California Code, Public Resources Code - PRC § 6891

The commission may issue a prospecting permit, under such rules and regulations as it may prescribe, for lands which are not known mineral lands, to any qualified applicant, upon the payment to the commission of a reasonable charge, as determined by the commission, of not less than one dollar ($1) per acre for each acre in area embraced within the boundaries of the lands described in the permit.  No permit shall be issued for any lands which have been classified by the commission prior to the application as containing commercially valuable mineral deposits.  Upon receipt of an application for a permit, the commission shall determine whether the lands described therein are known mineral lands.  If the commission determines that the lands are known mineral lands, it shall thereupon so classify them and shall reject the application for a prospecting permit.

Subject to such terms and conditions as the commission may determine to be in the best interest of the state, a prospecting permit shall give to the permittee the exclusive right for a period not exceeding two years to prospect for minerals other than oil and gas or other hydrocarbon substances upon lands wherein the mineral deposits belong to the state.

The commission may, in its discretion, extend the term of any permit for a period not exceeding one year, but the term of any permit, including extensions, shall be limited to a total of three years.