If You See Purple Paint in Indiana Woods, You Need to Leave the Property
Late summer is the perfect time for hiking, fishing, bird watching, and other fun outdoor activities. If you are ever out in the woods, and you happen to come across purple paint in the state of Indiana, it's time to get the heck outta Dodge.
So, what does it mean? Purple paint around private property is a law called the "Purple Paint Law." The purple paint is the legal equivalent to a "No Trespassing" sign. On July 1, 2018, Indiana joined a dozen other states in enacting the Purple Paint Law.
According to Kokomo Tribune, the law's author, Rep. Dave Wolkins, will make it easier and cheaper for property owners to maintain their property boundaries. “This is an efficient and simple way for landowners to keep trespassers out,” said Wolkins, the House Committee Chair of Environmental Affairs. "It will also help minimize a property owners liability, prevent accidental trespassing and make it easier to prosecute those who enter private property without permission.”
So, if you see purple paint this fall, and you don't have permission to be there, move along. And, if you need a 100% safe place to be outside, check out your state and national parks.
On the flip side if you need to mark your property correctly. You can view the code at: Indiana General Assembly.
Each purple mark must be readily visible to any person approaching the property and must be placed on a tree as a vertical line of at least eight (8) inches in length and with the bottom of the mark at least three (3) feet and not more than five (5) feet from the ground; and not more than one hundred (100) feet from the nearest other marked tree; or on a post with the mark covering at least the top two (2) inches of the post, and with the bottom of the mark at least three (3) feet and not more than five (5) feet six (6) inches from the ground; and not more than thirty-six (36) feet from the nearest other marked post.
And before a purple mark that would be visible from both sides of a fence shared by different property owners or lessees may be applied, all of the owners or lessees of the properties must agree to post the properties with purple marks under subsection. -IC 35-43-2-2
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