Montana Fossil Laws

Montana is the epicenter of the US commercial dinosaur trade — Hell Creek and Two Medicine material from private ranch land is legal to sell with landowner permission.

Federal & Public Land

Vertebrate fossils on BLM, USFS, and NPS land cannot be collected for commercial sale. Research permits required.

Private Land

Landowner owns fossils. Commercial collection and sale legal with written landowner agreement. This is the basis of the legitimate Hell Creek market.

Notable Formations

Hell Creek Formation
Two Medicine Formation
Morrison Formation

Buyer Checklist

◆Always confirm land type before buying MT dinosaur material
◆Demand county-level locality, not exact GPS
◆Egg Mountain and similar sites are private — verify chain of custody

All US States Dinosaur Places How to Buy Legally