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What BLM Mining Claim Statuses Mean (and Whether You Can Stake There)

Short answer: a mining claim's "status" is the case disposition in BLM's Mineral & Land Records System (MLRS). It is an administrative label, not a ruling on whether the claim is valid. Every status except Closed (Submitted, Filed, Under Review, Active and the rare ones) belongs to a claim that is still on BLM's books, so treat that ground as claimed. A Closed claim isn't a green light either. Another claim, a withdrawal or private land can still cover the same spot.

If you've clicked a claim on a map or pulled one up in MLRS, you've seen a one-word status. Prospectors and detectorists read a lot into that word, and some of it is wrong. "Filed" sounds like a pending application anyone can ignore. "Closed" sounds like an invitation. Neither is right. This guide gives BLM's own definition of each status, what you can and can't conclude from it, how the September 1 maintenance fee deadline fits in, and a step-by-step way to check a claim before you dig, detect or stake.

What the status field actually measures

In BLM's records every mining claim, mill site and tunnel site is a case, and the status is the case's disposition. It records how far BLM has got with the paperwork and with checking the land under the claim. It doesn't record whether the claim holds a valuable mineral discovery, whether it was monumented correctly on the ground, or whether the claimant is actually working it.

The labels are fairly new. BLM's old LR2000 database had only two dispositions, Active and Closed. When BLM moved mining claims into MLRS in 2021, it added more steps. BLM's Nevada State Office explained the change in its 2024 MLRS training material: in LR2000 "claims were either Active or Closed. In MLRS we now have additional dispositions, to better keep the public informed."

That history is why so much advice online is out of date. Older guides, forum threads and some maps still sort claims into active and closed. In MLRS a claim can sit in one of the in-between statuses for a long time, and it is still a claim the whole time.

Each status, in BLM's words

BLM's Nevada State Office published these definitions in its 2024 "External MLRS Reports" training. The definitions column quotes BLM. The last column is our practical reading for prospectors, not BLM's wording.

A few other values show up rarely, such as On Appeal, Pending, Interim and Draft. BLM's training defines "Draft" for case actions (a filing that is "not completed and not paid") rather than for claims. For any of these unusual values, the only reliable move is to read that claim's record or call the BLM state office that administers it.

What the land status review checks

Filed, Under Review and Active all revolve around the land status review. An adjudicator checks that the land where the claim sits was open to mineral location when the claim was located, meaning it wasn't withdrawn, patented or otherwise closed to mining claims. That is a narrower check than most people assume. It isn't a mineral examination, it doesn't decide whether the claim has a valid discovery, and it doesn't settle disputes between two claimants over the same ground.

Filed or Under Review: is the ground claimed?

Yes, for practical purposes. A Filed claim has been recorded and paid for, and BLM has entered its data. It is waiting its turn for the land status review, not waiting for permission to exist. Under Review means an adjudicator is working on it now. In both cases the claim stays on BLM's books until the review ends.

According to BLM's 2024 training slides, the review can go two ways. The claim becomes Active if the land checks out, or Closed if it turns out the claim was located on land that wasn't open to mineral location. You can't tell which from the status, and BLM doesn't publish a standard timeline. Some claims carried over from LR2000 without a completed land status check were set to Filed and have stayed there for years. A claim being Filed for a long time tells you nothing about whether it is abandoned.

The rule of thumb: treat every status except Closed as a claim. If you want to prospect or detect there, find the claimant and ask. If you want to stake, look elsewhere or verify the record thoroughly first.

Active doesn't mean this year's fee is paid

BLM's definition of Active ends with "at the time of our examination." The status reflects BLM's last look at the claim, and money comes due every year.

The September 1 deadline

To keep a claim, the claimant must pay an annual maintenance fee on or before September 1 each year for each claim or site (BLM, Annual Maintenance and Assessment). Instead of paying, a claimant who, together with all related parties, holds 10 or fewer claims and sites nationwide can file a small miner's waiver (Form 3830-002) by the same date and do annual assessment work instead. Fee amounts are set by regulation and adjusted over time, so check the current BLM fee schedule rather than relying on a number you read somewhere.

