I’ve been asked a few times about the meaning of purple bars painted on trees. At a recent class, someone showed me the relevant statute, which led me to learn a little more about it. This post lays out what I know. Purple paint on trees? If you live in a rural area, you’re probably familiar with the purple paint phenomenon. If you don’t, you might not be. Here’s an example of a tree with a purple bar painted on it: Legal significance. In North Carolina, it is a Class 2 misdemeanor to hunt, fish, or trap on another’s land if the land has been posted against such activity. G.S. 14-159.6. The posting may be done with signs, but G.S. 14-159.7 allows for another option: The owner or lessee of the property may place identifying purple paint marks on trees or posts around the area to be posted. Each paint mark shall be a vertical line of at least eight inches in length, and the bottom of the mark shall be no less than three feet nor more than five feet from the base of the tree or post. The paint marks shall be placed no more than 100 yards apart and shall be readily visible to any person approaching the property. For the purpose of prohibiting fishing, or the taking of fish by any means, in any stream, lake, or pond, it shall only be necessary that the paint marks be placed along the stream or shoreline of a pond [...]
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