Placer Lease

Placer Lease

Placer Lease: A placer lease is a form of mineral title that entitles the lease holder to all placer minerals within and under a defined leasehold area.

Related Activities: Claim Administration, Claim Transfer, Coal Information, Free miner certificate, Hand Panning, Lease Administration, Mineral Records, Mineral Title Complaint, Mineral Title Liens - Registrations, Mining Lease, Mining Mediation, Mining Physical - Technical Reports, Mining Reserve

Contents:

About this Activity Guide

This guide summarizes the most common requirements and recommendations for your chosen activity and is designed to help you submit a complete application. Be aware that this information is for guidance purposes only.

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Mandatory Authorizations

Authorization Name Link to Authorization Guidance Link to Application
Information Update - Applying for a Placer Lease Authorization Guidance Apply Now

Costs

Cost may be a specific value or range of values. The cost includes GST, where applicable.

Cost Type Cost Description Cost Link to Details
Application Fee Lease application fee $100/YR Fees - Mineral and Placer Titles
Annual Rent Annual rent paid per hectare $20 per hectare/YR
Refunds Non-refundable registration fee and annual rent

Eligibility Requirements

Ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements prior to applying.

Requirement Description
Recorded Holder or Authorized Agent The recorded holder of a placer claim or their authorized agent must register an application for a placer lease in Mineral Tenures Online (MTO).

Information Requirements

Requirement Description Link to Details
Mineral Titles Online Lease Registration Identification of placer claims to be included. Note: Claims must be adjoining and the ownership of all titles must be identical (e.g. each placer claim in the group must be held by the same recorded holder(s) and in the same percentage).
Advertisement Mineral Titles Branch will advise the lease applicant to:
  1. Arrange for publication of the lease application notice once each week for 4 consecutive weeks in a newspaper in general circulation in the geographic area of the lease; and
  2. Publish in BC Gazette for 1 issue; and
  3. Posting, on the ground, a copy of the lease application notice at the physical site location of the application area and if possible, take a photograph of the posted notice.
Upon completion of the posting and advertising, submit the following to the Vancouver Mineral Titles Branch:
  1. A copy of the full newspaper pages of both newspaper issues containing the published lease application
  2. A photograph of the lease application notice posted at the site location of the lease area or a Statutory Declaration stating the date on which the lease application notice was posted on the site.

Potential Additional Requirements

Requirement Description When is it Required?
BCeID See links section for information on BCeIDs Needed to work within Mineral Titles Online service.
Free Miner Certificate Full name, contact details, identification of age (over 18 or over 65), Canadian resident and signature. When you want to obtain a mineral or placer title, a Free Miner Certificate is a pre-requisite.
Survey Confirm agreement with technical survey plan of claims by signing and returning the plan provided by Mineral Titles of your placer and or legacy claim(s) UTM map. Note: The Chief Gold Commissioner may require a legal survey plan approved by the Surveyor General, in which case a land surveyor will be needed to conduct the survey. Typically required in order to confirm title.
Link Description
Free Miner Certificate Application An online application form required to obtain a Free Miner Certificate.
Mineral Titles - Lease Survey Procedure A web page providing information about survey requirements for mining and placer leases.
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Other Things You Should Know

Archaeology Information
Archaeological sites are protected under the Heritage Conservation Act and must not be altered or damaged without a permit issued by the Archaeology Branch. Information regarding potential risks to protected archaeological sites may be obtained by submitting an online data request form to the Archaeology Branch or by contacting a professional archaeologist via the BC Association of Professional Archaeologists (www.bcapa.ca) or via local directories. Visit the Archaeology Branch website for more information.

BCeID - What Is It and Why Get It?
BCeID is an online service that allows you to create a user ID and password to sign in securely to many Government services in British Columbia. The benefits of having a BCeID account include:

  • Stop and start. Save and return later to complete your application without losing any information previously entered.
  • Real time status information. Check the status of your application in real time.
  • Access your applications for multiple people (Business BCeID only) to edit or submit your application or check its status. To enroll in this service, visit the BCeID web page: FrontCounter BC - BCeID

Legal Disclaimer
This guide provides the most current and accurate information available to the Government of British Columbia at the time of publishing; however, we make no warranty regarding the completeness, currency or accuracy of this information. This information is for guidance purposes only and does not replace legislated requirements. Each application is unique and circumstances may result in additional requirements beyond those included in this guide.

Last Updated: July 14, 2023