Kentucky Revised Statutes Title XIII. Education § 164.720.Permit required to excavate

(1) No person shall explore, excavate, appropriate or remove from land owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any state agency or any political subdivision or municipal corporation of the Commonwealth, any archaeological site or object of antiquity without first obtaining a permit from the Department of Anthropology upon the recommendation of the agency owning or having control of the land upon which the same is situated.

(2) If exploration or excavation of archaeological sites and the finding and gathering of objects of antiquity is undertaken for the benefit of reputable museums, universities, colleges or other recognized scientific or educational institutions with a view to promoting the knowledge of archaeology or anthropology, permits shall be regularly granted.

(3) Each permit issued by the department under this section shall accurately describe the location and sites of the ruins or deposits where the exploration or excavation is to be conducted and shall authorize such actions only at such location. The permit shall be upon such conditions as the department shall deem advisable for maximum effective exploration with a minimum of injury to the surrounding terrain. Each permit shall terminate upon the following thirty-first day of December, subject to an annual renewal on or before the following January 15. However, any permit may be revoked by the department at any time upon finding that explorations or excavations authorized by the permit are not being conducted lawfully or properly in accordance with its terms.