A change, during 2020,  in Title 18, the state Crimes Code, gives landowners the option of using purple paint, rather than signs, to post their properties and alert others that lands are private and trespassing isn’t permitted.

This law is effective in all but Philadelphia and Allegheny counties.

Landowners using purple paint to post their properties use vertical purple lines that are at least 8 inches long and 1 inch wide. The bottom of the mark must be no less than 3 feet or more than 5 feet from the ground. And painted marks are not more than 100 feet apart.

Now that the “purple paint law” is effective, hunters and trappers should know they might encounter purple markings on trees and that these marks are meant to define the boundary of an adjoining private property that’s posted against trespassing.

The new law also authorizes unarmed persons to go onto private property for the sole purpose of retrieving a hunting dog.

A recent legislative act has provided the Game Commission the authority to investigate trespassing complaints and enforce trespassing violations as a primary offense, even if game-law violations aren’t alleged, and the agency will do so.