With the weather turning warmer and more and more people getting outside, hiking, and exploring all the natural beauty that Upstate New York offers you might see trees painted with purple paint. Do you know what that means? I didn't when I saw some trees painted purple in the woods near my house. Well, here's the explanation.

Trees that are painted purple have become a universal "No Trespassing" sign all over the country. Currently, several states have adopted "Purple Paint Laws" and they include Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas Legally, painting trees purple on your property is as good as a traditional No Tresspassing sign.

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Currently, New York isn't on that list, but people are still using the purple paint to warn people to stay off their property. Currently the "Purple Paint Bill" has been proposed and sponsored by Senator James L. Seward from the 51st district of New York. However, it hasn't gotten out of committee and voted on yet.

One of the biggest benefits of the purple paint being used for no trespassing, other than it looks pretty, is that, unlike signs that can be removed or destroyed, the purple paint is pretty permanent.

Here are the recommendations from other states for marking your property with purple paint markers.

  • Each paint mark must be a vertical line at least 8 inches long and 1 inch wide.
  • The mark must be between 3 and 5 feet from the ground.
  • Marks must be “readily visible to a person approaching the property” no more than 100 feet apart.

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