Metal detecting insurance in the UK: what NCMD and FID cover

You can detect without insurance. Nobody will stop you at the gate. But one deep hole, one lame cow, one cut drain pipe, and you could be explaining yourself to a farmer and his solicitor.

That’s what detecting insurance is for. Here’s what it is, what the main option includes, and what to check.

Is insurance a legal requirement?

No. We know of no law that says a detectorist must be insured. What exists is a recommendation.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme’s Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting lists it under things to do before you go out:

• Obtain public liability insurance. The Code says this is “to protect yourself and others from accidental damage”.
• Where to get it. It names two bodies: the National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD) and the Federation of Independent Detectorists (FID).

So it’s optional in law. In practice, landowners may ask, and rallies and club digs can set their own terms, so check with the organiser. Our permission letter template builds it in for that reason.

What public liability cover is

In general terms, public liability insurance is about other people. It’s there if your detecting causes accidental injury to someone else, or damage to their property, and they hold you responsible.

It isn’t the same as covering your own things. Your detector, your car, your spade: those are different policies.

Why landowners care

The farmer carries risk too. The PAS guide for landowners says the NCMD and FID both give their members public liability insurance. It also points out that landowners and occupiers have a duty of care of their own, under the Occupiers’ Liability Acts 1957 and 1984.

Put simply, you’re a visitor on their land. Showing a card that says you’re insured tells them you’ve thought about it. That’s part of why it helps win permission.

NCMD membership: what you get

The NCMD doesn’t sell insurance on its own. It comes with membership. These were the adult prices on its membership page in November 2026:

Membership	Price
1 year	£8
2 years	£15
3 years	£22
5 years	£35

Membership can renew automatically unless you cancel, and the NCMD says it warns you before it does. You get a digital card straight away. A physical card is £4 extra.

What the NCMD policy says

The NCMD publishes an insurance certificate from its broker, Howden UK Brokers, dated 7 April 2026. This is what it shows:

• Cover: public liability.
• Insurer: Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc.
• Period: 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
• Limit: £10,000,000 any one claim.
• Excess: nil.
• Where: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

The certificate describes the cover as being for members to detect “on land (always with permission) owned by others”. Note those three words in brackets. We read that as a reminder that the cover is built around permitted detecting. If you’re unsure what that means for you, ask the NCMD before you rely on it.

The certificate also lists “significant exclusions”. They are technical clauses, such as a prevention of access exclusion and cyber and disease exclusions. Read the full policy wording if you need detail.

The extras NCMD lists

The NCMD’s benefits page lists more than the headline cover:

• Children. Add up to three 10 to 16-year-olds to your membership for free.
• Events. Protection at commercial rallies and events, and at private and group digs.
• Club committees. Cover for activities you organise if you sit on an NCMD-registered club’s committee.
• Carers. Cover extended to a carer who helps you while detecting.
• Trips abroad. Cover while detecting on trips to Europe, which it says may be extended worldwide (see its terms).
• Big finds. Access to a Major Finds Excavation Fund to help pay for a qualified archaeologist to excavate hoards or significant finds, in England and Wales only.

Non-UK residents can join too. The benefits page says they get cover for detecting trips to the UK of up to 7 days. The certificate itself says “7–14 days at a time”. If you’re visiting from abroad, check which applies to you.

FID membership

The FID is the other body the Code names. The PAS landowner guide says FID membership includes public liability insurance, and that FID members must follow its code of conduct.

We couldn’t confirm the FID’s current price or cover limit. Its website wouldn’t load when we checked in November 2026. If you’re weighing it up, get the figures from the FID directly.

Before you rely on any policy

A few quick checks:

1. Read the certificate. Check the dates, the limit and the excess. The NCMD’s runs to 31 March 2027.
2. Carry proof. Keep your digital card on your phone. Landowners and organisers may want to see it.
3. Check what’s excluded. Ask for the full wording if anything matters to you.
4. Insure your kit separately. A public liability policy is not cover for your own detector.
5. Get permission anyway. Insurance doesn’t replace it. It doesn’t override the law on scheduled monuments or aircraft crash sites either.

New to the hobby? Our beginner’s detector guide covers the kit. Our guide to what counts as Treasure covers what you must report.

FAQ

Do you need insurance to metal detect in the UK?

There is no law that says you must have it. The Portable Antiquities Scheme's Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting recommends getting public liability insurance, such as that offered by the National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD) or the Federation of Independent Detectorists (FID). Many landowners and rally organisers will also ask whether you are insured.

How much is NCMD insurance?

Insurance comes with NCMD membership rather than as a separate policy. Adult membership costs £8 for one year, £15 for two, £22 for three or £35 for five, according to the NCMD's membership page in November 2026. A physical card costs £4 extra.

What does NCMD insurance cover?

The NCMD's 2026 certificate shows public liability cover with an indemnity limit of £10,000,000 any one claim and a nil excess, underwritten by Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc, for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The geographical limit is England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The NCMD says membership also covers rallies, private and group digs, and detecting on trips to Europe.

Are children covered by NCMD insurance?

The NCMD says a parent or guardian can add up to three 10 to 16-year-olds to their membership for free. It also offers separate under-16 memberships.

Does detecting insurance cover my metal detector if it is stolen?

Don't assume so. The NCMD certificate we read describes public liability cover only, which is about harm to other people or their property. If you want your own kit covered, ask your home insurer or a specialist insurer.

Sources

Every figure in this guide comes from one of these. We checked each one on 3 November 2026.

1. Portable Antiquities Scheme, Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting. finds.org.uk/guides/detecting-guidance/code-of-practice-for-responsible-metal-detecting
2. Portable Antiquities Scheme, “Detecting on your land: know your rights as a landowner”. finds.org.uk/detecting-on-your-land-know-your-rights-as-a-landowner
3. National Council for Metal Detecting, “Membership” (adult membership prices). www.ncmd.co.uk/membership/
4. National Council for Metal Detecting, “Benefits of membership”. www.ncmd.co.uk/benefits-of-membership/
5. National Council for Metal Detecting, “Join & renew”. www.ncmd.co.uk/join/
6. Howden UK Brokers, NCMD public liability insurance certificate, 7 April 2026 (PDF). www.ncmd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/NCMD-Insurance-Cert-2026.pdf
7. Federation of Independent Detectorists (website did not load when we checked). http://www.fid.org.uk/