Mineral Tenure Administration

Free Miner Certificates, including lease application and administration, transfers, mineral title and claim administration, coal information as well as information on reporting and records.

Choose the appropriate activity from the options below. Viewing the guidance before starting an application is recommended.

  • View Guidance – links you to detailed guidance for your activity’s application process or, in some cases, to the appropriate website for your activity.
  • Map an Area of Interest – links you to a map where you can find your area of interest on a map and research how it is currently being used.
  • Apply Now – if applicable, links directly to an application form, guidance page or website.

Claim Administration

Information regarding converting legacy claims and amalgamating, subdividing and reducing cell claims. Details on registering work and changing the expiry date on a cell claims is also included.

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Claim Transfer

A transfer is when a recorded holder of a mineral title (the seller) wants to transfer all or part of their interest in a mineral title to another free miner (the purchaser) who has a BCeID. The purchaser must agree and accept the transfer to complete it.

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Coal Information

Information regarding coal land reserves, coal rights over private land, historical coal, builders liens on coal titles, coal mine maps and contacting the government's coal geologist.

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Free Miner Certificate

A Free Miner Certificate gives the right to acquire and maintain mineral and placer title and to access your title during exploration and development.

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Hand Panning

Washing earth and gravel in a hand held pan to separate and remove minerals or placer minerals. No equipment or tools other than a hand pan, hand shovel and a metal detector can be used in recreational hand panning.

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Lease Administration

Information regarding lease rentals and applying for a term extension of a lease.

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Mineral Records

Information on requesting a search for copy of a mineral record or requesting a visual examination of mineral records.

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Mineral Title - Registering Miscellaneous Documents

A copy of a document or notice, such as liens or court orders, relating to a mineral title may be submitted for registration in the Victoria or Vancouver Mineral Titles offices, any Service BC Government Agent, or FrontCounter BC office. The registration fee is $10 per title.

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Mineral Title Complaint

An interested person may register a complaint against a recorded holder, that a mineral title is being held for purposes other than mining activity, or that a recorded holder has knowingly filed a false work report.

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Mining Lease

A mining lease is a legal contract for the right to work a mine and extract the mineral or other valuable deposits from it. It is also called also a mineral lease. It is required for production level hard rock mining activity.

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Mining Mediation

When the recorded holder of a mineral or placer title and the owner or other person having a material interest in the surface of the land on which the mineral or placer title is located are unable to resolve the dispute regarding access on their own.

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Mining Physical - Technical Reports

Information on the submission of reports for mineral tenures.

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Mining Reserve

A mining reserve is the legal instrument used to prevent or restrict the acquisition of mineral, placer and coal tenure on mineral lands and coal lands.

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Placer Lease

A lease is the production tenure for mining. A placer lease is required for production level placer mining activity.

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