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Licensed Timber Buyers
The Licensed Timber Buyers (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—cutting trees from a forest and removing the logs without paying the landowner—was a large and growing problem during that time.
The focus of the LTB program is the administration of the LTB law, assisting timber growers whose timber has been wrongfully harvested, the resolution of such cases, and serving as a communication hub for the entire forest products community. The purpose of the program is to protect the timber growers of Indiana from theft and dubious business practices and to protect the integrity of the entire forest products industry.
The LTB law requires all buyers of timber and their agents to be licensed with the DNR Division of Forestry. Licenses cost $150 each, and agent cards cost $20 each. Licensed Timber Buyers must also be bonded. The bond is used in case a buyer does not pay a court-ordered restitution to the landowner. The amount of the bond depends on the amount of timber the buyer purchased the prior year. The value of a bond ranges 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 factors that might be affecting the trees, such as invasive insects.
Online Timber Purchasing
Looking for a Timber Buyer or Agent?
Licensed timber buyers and their agents can be found online by using our licensing database. Anyone with internet access 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.
Since its inception, the LTB program has reduced the amount of timber theft on private and public lands. The program’s goals are:
- To protect timber growers from unscrupulous buying practices and 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 Indiana Conservation Officers and county prosecutors in criminal prosecutions that involve timber.
- Cooperate with the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) Division of Hearings and DNR attorneys in administrative actions involving alleged violations of the Indiana LTB law, and attend hearings and conferences, furnish technical expertise and promote dialogue that results in understanding and settlement.
- Publish the monthly LTB Bulletin.
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
(317) 232-4112, dmccoy@dnr.IN.gov