Finds Liaison Officers and recording finds with the PAS
Last updated: 17 October 2026
A Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) is a local archaeology specialist whose job is to help the public identify and record the things they find. They run the everyday side of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, the national project that records finds made by detectorists and others across England and Wales. Recording is free and voluntary, you keep your finds, and it turns a find in your pocket into part of the country's archaeological record. Here's who your FLO is, how to find them, and what recording involves.
In short
- A Finds Liaison Officer is a local specialist who identifies and records finds for the public — the friendly face of the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
- The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) records finds across England and Wales; it's led by the British Museum with Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales.
- Recording is free and voluntary, and you keep your finds — recording a find doesn't mean giving it up.
- Treasure is different: it must be reported by law, within 14 days — in practice through your FLO.
- Find your local FLO through the official list at finds.org.uk — there's an officer for every area.
- You give the findspot as accurately as you can, but the PAS publishes it only coarsely, so your exact spots aren't broadcast.
- Bring the find as found, with photos and where it came from — and don't clean anything that might be important.
What is a Finds Liaison Officer?
A Finds Liaison Officer is a professional, usually based at a local museum or council, whose role is to record archaeological objects found by the public — above all by metal detectorists. There's an FLO for every part of England and Wales, around forty posts in all, each covering a county or group of counties. They are the people who identify finds, record them on the national database, and advise on anything that might be treasure or need a conservator. Crucially, they're on your side: the Scheme works because finders and FLOs trust each other, and talking to your FLO is the normal, welcomed thing to do with a good find.
What is the Portable Antiquities Scheme?
The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is a voluntary, national scheme to record archaeological objects found by the public in England and Wales. It's led by the British Museum together with Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, and it works through the network of local FLOs. Its public database at finds.org.uk now holds the records of nearly two million objects — one of the largest records of its kind anywhere, used by researchers, museums and detectorists alike. Every find recorded adds a little more to what's known about the past, which is the whole point of the Scheme.
Why record your finds?
Recording is voluntary for everything except treasure, so why do it? Because a find's real value is its story — what it is, and where it was found — and recording preserves that story for good, even though the object stays with you. It:
- Adds your find to the national archaeological record, where it can be studied and compared.
- Gives you a proper identification and often a date, from a specialist, for free.
- Builds the trust and reputation of responsible detecting — the thing that keeps landowners and the hobby onside.
- Does not mean giving up ownership — you keep your find.
What gets recorded — and what stays private
An FLO records what a find is, its material and date, and a findspot — which is why a good record of where you found it matters. You're asked to give the location as accurately as you reasonably can. But the Scheme deliberately publishes findspots only at a coarse resolution on the public database, so the precise location of productive ground is not broadcast to the world. In other words, recording helps the record without handing a map of your best fields to everyone — a concern detectorists rightly care about.
How to find your FLO and record a find
There's an FLO for every area, and the official, up-to-date list is on the PAS website:
- Find your FLO through the official directory at finds.org.uk — it's organised by area, so you can find the officer for where you detect.
- Get in touch to arrange recording — many FLOs hold regular "finds days" at museums or attend detecting clubs, and others see finders by appointment.
- Bring the find as found, with your photos and a note of the findspot, and don't clean anything old or important first.
We don't keep our own list of FLOs here on purpose: the PAS directory is the single source that stays current as officers change, so it's the one to use.
Recording finds vs reporting treasure
It's worth being clear on the difference. Recording an ordinary find with the PAS is voluntary — encouraged, free, and you keep the object. Reporting treasure is a legal duty: a find that meets the treasure definition must be reported to the coroner within 14 days, and in practice your FLO handles that process for you. So your FLO is the one person who covers both — the voluntary recording and the legal reporting. What counts as treasure, and how reporting works, is in our guide to the metal detecting laws in England.
Arrive at your FLO ready
Recording is far easier when the record is already made. Muld keeps a private find journal on your own phone — photograph each find where you found it, with its position and your notes — so when you see your FLO, the identification and findspot are there to hand. Muld doesn't report to the Portable Antiquities Scheme for you; it's your own field record, kept until you choose to share it. The core app is free.
Common questions
What is a Finds Liaison Officer?
A Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) is a local archaeology specialist, usually based at a museum or council, who identifies and records archaeological objects found by the public — mainly by metal detectorists. They run the day-to-day side of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, and there's an FLO for every part of England and Wales.
How do I find my local Finds Liaison Officer?
Use the official directory on the Portable Antiquities Scheme website at finds.org.uk, which lists an FLO for every area and stays up to date as officers change. Contact your local FLO to arrange recording — many hold regular finds days at museums or attend detecting clubs, and others see finders by appointment.
Do I have to report my metal detecting finds?
Only treasure. Recording ordinary finds with the Portable Antiquities Scheme is voluntary and strongly encouraged, but not a legal requirement. Treasure is different: by law it must be reported to the coroner within 14 days, in practice through your FLO. Recording a non-treasure find is your choice — and you keep the find either way.
Does recording a find mean I lose it?
No. Recording a find with the PAS does not transfer ownership — you keep your find. The Scheme records what the object is and where it was found, for the archaeological record; the object itself stays with you. The exception is treasure, which belongs to the Crown and follows the treasure process.
Will recording a find reveal where I detect?
Not to the public. You give the findspot as accurately as you can, but the Portable Antiquities Scheme deliberately publishes findspots only at a coarse resolution on its public database, so the precise location of your productive ground is not broadcast. The detailed location is held for research, not published.
Does it cost anything to have finds recorded?
No. Finds Liaison Officers identify and record finds for the public free of charge — it's a public service funded through the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Be wary of paid "valuation" services; the free, authoritative help is your FLO and the national database.
Official sources
This page explains how the Portable Antiquities Scheme works — the Scheme's own website is the place to find your officer and record a find.
- Find your local Finds Liaison Officer The official, up-to-date directory of FLOs by area, on the Portable Antiquities Scheme website.
- Portable Antiquities Scheme — the database The national record of public finds in England and Wales — nearly two million objects.
- Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales Recording finds, findspots and good practice, published by the Scheme.
- GOV.UK — Treasure The legal duty to report treasure within 14 days, which your FLO helps you with.