Many in Missouri Getting Busted for Ignoring Purple Paint Laws

Pleading ignorance about a law will not get you off the hook from obeying it. Many in Missouri are learning that the hard way as they're ignoring the warnings when they see purple paint on trees and ending up in big trouble.

I know a thing about this as my grandma had a farm in West Ely, Missouri. My cousins and I spent many a weekend playing around in the woods on her property. As kids will do, sometimes we would wander beyond where we were supposed to and end up in places we didn't belong. That's exactly what's happening with the current purple paint laws.

What does a purple paint law in Missouri really mean?

As a website called The Law says, Missouri is one of the states with purple paint laws in effect. It allows a property owner to mark the boundaries of their property with purple paint on trees and/or fence posts. That means no trespassing...or else. 

Here's what the exact Missouri law (revised statute 569.140) says about trespassing:

"The offense of trespass in the first degree is a class B misdemeanor...if the building or real property is part of a nuclear power plant, the offense of trespass in the first degree is a class E felony."

That means if you adventure past a purple paint marking you risk ending up with a criminal record. If the landowner is a forgiving sort of person, maybe they just let you walk away, but do it in the wrong place where a classified site is nearby and you'll get jail time and a fine and that's a best case scenario.