I used to live in Austin, Texas, and I was a member of the Austin Metal Detecting Club for many years.  The quantity of gold Texas has produced been small, but I have found some good spots around the Llano region to run a small dredge.  Your must respect Private Property in Texas.  Tom Ashworth now lives in Burnet, TX.

Most of the land in the state of Texas is privately owned, meaning you will need permission from the landowner before prospecting.  It’s important to understand that a person leasing a property will not be able to permit you unless they are also leasing the mineral rights.

If you do manage to obtain permission to prospect on private land, you won’t need any permits from the authorities.  However, several federal and state laws still apply to mining.  Most of these laws are targeted at large-scale operations designed to protect the environment.

If you intend to prospect for gold on State-owned land, you must obtain permission from the Texas General Land Office (GLO).  If you go to the Texas General Land Office website, you can learn which areas are already permitted and which spaces may be allowed to obtain a permit.

You can use dredges in Texas public waterways, but the nozzle size must be less than 5 inches.  All prospecting must be performed at least 100 ft away from bridges, and it is illegal to prospect under banks of waterways or trees.  Collecting is prohibited in all National Parks and Texas State Parks.