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#Trespassing Laws - Signs For All Fifty States

Two of the biggest fears of both business and landowners is liability and the risk of trespassing that comes with owning private property. While we ve written previously on dog signage and liability. in every state signage plays a slightly different role in legal issues surrounding private property and criminal trespassing.

In addition to preventing trespassing, the reasons for using this type of signage can include a desire for privacy, vandalism and theft prevention, preventing hunting, fishing and trapping, and the obvious liability prevention. After all, private property rights are outlined in the Constitution and, for many, evoke some extremely strong emotions. So from no trespassing to restricted access to private property signs, find your state in the map below to see what types of no trespassing signage will give you legal recourse and help protect your property from ignorant or malicious intruders.

What is Criminal Trespassing?

In most cases criminal trespassing is defined as entering or remaining on a premises or property in which one does not have the authorization, license or privilege to do so. Usually notice against entering or remaining can either be delivered in oral or written fashion by the property owner or an authorized agent. Laws vary slightly from state to state with some being very basic and others having very detailed requirements for providing proper notice.

Trespassing Consequences Misdemeanor or Felony?

In most states criminal trespassing is punishable by a misdemeanor though in some it is considered a felony. Almost without fail the distinction is based on the situation and intent of the trespasser. Along with being charged with a misdemeanor or felony, trespassing usually comes with some kind of fine and/or imprisonment. In almost all cases property owners have greater legal recourse when they ve met the state’s definition for proper verbal or written notice.

No Trespassing Signage Templates

For each state we ve included examples of the types of signage property owners need to have in place to improve their legal recourse. All of the no trespassing sign templates can be clicked on to customize to your state’s needs. Once clicked on we d recommend choosing our .040 Aluminum material as an affordable yet durable exterior option but rigid plastic and dibond are other good options. As per the note below it is still the responsibility of the buyer to verify that the signage requirement we ve outlined meets state laws.

We ve done our best to find state laws applicable to criminal trespassing on private property. Some states have trespassing laws specific to the type of property. Where possible we ve noted these differences.  Notwithstanding, we are not lawyers and will not be held responsible for information found on this page. Where possible we ve included a link to state laws or resources that to the best of our knowledge is current state law. Nonetheless, readers are responsible for ascertaining both the law and source are correct before acting on this advice in any way, including the customization of templates and purchase of signs.

Click on the any template below to customize it or find them in our no trespassing templates page .