of amendment - BLM filing fee may apply - New monumentation may be required if boundaries change
Limitations: - Cannot be used to relocate a claim to entirely different ground - The amendment relates back to the original location date if it corrects or adjusts (rather than materially changes) the claim - Material changes to boundaries may be treated as a new location with a new priority date - Cannot create a valid claim where no valid discovery exists
Distinction from relocation: An amended location modifies an existing claim, while a relocation is the abandonment of one claim and the location of a new claim on the same or overlapping ground.
Related Terms
Mining Claim
A parcel of land for which a claimant has asserted a right of possession and the right to develop and extract mineral resources.
Claim Staking
The physical and legal process of establishing a mining claim, including monumentation, posting notices, and filing with authorities.
Certificate of Location
The formal written document that records the essential details of a mining claim, posted at the discovery monument and filed with authorities.