§ 30-1-116 — Patents to placer claims

When any person, persons or association, they and their
grantors, have held and worked their placer claims in
conformance with the laws of this state and the regulations of
the mining district in which such claim exists, if such be
organized, for five (5) successive years after the first day of
September succeeding the date of location, then such person,
persons or association, they and their grantors, shall be
entitled to proceed to obtain a patent for their claims from the
United States without performing further work; but where such
person, persons or association, they or their grantors, desire
to obtain a United States patent before the expiration of five
(5) years from the date hereinbefore mentioned, they shall be
required to expend at least five hundred dollars' ($500.00)
worth of work upon a placer claim.