ND: If You See Purple Paint In The Woods, You Should Leave

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Hunting seasons are here: grouse, partridge, deer-bow, and early Canada goose. It won't be long, and the duck and pheasant openers will be here too. You'll be trampling through the North Dakota prairie enjoying our great outdoors, thanks to our many gracious landowners who often grant access to their land with a simple hello and handshake. About 93 percent of the land in North Dakota is privately owned. One thing to keep in mind: some states have a "Purple Paint Law."

The Purple Paint Law

What is a "Purple Paint Law"?  I had no idea myself, nor have I ever run into purple paint in the woods here in North Dakota (I use that term loosely here on the prairie).  However, I do a lot of fishing and hunting outside of our state.  Minnesota, Manitoba, South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, etc.  Even with all those excursions to outside areas, I've never run into "purple paint" in the woods.

Purple paint in the woods is a law that some states have; that means you are trespassing.  Yep, you see purple, you should turn around, or you could be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.  Currently, the following states have a "Purple Paint Law", according to Farm and Dairy, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, and North Carolina. Florida, Idaho, and our friends in Montana.  Other states are considering bills with purple paint laws in the legislature.  We DO NOT have this law in North Dakota.

This basically gives landowners another way to post on their land to keep out unwanted trespassers.  You could still post your land the old-fashioned way with a sign, but this gives landowners another option.  It's cheaper to do, see video below, and as you know, signs have a tendency to blow away or get destroyed by the elements or even slob hunters.  I can't help but wonder how long purple paint would hold up, to be honest.  I know I've accidentally sprayed permanent paint on my driveway, and that goes away after a while.

Montana has a Version of this Law

Our next-door neighbors in Montana have this law; however, they use fluorescent "Orange" spray paint.

North Dakota has electronic posting, which I think most would agree is working very well, so you need an app, not spray paint.  To be honest, that law seems kind of archaic.