Purple Paint In Indiana Means "Get Off My Land"

Thursday, July 12, 2018 at 7:49 AM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

A new state law allows purple painted posts and trees to replace "no trespassing" signs.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - A new Indiana law gives purple paint a new meaning.

State Representative Stephen Bartels (R-Eckerty) says when homeowners mark their property with vertical purple lines, it means no trespassing.

Property owners can now save themselves the cost and hassle of maintaining fences, barriers, or replacing stolen signs.

“I recognize a lot of times the signs come up missing through theft, weather, fading. People will trespass on other people’s property and say it’s not marked and there’s this whole controversy that law enforcement can’t really do anything,” says Bartels.

RELATED: New Indiana Laws Now In Effect

The new law means trespassers can't use the "there's no sign" excuse when they're caught on private property. It will also help minimize property owners’ civil liability.

According to the law which took effect July 1, the lines placed on trees must be vertical, at least eight inches long, with the bottom of the line between three and five feet from the ground, and less than 100 feet apart. On posts, the purple lines must at least cover the top two inches of the post, at least three feet up to 5 ½ feet from the ground, and no more than 36 feet apart.

Indiana joins 14 other states using purple paint to mark property lines.