Editing Geocaching (section)

===Laws and legislation===
Regional rules for placement of caches have become complex. For example, in Virginia, the [[Virginia Department of Transportation]] and the Wildlife Management Agency now forbids the placement of geocaches on all land controlled by those agencies. Some cities, towns, and recreation areas allow geocaches with few or no restrictions, but others require compliance with lengthy permitting procedures.<ref>[https://wiki.groundspeak.com/display/GEO/Virginia Groundspeak's Wiki for Virginia's land management policies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918080012/https://wiki.groundspeak.com/display/GEO/Virginia |date=September 18, 2020}}, retrieved January 12, 2013</ref>

The [[South Carolina House of Representatives]] passed Bill 3777<ref>[http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess116_2005-2006/bills/3777.htm 2005–2006 Bill 3777: Geocache, geocaching, and letterboxing] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926011205/http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess116_2005-2006/bills/3777.htm |date=September 26, 2009}} South Carolina Legislature Online</ref> in 2005, stating, "It is unlawful for a person to engage in the activity of Geocaching or letterboxing in a cemetery or in a historic or archaeological site or property publicly identified by a historical marker without the express written consent of the owner or entity which oversees that cemetery site or property." The bill was referred to committee on first reading in the Senate and has been there ever since.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thecolumbiastar.com/news/2005-05-20/Front_Page/001.html |title=High–tech scavenger hunt Geocachers invade hallowed ground |last=Haynie |first=Rachel |date=May 20, 2005 |publisher=Columbia Star |access-date=March 3, 2010 |archive-date=December 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228060249/http://www.thecolumbiastar.com/news/2005-05-20/Front_Page/001.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Illinois Department of Natural Resources]] requires geocachers who wish to place a geocache at any Illinois state park to submit the location on a USGS 7.5 minute topographical map, the name and contact information of the person(s) wishing to place the geocache, a list of the original items to be included in the geocache, and a picture of the container that is to be placed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/recreation/pages/geocaching.aspx |title=Recreation |website=dnr.illinois.gov |access-date=2019-10-02 |archive-date=October 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019095535/https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/recreation/Pages/Geocaching.aspx |url-status=live}}</ref>

In April 2020, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the [[Township (Canada)|township]] of [[Highlands East, Ontario|Highlands East]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]] temporarily banned geocaching, over concerns that geocache containers could not be properly [[Disinfectant|disinfected]] between finds.<ref>{{cite web |title=Public beaches, geocaching and mineral collection sites closed |url=https://www.highlandseast.ca/en/news/public-beaches-geocaching-and-mineral-collection-sites-closed.aspx |date=2020-04-02 |website=Municipality of Highlands East |access-date=2020-05-12 |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212134551/https://www.highlandseast.ca/en/news/public-beaches-geocaching-and-mineral-collection-sites-closed.aspx |url-status=live}}</ref>