No one can legally collect dinosaur or other vertebrate fossils on public land without a federal government permit. If you stumble across something that you think might be a dinosaur fossil, don't touch it. You may want to contact the paleontologist at a local natural history museum or the nearest Bureau of Land Management office and report what you've seen.

On state land, fossil-collecting laws vary. Some states like Wyoming are rather lax, while others, like Colorado, have strict regulations about picking up any fossil. Contact the appropriate natural resource agency in a particular state for current information.

In Canada, collecting laws vary by province, from laid-back British Columbia to stringent Saskatchewan.

On private land, it's up to the owner. But whether on private or public land, the best approach is to leave the bones to the experts. Attempting to remove fragile fossils could ruin them, or risk losing valuable information about their location and state of burial. You can still be a dinosaur hunter by joining a team led by professionals and sponsored by an accredited museum. You'll learn more and might make a major discovery.

Use our Dino Finder to see which prehistoric beasts lived in your backyard.