Search Agreement Template

Generated by the Platform and facilitated as a direct agreement between the Landowner and the Detectorist. Booking Reference: [auto-generated].

IMPORTANT: This Search Agreement is a direct legal contract between the Landowner and the Detectorist. FieldFinders / Gitwix Limited is NOT a party to this Agreement. The Platform provides this template as a convenience only; it does not constitute legal advice.

The Parties

THIS AGREEMENT is entered into on the Booking date between:

LANDOWNER — Full name / business name, address, registered email and User Account ID auto-populated from the Landowner's profile.

DETECTORIST — Full name, address, registered email, User Account ID, and NCMD / FID / AMDS membership number (which carries the £10,000,000 public liability insurance) auto-populated from the Detectorist's profile. A photograph of the Detectorist's current membership card is shared with the Landowner at the point of booking as evidence of cover.

1. Permission Granted

1.1 The Landowner hereby grants the Detectorist a personal, non-transferable, revocable licence to enter and conduct metal detecting activities on the land described below (the "Land") on the terms set out in this Agreement.

1.2 This licence is personal to the named Detectorist and may not be assigned, sub-licensed, or shared with any other person. Additional people may only attend if expressly agreed in writing and added to this Agreement.

2. Description of the Land

• Land Address / Location — recorded at Booking time.
• Permitted Search Area — description or reference to a map attached as Appendix 1.
• Total Approximate Area Permitted — acres / hectares.
• Areas EXCLUDED from this Permission — list all excluded areas.
• Map of Permitted Area — attached as Appendix 1, or to be provided by the Landowner before the detecting date.

3. Dates and Times

• Permitted Detecting Date(s) — captured at Booking.
• Permitted Hours — e.g. 09:00 to 17:00.

This Permission applies to the above date(s) only and does not create any ongoing entitlement to access the Land.

4. Access and Conditions

4.1 Access Route — the Detectorist shall access the Land via the route specified by the Landowner.

4.2 Parking — parking is permitted at the location specified by the Landowner.

4.3 Vehicle Access on Land — permitted / not permitted (if permitted, restricted to specified areas).

4.4 Gate / Access Codes — to be communicated privately by the Landowner.

4.5 The Detectorist shall:

• Close and secure all gates on entry and exit
• Not disturb livestock, crops, drainage, or other land features
• Not exceed the permitted access area
• Follow the Countryside Code
• Not detect during hours of darkness unless expressly agreed

5. Known Land Hazards

The Landowner discloses the following known hazards on or near the permitted area (ticking the applicable items at Booking):

• Livestock present
• Agricultural machinery in use
• Electric fencing
• Ditches, ponds, or water features
• Unstable ground
• Overhead or underground power / utility cables
• Chemical treatments recently applied
• Areas to avoid (UXO risk, archaeological sites, etc.)
• Other known hazards
• No known hazards (tick if applicable, but this does not mean hazards do not exist)

IMPORTANT: The Landowner cannot warrant that the Land is free of all hazards. The Detectorist accepts the risk of unknown hazards as set out in the Platform Waiver.

6. Finds Agreement

6.1 Ownership of Non-Treasure Finds.

Under English law, all non-Treasure Finds on private land belong to the Landowner unless otherwise agreed in writing. The parties agree as follows (one option selected at Booking):

• Option A — All Finds to Landowner. All Finds of any kind shall remain the property of the Landowner.
• Option B — Agreed Split. Finds with a value of up to £X shall be retained by the Detectorist; Finds with a value exceeding £X shall be split (e.g. 50% Detectorist / 50% Landowner).
• Option C — Bespoke Agreement. The parties agree a specific written arrangement.

6.2 Junk and Rubbish Finds. All ferrous junk, non-significant modern items, and rubbish shall be either removed from the Land by the Detectorist or left on the Land, as agreed.

6.3 Significant Archaeological Finds (non-Treasure). The Detectorist shall notify (or not be required to notify) the Landowner of all finds of apparent archaeological significance even if they are not Treasure.

