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.