What happens when nobody pays

Federal law is blunt. Under 30 U.S.C. 28i, failure to pay the maintenance fee "shall conclusively constitute a forfeiture" of the claim, which is then "deemed null and void by operation of law." BLM's regulations list the same outcome: you forfeit a claim if you fail to pay the annual maintenance fee on or before the due date, or fail to file a qualifying waiver and also fail to pay (43 CFR 3830.91(a)).

The catch for map readers is timing. Forfeiture happens by law, but the status in MLRS changes only when BLM processes the record. For a while after September 1, a claim can still read Active or Filed even though nothing was paid. The reverse also happens. A claimant may have paid, and the payment just hasn't shown up yet. That's why the fee date matters as much as the status.

Closed doesn't mean open ground

Closed means that particular case no longer holds the ground in BLM's records. It says nothing about everything else that might cover the same land. Before you treat a Closed claim's ground as available, check for:

• A newer claim. Old and new claims overlap all the time. A Closed claim from 2015 can sit under an Active claim staked in 2023.
• A mineral withdrawal. Land can be withdrawn from mineral entry, for example for a wilderness area, a reservoir or a military range, after an old claim was located.
• Patented or other private land. A claim that went to patent became private property, and it isn't public land anymore.
• Other land managers and rules. National parks, many state lands (such as Arizona State Trust land) and Tribal lands don't follow the federal mining claim system at all.

Read why the claim closed, too. Under 43 CFR 3830.91(b), a claim is forfeited if it was located "on lands closed to mineral entry at the time you locate it." If a claim closed after a land status review, that can be a sign the ground was never open to claims in the first place, and the next claim there would fail the same way.

Can a closed claim come back?

It depends on why it closed.

• Missed fee or waiver (statutory). BLM's regulations call defects in statutory requirements incurable (43 CFR 3830.93). A claim forfeited for nonpayment doesn't come back. The former claimant can only stake a new claim if the ground is open, and that gets a new serial number and location date.
• Curable paperwork defects (regulatory). If BLM finds a defect in a timely filing, it notifies the claimant by certified mail. The claimant generally has 30 days to cure it, or 60 days for a defective small miner waiver (cure it or pay) (43 CFR 3830.94). A recently flagged claim may still be inside that window.
• Appeals. A BLM decision can be appealed to the Interior Board of Land Appeals. Whether the decision takes effect while the appeal runs depends on the stay rules in 43 CFR 4.405, so check current BLM rules for any claim marked On Appeal.

A Closed record from years ago is very unlikely to change. A claim that closed last month deserves a closer look.

Why a claim shows on one map and not another

1. Status filters. Some maps show only claims labeled Active and leave out Filed and Under Review claims, which are still claims. Ask which statuses a map includes. dirtClaude's claim layer shows both Active and Filed claims, refreshed daily from the BLM, so a claim that's still waiting on its land status review doesn't drop off the map.
2. Missing shapes. Not every claim record can be drawn. BLM notes that geospatial representations may be missing for cases that can't be geocoded. A blank spot can hide a claim that has no polygon.
3. Update schedules. BLM updates MLRS as it processes filings, and every map copies that data on its own schedule. A claim closed or added this week may not be on a map that refreshes monthly.
4. The 90-day recording window. A claimant has 90 days after location to record the claim with BLM (43 CFR 3830.91(a)(1)). Ground staked last month may have fresh monuments and a county filing but no BLM record yet. If you find monuments or a posted notice on the ground, respect them.

