A patented mining claim is one for which the Federal Government has passed its title to the claimant, giving him/her exclusive title to the locatable minerals and, in most cases, the surface and all resources. Requirements for patenting a mining claim are given at: 43 CFR 3860.

Mineral Patent Moratorium: Effective October 1, 1994, Congress imposed a moratorium on spending appropriated funds for the acceptance or processing of mineral patent applications that had not yet received First Half Final Certificate (FHFC) or were not in Washington, D. C. for secretarial review of FHFC on or before September 30, 1994. Until the moratorium is lifted or otherwise expires, the BLM will not accept any new patent applications.