The Licensed Timber Buyer’s (LTB) Program was created in 1972 to administer and coordinate the Indiana Timber Buyer Licensing Law (I.C. 25-36.5). The law, sponsored by the forest products industry, was created to reduce the amount of timber theft occurring in the state. Timber theft, or cutting trees from a forest and removing the logs without paying the landowner, was a large and growing problem during that time. The goals of the LTB program are the administration of the LTB law, assistance to timber growers of wrongfully harvested timber, the resolution of such cases, and be a communication hub for the forest products community as a whole. The purpose of the program is to protect the timber growers of Indiana from outright theft and dubious business practices, and to protect the integrity of the forest products industry from those few that would tarnish it.
The LTB Law requires all buyers of timber and their agents to be licensed with the Department of Natural Resources' Division of Forestry. Licenses cost $150 each and agent's cards are $20 each. Licensed Timber Buyers must also be bonded. The bond is used in case a buyer does not pay court-ordered restitution to the landowner. The amount of the bond depends on the amount of timber the buyer purchased the prior year (bond amounts range from $2,000 to $20,000, starting January 1, 2017, the bonds will change to range from $5,000 to $50,000). Timber Buyers and their Agents must renew their licenses each calendar year.
A monthly LTB Bulletin is published as part of the LTB Program. The bulletin is useful to timber buyers, foresters, and timber growers. It includes notices of the sale of timber, forest products and related services. The bulletin also includes a classified advertisement section and articles that are pertinent to the sale and purchasing of timber in Indiana and things that might be affecting the trees, such as invasive insects.
- Licensed Timber Buyer Application
Online Timber Purchasing
Looking for a Timber Buyer or Agent?
Licensed timber buyers and their agents can now be found online by using our licensing database. Anyone with internet access (at home or at a local library) can look up this information. This allows landowners, foresters, and others to make sure their bidders have active licenses or agent cards.
Click on Timber Buyers and enter your search criteria to view company information or click on Agents to view individuals.
The Goals of the Licensed Timber Buyers Program are:
- To protect timber growers from unscrupulous buying practices and outright timber theft.
- Efficiently provide services to the licensed timber buyers and timber growers of Indiana.
- Investigate all timber trespasses and thefts on all state-owned properties in an unbiased manner, and actively pursue restitution or prosecution in cases involving violations.
- Assist Conservation Officers and county prosecutors in cases involving criminal prosecutions when these investigations involve timber.
- Cooperate with the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) Division of Hearings and with DNR attorneys in administrative actions involving alleged violations of the Indiana LTB Law. Attend hearings and conferences, furnish technical expertise and promote dialogue that results in understanding and settlement.
- Publish monthly LTB Bulletin.
- Since its inception, the program has reduced the amount of timber theft on private and public lands.
For more information about the LTB program or to receive an application for a Timber Buyer’s license, contact Duane McCoy, Timber Buyer Licensing Forester, at:
Division of Forestry
402 W. Washington Street, Room W296
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (317) 232-4112
Email: dmccoy@dnr.IN.gov