How to check a claim before you dig, detect or stake

1. Find the claim on a current map. On dirtClaude, tap a claim polygon to see the claim's holder, serial number and fee date. dirtClaude refreshes all of its BLM claim data daily, both the polygons and the claim details, so the map stays close to BLM's current records.
2. Open the official record. Search the serial number in BLM's MLRS public reports to get the claim's Serial Register Page. It lists the case actions, including maintenance fee payments and waivers, the claimant, the legal location and the next payment due date.
3. Check the money, not just the label. Compare the latest maintenance fee case action and the next payment due date with the September 1 deadline. That tells you more than the status word does.
4. Search the area, not just one claim. MLRS can report every claim in a township, range and section. dirtClaude's PLSS grid shows the township, range, section and quarter section you're standing on, so you can run that search without guessing.
5. Check the land itself. Look at surface management, withdrawals and the Master Title Plats for the same spot. A status says nothing about the land under the claim.
6. Check the county recorder. Claims are recorded locally as well. The county can show a new location notice that hasn't reached BLM yet.
7. Ask the BLM state office when in doubt. The state office that administers the claim is the authority on its status and land status.

Planning a weekend trip? The $1.99 Weekender pass unlocks the claims layer, holder and fee details, and the PLSS grid for 72 hours, which is enough to check every spot on your list before you leave.

Frequently asked questions

What does Filed mean on a BLM mining claim?

BLM defines Filed as a claim whose data entry is complete and that is waiting on the final land status review. The claim is still on BLM's books, so treat the ground as claimed until you have checked the claim's record.

Can I stake a claim on ground marked Closed?

Not just because one claim is Closed. That record no longer holds the ground, but a newer claim, a mineral withdrawal, patented (private) land or another land manager can still cover the same spot. Check MLRS, the master title plats and the county recorder first.

Does Active mean the maintenance fee is paid?

Not necessarily. BLM says Active means the claim was found in compliance at the time of its examination. Fees come due every September 1. Check the Serial Register Page for the latest maintenance fee case action and the next payment due date.

When is the BLM mining claim maintenance fee due?

On or before September 1 each year, for each claim or site. Claimants with 10 or fewer claims and sites nationwide may file a small miner waiver (Form 3830-002) by the same date instead. Fee amounts change, so check current BLM rules.

What happens if a claim's maintenance fee isn't paid?

Federal law says failure to pay conclusively forfeits the claim, and it is void by operation of law (30 U.S.C. 28i). BLM's regulations treat it as an incurable defect. The status in MLRS can lag until BLM processes the record.

How long does a claim stay Filed or Under Review?

BLM doesn't publish a standard timeline. Some claims carried over from the old LR2000 system have stayed Filed for years. Don't read anything into how long a claim has been Filed.

Can I metal detect on an Active mining claim?

Only with the claimant's permission. A valid claim gives its holder the right to the locatable minerals, so detecting for gold on someone's claim without permission can get you in trouble. Casual use on unclaimed, open public land is a different matter.

Where do I look up a mining claim's status?

In BLM's MLRS public reports. Search by serial number for the claim's Serial Register Page, or by township, range and section for every claim in an area. dirtClaude's claim layer shows each claim's holder, serial and fee date, refreshed daily from the BLM, so you can jump straight to the right record.

The bottom line

Read the status first, and never stop there. Treat everything except Closed as a claim. Treat Closed as a lead to research, not permission to stake. Check the fee date against September 1, then confirm with the Serial Register Page, the land records and the county. A map gets you to the right record quickly, but the official records decide.

Sources

• BLM Nevada State Office, External MLRS Reports (2024 training; case disposition and case action definitions), hosted by the Nevada Division of Minerals: minerals.nv.gov
• BLM Nevada State Office, Mineral & Land Records System (MLRS) (2024 training; LR2000 vs MLRS dispositions): minerals.nv.gov
• BLM, Annual Maintenance and Assessment (September 1 deadline, small miner's waiver): blm.gov
• 43 CFR Part 3830, Subpart E (3830.91, 3830.93, 3830.94): ecfr.gov
• 43 CFR Part 3835 (small miner waivers): ecfr.gov
• 30 U.S.C. 28i (failure to pay as forfeiture): law.cornell.edu
• 43 CFR 4.405 (effect of decision pending appeal): ecfr.gov
• BLM MLRS: mlrs.blm.gov · MLRS public reports: reports.blm.gov

Regulations and definitions checked October 20, 2026. dirtClaude claim data refreshes daily from the BLM. dirtClaude is a screening tool, not legal clearance, and this page is not legal advice.