If You See Purple Paint On a Tree in Indiana, Turn Around Now

If you find yourself doing a little hiking in the Indiana woods and notice purple paint. That's your cue to leave.

Hoosiers will be venturing out more as the weather begins to warm up. Whether you are out hiking, fishing, hunting, or just exploring, there's something that you might notice in the woods. Of course, there are a lot of trees out there, and some might stand out more than others. One reason why a tree might stand out would be that it has purple paint all over it. Perhaps you have noticed purple paint on trees here in Indiana. Some are aware of what that paint represents, others either don't know or completely look past it. However, that purple paint is a warning that has been in place since 2018.

Indiana's Purple Paint Law Means Leave NOW!

One of the most frustrating things for any property owner is when they discover that someone has been on or used their property without permission. That is when it is time to consider posting the land you own. Sure, you can post no trespassing signs throughout your property; however, as you know, these signs can be a bit of a headache as they can get torn down, vandalized, or rendered unreadable by the elements. That's where Indiana's purple paint law comes into play.

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According to Purdue, these are the guidelines for applying the paint marks to indicate a No Trespassing area.

1.  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
   •  a post:
     • with the mark covering at least the top two (2) inches of the post, and with the bottom or the mark at least (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
2.  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 (c)(4).

Why Are People Using Purple Spray Paint on Trees?

Why purple? The color was likely chosen to avoid confusion with other colors commonly used for marking underground utilities and surveying. Red is the uniform color for electric power lines; orange for communications; yellow for gas, oil, and steam; green for sewers and drain lines; and blue for water. White is used for proposed excavation limits or routes, and pink is used for temporary survey markings. So, purple is essentially universal for no trespassing for most states.

What Happens if You Disregard Purple Paint in Indiana?

In most cases, this will constitute a Class A misdemeanor, but can be a Class D felony depending on where the trespassing occurs and whether there have been previous convictions. That misdemeanor could be punishable by up to one year of imprisonment and a fine of up to $5,000. So it's certainly a wise decision to turn around and do not proceed past the purple paint markings in the woods.