7. Treasure Obligations

7.1 Both parties acknowledge their obligations under the Treasure Act 1996.

7.2 Any item that the Detectorist believes may constitute Treasure must be:

• Immediately left in place or secured safely;
• Reported to the local Coroner (or to a Finds Liaison Officer who will report on the parties' behalf) within 14 days of discovery or within 14 days of the Detectorist realising it may be Treasure;
• The Detectorist shall notify the Landowner of any potential Treasure find promptly and in any event within 24 hours of discovery.

7.3 Treasure Reward Allocation. Any Treasure reward awarded by the Secretary of State shall be divided as agreed at Booking — typically equally (50% / 50%) or in another agreed proportion.

7.4 The parties acknowledge that the Platform has no role in Treasure reporting or reward allocation.

7.5 Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) / Human Remains / Hoards. If the Detectorist discovers anything that may be UXO, human remains, or an archaeological hoard, they must:

• Stop digging immediately;
• Do not remove, disturb, or photograph the find (for UXO);
• Notify the Landowner immediately;
• Contact the relevant authorities (Police: 999 for UXO; Police or local authority archaeologist for human remains or hoards).

8. Detectorist Obligations

The Detectorist shall:

8.1 Conduct all detecting activities in compliance with the Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales, the NCMD Code of Conduct (if a member), all applicable laws and the terms of this Agreement.

8.2 Fill all excavated holes immediately and properly, reinstating the land to its prior condition. Soil plugs shall be replaced and tamped down.

8.3 Not exceed the boundaries of the permitted search area under any circumstances.

8.4 Not detect within a specified distance of any hedgerow, ditch, tree, or field boundary (if specified by the Landowner).

8.5 Remove all personal waste and rubbish from the Land.

8.6 Carry and present their NCMD or FID membership card (which carries the £10,000,000 public liability insurance) if requested.

8.7 Not bring any other person onto the Land without prior written consent of the Landowner.

8.8 Contact the Landowner immediately in the event of any accident, incident, or discovery of significance.

8.9 Respect the privacy of the Landowner and not disclose the precise location of the Land to any third party without consent.

9. Landowner's Obligations

The Landowner shall:

9.1 Not interfere with or obstruct the Detectorist's lawful activities within the permitted area and times.

9.2 Disclose all known land hazards (as completed in Clause 5 above).

9.3 Honour the agreed Booking unless compelled by genuine circumstances of force majeure, in which case they will give maximum available notice to the Detectorist.

10. Revocation of Permission

10.1 The Landowner may revoke this Permission immediately if:

• The Detectorist breaches any term of this Agreement;
• The Detectorist detects outside the permitted area;
• The Detectorist behaves in a threatening, disrespectful, or illegal manner;
• There is an emergency on the Land.

10.2 In the event of revocation due to the Detectorist's breach, no refund shall be due. Disputes regarding refunds shall be resolved through the Platform's dispute process.

11. Liability

11.1 This Agreement does not limit, exclude, or affect:

• The Landowner's statutory obligations under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957 in respect of lawful visitors on their land;
• The Detectorist's obligations under any applicable law.

11.2 The Detectorist enters the Land at their own risk in respect of all hazards not caused by the Landowner's negligence, and in respect of all risks assumed in the Platform Waiver.

11.3 The Detectorist is solely responsible for their own equipment, health, safety, and compliance with this Agreement and applicable law.

11.4 FieldFinders / Gitwix Limited is NOT a party to this Agreement and accepts no liability arising from it.

12. General

12.1 This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the Landowner and Detectorist in respect of the Booking referenced above.

12.2 This Agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales.

12.3 Any dispute between the parties shall first be attempted to be resolved directly. If unresolved, the parties may escalate to the Platform's dispute facilitation process (which is non-binding and offered as a courtesy only).

13. Signatures

Both parties confirm acceptance of this Agreement through their electronic signatures on the Platform. Acceptance is recorded with a timestamp, IP address and version number against the Booking reference, and is treated as legally binding.

Appendix 1 — Map of Permitted Area (attached or referenced at Booking time).