Important Notice: The Program of Vertebrate Paleontology is preparing for some exciting updates, and this is our busiest time of the year! As a result, permit processing is significantly delayed. Please apply/renew as early as possible before your collecting event/permit expiration, and expect to receive your digital permit via email within four (4) business weeks of submission. We apologize for the inconvenience!
This page provides instructions to renew an existing permit that will entitle the named on the permit to collect, for the period of one (1) year, vertebrate fossils on land owned or leased by the State of Florida. If you need to update your contact information, please email fossilpermits@floridamuseum.ufl.edu.
Fossil Collecting Permit Renewal
Be sure to report your finds prior to expiration or renewal of your Florida Fossil Collecting Permit. You may report finds as often as you like!
Click the button below to renew permit(s) via credit card*.
*Please note that payment does not constitute a valid permit. Permits are valid once received as a digital PDF to the email address provided during the transaction. The permit will be sent to you from fossilpermits@floridamuseum.ufl.edu (check spam/junk folders). You may print and carry or download and show your permit from a smart device if approached by FWC officers while fossil hunting.
If you prefer to pay by check or money order, please follow the steps outlined below:
- Checks or money orders of $5.00 per applicant in U.S.D. currency should be made payable to the ‘University of Florida’.
- You must also write your full legal name and/or permit number on the memo line.
- If you are sending multiple applications, include one check for the total amount, not multiple checks of $5.
- PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH.
- PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIGN YOUR CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS!
Mail payment to:
Program of Vertebrate Paleontology
1659 Museum Road, Dickinson Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611-7800, USA
The $5 permit fee is written into a 40-year-old Florida Statute and no longer covers the program’s operational costs, so we now depend on support from our community. To remain affordable, permits will continue to cost $5 per year, but should be around $20 based on inflation. If you’re interested in and able to contribute beyond the $5 fee, we would greatly benefit from monetary donations to help with salary for the permit processor and supplies for processing and housing donated fossils.
Donate to Vertebrate Paleontology