Title 30 — Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-73not60

§208 Permits to Take Coal for Local Domestic Needs Without Royalty Payments; Corporation Exclusion; Area to Municipalities for Household Use Without Profit

Title 30 › Chapter 3A— LEASES AND PROSPECTING PERMITS › Subchapter II— COAL › § 208

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Secretary of the Interior can give limited permits to people to mine coal on public lands for local household fuel. The coal is for use, not sale, and no royalties are paid. Corporations cannot get these permits. Cities or towns can get permits up to 320 acres (under 100,000 people), 1,280 acres (100,000–150,000), or 2,560 acres (150,000+). The land must be in the same State. Municipalities must mine safely and offer the coal to residents without profit. Holding a lease under sections 181, 201, or 202–207 does not stop this.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §208

Mineral Lands and Mining — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In order to provide for the supply of strictly local domestic needs for fuel, the Secretary of the Interior may, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe in advance, issue limited licenses or permits to individuals or associations of individuals to prospect for, mine, and take for their use but not for sale, coal from the public lands without payment of royalty for the coal mined or the land occupied, on such conditions not inconsistent with this chapter as in his opinion will safeguard the public interests. This privilege shall not extend to any corporations. In the case of municipal corporations the Secretary of the Interior may issue such limited license or permit, for not to exceed three hundred and twenty acres for a municipality of less than one hundred thousand population, and not to exceed one thousand two hundred and eighty acres for a municipality of not less than one hundred thousand and not more than one hundred and fifty thousand population; and not to exceed two thousand five hundred and sixty acres for a municipality of one hundred and fifty thousand population or more, the land to be selected within the State wherein the municipal applicant may be located, upon condition that such municipal corporations will mine the coal therein under proper conditions and dispose of the same without profit to residents of such municipality for household use: Provided, That the acquisition or holding of a lease under section 181, 201, and 202 to 207 of this title shall be no bar to the holding of such tract or operation of such mine under said limited license.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 208

Title 30 — Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60