Aragón: mushroom-picking permits and limits

In short: across all of Aragón the mushrooms in a forest belong to someone, but you can pick them for free for your own use and in small quantities, as long as there is no prohibition sign on site. All the rules are collected in a single document, Decreto 179/2014. It applies across the whole territory and to all forest land, public and private (the area on the map). Below: when picking is free, when you need a permit, how much you can take per person per day and which signs to look for on site. ¹

Who owns the mushrooms you pick?

The forest owner. Under the decree, owners of forest plots are in all cases the owners of the wild mushrooms that grow on their plot or in their forest. ⁴

But there is an exception to this rule, and all amateur picking rests on it. “Occasional” use, meaning for yourself, without profit and without harming nature, is free of charge and needs no permit. You may take 3 kilograms of mushrooms or 10 litres by volume per person per day; if weight and volume disagree, weight counts. ⁴

This regime applies on all forest land in Aragón, but it is cancelled in two cases: the owner has marked a prohibition with signs, or the plot falls within a regulated-use zone. Creating such a zone rules out occasional picking inside it entirely. ²⁴

What does this prohibition look like on site?

There are two signs, and the decree sets out their wording word for word. The first is the owner’s: “Zona de setas reservada. Prohibida la recolección”, meaning the mushroom zone is reserved and picking is prohibited. If you see it, go no further. ⁴

The second marks a regulated zone: “Aprovechamiento micológico regulado. Prohibido recolectar sin autorización”, meaning regulated mushroom use, picking without authorisation prohibited. These signs are put up on posts 1.5 m high and must state the owner of the zone. That line is the one you need: the owner is the one who issues permits. ⁵

Do you need a permit?

In a regulated zone, yes, and only from the owner of that zone. The owner may use the mushroom resource themselves or issue permits to third parties. These are named, personal and non-transferable, and state the type of use allowed. You cannot hand your permit to a friend. ⁵

A permit also has a side benefit: it gives you the right to drive on those forest tracks inside the zone that are open for this purpose, so that authorised people can be taken to the picking area. ⁵

The limits for each type of permit are as follows:

With a commercial permit you may pick only those species that are recognised as fit for sale under health legislation and listed in Annex I of the decree. ²⁶

Where do you buy a permit and how much does it cost?

There is no single answer, and that is the main thing to understand in advance. Each regulated zone must have its own set of rules approved by its owners; in municipal forests these are adopted in the form of an ordinance. The rules set, at a minimum, the types of permit, their periods of validity, prices, and any exemptions, discounts and concessions. ²⁵

So the price, validity period and place of sale can only be found out from the owner of the zone, the one whose name is on the sign. The Aragón government page does not name specific zones, prices or points of sale.

And one more thing: the regional limits are a ceiling, not a guarantee. Forest planning instruments may, by their own decisions, set limits for standard and commercial use, while occasional picking may only be cut back or banned, and only where necessary to conserve the resource. A local rule is always stricter than the general one, or equal to it. ⁷

What are you actually allowed to pick under the decree?

Only those species of wild mushrooms that are considered edible or to have medicinal use and are listed in the annex to the decree. Picking species outside this list is prohibited; the only exceptions are scientific authorisations and permits for members of mycological societies. ⁴⁸

It is important not to confuse the two things here: this is a legal restriction, not a way of telling whether a mushroom is edible. The annex to the decree does not make the mushroom in your basket safe. I will not say that any particular mushroom is edible, and I will not describe identifying features, whether by appearance, by photograph or by a phone app. For a general idea of what you should not touch at all, see the section on poisonous mushrooms.

If you feel unwell after eating wild mushrooms, call 112.

How do you pick without breaking the decree?

The decree describes not only limits but also method. It is prohibited to pull up and destroy mushrooms, or to disturb the soil so that the surface layer of vegetation is damaged, whether by hand or with tools such as rakes, hoes, sickles, picks and spades. Picking at night, from sunset to sunrise, is prohibited, as is carrying mushrooms in non-ventilated containers. ⁸

What is required: cut only with a folding knife, a knife or scissors; do not take specimens in the very first stages of development; do not take over-mature, broken or spoiled ones; it is best to clean your haul on the spot, leaving the stems and discarded parts in the forest. ⁸

Hunting is a separate point. In zones and at times designated for drive hunts (batidas), you must not pick mushrooms. Look for the sign about this as carefully as for the mushroom one. ⁷

What does the decree not regulate?

Truffles do not fall under Decreto 179/2014. They have their own rules, which I do not cover here. Cultivated mushrooms are also not regulated by the decree. ¹

The sale of mushrooms is a health matter: it is governed by Real Decreto 30/2009 on the conditions for selling mushrooms for food use, and points of sale may not be located inside forests of public utility or consortium forests. Meeting health requirements gives no right to pick: you may pick for sale only with a commercial permit for the zone. ³

What does the MicoRadar forecast give you?

The forecast on the site is a model’s calculation based on conditions, not an observation in the forest and not permission to pick anything. It does not override the limits in the decree or the rules of a particular zone. You can browse by province: Huesca, Teruel, Zaragoza. There is also the forecast map and the weekend forecast.

What to check before you set out

• Work out how much you realistically plan to take and check it against the limit: without a permit it is 3 kg or 10 l per person per day.
• When you arrive, look for the sign. If you see text with reservada, leave; if you see text about regulated use, look on the sign for the name of the zone’s owner.
• Contact the zone’s owner in advance and ask about permit types, validity periods and price: these are set by the zone’s rules or the municipal ordinance.
• Check whether drive hunts have been announced for those days in the places you are heading to.
• Take a knife or scissors and a ventilated container, such as a basket or similar; leave the rake and the hoe at home.
• Do not judge edibility yourself: not by appearance, not by photo, not by an app.

Decreto 179/2014 was published in BOA no. 225 of 17 November 2014 and came into force one month after publication. The Aragón government page was last updated on 22 September 2026; the text was checked on 29 September 2026.