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California Posting Laws: How to Post Land
California's posting rules sit inside Penal Code 602, which has many subsections with different sign rules. For entering land, the key idea is signs placed at set intervals along the boundary and at roads and trails entering the land. This guide explains the main points and where you should read the code yourself.
What the law asks for on signs
Penal Code 602 does not set a letter height, a minimum sign size, or an owner-name rule in the sections we checked. The wording of your sign is up to you. Short and direct works best, such as No Trespassing, so a visitor understands at a glance.
Spacing and placement
For land entry offenses, 602(h)(2) and 602(l) ask for signs at intervals not less than three per mile along all exterior boundaries, and at all roads and trails entering the land. Three per mile works out to about one sign every 1,760 ft.
Subsection 602(j), which covers fires, uses intervals not greater than one mile. The code has other subsections with different spacing, including 150 ft for another one. Read the subsection that matches your concern before you plan your signs.
Fenced land and livestock
Cultivated or fenced land generally does not need signs, except land used to raise livestock for food, according to the Farm Bureau. Civil Code 1008 is a separate rule, with 200 ft spacing or a sign at each entrance, aimed at stopping prescriptive easements. We could not confirm the Fish and Game Code hunting posting rule.
Practical tips
Long boundaries need a lot of signs, so plan the count before you order. Start at gates, road entrances and trail crossings, then fill in along the edge. Check signs after storms and fire season, and keep dated photos of the line. California has no purple paint rule in the statute text we read, so use signs.
Questions about posting land in California
How many no trespassing signs per mile in California?
Penal Code 602(h)(2) and 602(l) ask for signs at intervals not less than three per mile along all exterior boundaries and at all roads and trails entering the land. That is about one every 1,760 ft. Other subsections differ, so check the one that applies.
Does California allow purple paint to post land?
The statute text we read shows no purple paint rule for California, so signs are the method to plan around. The code has many subsections with different sign rules, so read Penal Code 602 itself before you rely on any other marking method.
Do fenced fields in California need signs?
Cultivated or fenced land generally does not need signs, except land used to raise livestock for food, according to the Farm Bureau. That is a summary, not the statute text, so read Penal Code 602 for your own situation before you decide.
This guide explains the law in plain words; it is not legal advice. We read the statute text on 2026-10-24. Laws change: check the current text here or ask your county or state wildlife agency.