Green Horizons

Two trespassing laws have been on the books for a number of years; the third one is relatively new.

Trespass in the 1st degree is often referred to as “the purple paint law.” It basically says that if your property is adequately posted with signs or purple paint, then anyone entering your property without your consent is trespassing. Trespass in the 1st degree is a Class B Misdemeanor violation.

Trespass in the 2nd degree is more general. You are in violation if you enter unlawfully upon real property owned by another. It is classified as an infraction. With these two laws, anyone trespassing for any activity is in violation and subject to penalties, which are usually fines.

The new kid on the block is State Statute 578.520 titled, private land, permission needed to fish, hunt, or trap and penalty violation. It states no person shall fish, hunt or trap upon or retrieve wildlife from any private land that is not owned or in the possession of such person without permission from the owner or lessee of such land. This new statute is a Class B misdemeanor, but unlike Trespass in the 1st degree, the land does not have to be posted. Further, violators will not only be subject to the penalty of a Class B misdemeanor, but they may also may lose any license issued by the Missouri Department of Conservation to fish, hunt or trap for at least one year from the date of conviction.