Alabama motorists can drive down a one-way street the wrong way as long as they have a lantern attached to the front of their car, but bear wrestling is prohibited.

In every state, there are laws on the books that are no longer applicable, but just haven’t been removed.

On the other hand, other laws on the books could be beneficial if only people knew.

Pike County Probate Judge Wes Allen said one of those little-known laws was passed by the Alabama Legislature during the 2016 Legislative session.

The Alabama lawmakers adopted a rule that allows landowners to paint purple stripes on posts and trees as alternatives to “No Trespassing” signs.

“I was looking through the Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest and saw where the Legislature had passed the law,” Allen said. “I thought it was pertinent to share because the ruling offers landowners another way to mark their landlines.

The advantages of such postings included low costs, high visibility and difficult removal.

“The purple paint can’t be easily removed, so it is more of a deterrent to those who might be inclined to venture onto private land,” Allen said “This law benefits landowners, so it’s good to know.”

The properly posted ‘No Trespassing’ signs remain lawful. Landowners now have two ways to lawfully mark their property and property lines, Allen said.

Alabama is one of several states to recognize purple paint as valid “No Trespassing” markers.

The legal marking of the purple paint lines requires that the bottom line of the purple paint stripe to be three to five feet from the base of the tree or post. The purple stripe should be at least eight-inches long and wider than an inch.

Penalties for trespassing range from fines to jail time depending on the circumstances.