Archaeology Permits

All archaeological sites in B.C. are protected under the Heritage Conservation Act. This applies whether sites are located on public or private land, and whether the site is known or unknown. Protected archaeological sites may not be altered or changed in any manner without a permit.

Sites can be impacted by landscaping, renovations, building, infrastructure upgrades or development, or natural resource extraction.

Licensee’s, property owners, and/or developers may require other approvals unrelated to the archaeological work – such as forestry cutting permits and municipal development permits – in addition to permits issued under the HCA.

There is no fee for archaeological inspection permits or heritage investigation permits.

Archaeological Site Protection

Archaeological sites are protected under the Heritage Conservation Act through:

The Act affords discretionary authority in determining if, and under what conditions, permits are granted:

Permit Applications & Guides

Professional consulting archaeologists must get certification that clients have read and concur with the content of the permit application.

Professional consulting archaeologists can complete and submit a permit using the Archaeological Permit Tracking System.

All permitting and assessment maps and shapefiles submitted to the Archaeology Branch must meet certain requirements.

Summaries and clarification of permit amendment requirements and expectations.

Heritage Inspection Permits & Heritage Investigation Permits

Heritage inspection permits and heritage investigation permits are issued under section 12.2 of the Act after the archaeology branch reviews the application:

The purpose of a heritage inspection is to assess the archaeological significance of land or other property. The inspection determines the presence of archaeological sites which warrant protection, or are already protected, under the Act.

A heritage investigation is undertaken in order to recover information which might otherwise be lost as a result of site alteration or destruction.

Alteration Permits

Alteration permits are issued under section 12.4 of the Act after the archaeology branch has reviewed and approved the application:

Permits took an average of 93 days to issue in 2019. This allowed for initial Branch review, referral to First Nations, the Branch's consideration of  comments before determining whether to issue a permit, and administrative tasks. Please note seasonal variations may affect timelines (e.g., most applications are submitted to the Branch between January and May).

Oil & Gas Project Permits

Some archaeology permits for oil and gas developments are issued by the Oil and Gas Commission.