What regulations govern fossil collecting?
Rules and laws governing fossil collecting vary from region to region. It is your business to find these out. If you collect on private land, get permission from the owner. If you collect on public land find out what’s legal and what sort of permit you need. Wherever you collect, the unwritten rules of ethics require that you not deface sites or “clean them out” of fossils, that you not litter, and that you not endanger yourself or others by irresponsible actions (e.g. excavating into a high, crumbling cliff). If you find something genuinely rare or worthy of study, consider depositing it in an appropriate museum, where it can be kept for reference and study for generations to come. Take a moment to peruse the Paleontological Society Code of Fossil Collecting.
