Cultural Heritage Protection Act · Zakon o varstvu kulturne dediščine (ZVKD-1)
Facts verified 2026-09-11
This guide is informational, not legal advice. Laws change and individual cases differ — when in doubt, contact ZVKDS or read the official law text.
What the law says
§The purpose decides. Searching for archaeological remains — and using a metal detector or other technical means FOR THAT PURPOSE — is permitted only with a prior permission of the institute (ZVKDS) and only if the search is carried out by a professionally qualified person (Art. 32). Using a detector for something else, for example to find a modern object you lost, is not what that article prohibits.
§The ZVKDS permission is real and reachable: a single permit for up to 30 days, or an open one for up to a year over a larger area. It is tied to the person who applied and cannot be passed on. Professional qualification is met by at least ONE of education, references, further training, volunteer status, or the status of a conservator or curator — it is not reserved for archaeologists.
§An "archaeological find" is any movable object that has been under the ground or under water for at least 100 years — and weapons, ammunition, military equipment, vehicles or vessels (or their parts) after only 50 years (Art. 3).
§Archaeological finds discovered on Slovenian territory are property of the state if determined to be heritage — you do not become the owner by digging them up (Art. 6). Finds from war graves with established ownership are the exception.
§Trading or otherwise disposing of illegally excavated finds is prohibited, and any such legal transaction is void (Art. 6).
§Deliberate excavation or removal of archaeological remains is allowed only with a cultural-protection consent, under ZVKDS supervision, by qualified professionals (Art. 31). Digging up a suspected archaeological object yourself can constitute unauthorized research.
§If the assessment concludes your find is NOT heritage, seized items must be returned to you — and under property law a non-heritage find is shared equally between finder and landowner.
§Breaking Art. 32 is a misdemeanour: 400 to 1,200 EUR for an individual, 800 to 4,000 EUR for a responsible person, 2,000 to 40,000 EUR for a legal entity or sole trader (Art. 127). On top of the fine, the metal detector and all the equipment with it may be confiscated.
Suspected unexploded ordnance?
Old or rusty ammunition can still be deadly. Stop searching.
Do not touch, move or dismantle the object.
Leave calmly along the route you came. Keep away from the object.
Warn others from a safe place. Keep people and children away; do not light fires nearby.
Call 112. Say who is calling, where the object is, what you observed and whether people or animals are at risk.
The following steps concern other heritage finds. For suspected explosives, follow the emergency guidance above.
1Stop digging. Leave the find undamaged, in the exact place and position you discovered it (Art. 26).
2Record the context without moving anything — in DetectMap: GPS pin, photos in situ, depth, notes.
3Notify ZVKDS no later than the NEXT WORKING DAY (Art. 26). Regional ZVKDS offices are listed at zvkds.si.
4For 7 days after your report, only an authorized ZVKDS person may intervene at the find spot — do not return to dig (Art. 26).
5ZVKDS assesses whether the find is heritage; they may take the object for examination. If it is not heritage, it is returned to you.
Do
✓ Always get landowner permission before detecting — track it in DetectMap Properties.
✓ Report suspected archaeological finds by the next working day — reporting protects you legally.
✓ Log GPS, depth and photos for every find; context is what makes a find scientifically valuable.
✓ If you are going out to look for archaeological remains, apply to ZVKDS for a permission first — the legal path exists, and it is what separates a detectorist from a looter.
✓ Without such a permission, keep to modern, non-archaeological purposes — beaches, cultivated topsoil of ordinary farmland, your own ground — and stay away from anywhere with known historic remains.
Don’t
✗ Never detect on registered archaeological sites or cultural monuments — searching there without consent is unauthorized research.
✗ Never keep quiet about a find that is likely 100+ years old (50+ for military material).
✗ Never sell or trade suspected archaeological finds — such deals are void and illegal.
✗ Never "rescue" a deeper archaeological object yourself; that destroys the context and crosses into illegal excavation.
✗ Never set out to search for archaeological remains without a ZVKDS permission — landowner consent does not replace it, not even on private land.
✗ Never touch or move unexploded ordnance. Stop searching, leave it where it is, and call 112.
Honesty pays — literally
An accidental finder who reports correctly under Art. 26 may claim a reward from the ministry of up to the value of the find (Art. 26.a) — honesty literally pays.