Graffiti

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Call 911
Call 911 to report graffiti or vandalism in progress.

Need something else?

You can request free graffiti removal. How the report is handled depends on the location of the graffiti.

You can also learn what your options are when someone else reports graffiti on your building.

You can report past or chronic graffiti to the police and request a police report for insurance or other purposes.

You can request free graffiti removal from a:

  • Residential or commercial building
  • Sidewalk
  • Street

If the graffiti is on the second story or above, it may not be able to be cleaned.

You cannot request the removal of graffiti inside a building.

You must provide an exact address in your request. If you are reporting graffiti on a street or sidewalk, select “Ground Floor” on the form.

What Happens Next

When someone reports graffiti on a private building, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) sends two forms to the building owner:

  • Notice of Intent to Remove Graffiti
  • Forever Graffiti Free

Forms will be mailed to the address the City has on file. If you do not respond, the graffiti will be removed after 35 days. 

If you are a building owner who has received these forms, you can:

  • Remove the graffiti yourself and report this within 35 days of getting the notice. 
  • Wait for the City to remove the graffiti. The City will inspect your property after 50 days of the date on the notice. If the graffiti is still there, the City will remove it.
  • Decide to keep the graffiti. You must report this within 35 days of getting the notice.
  • Decide to be "Forever Graffiti Free."
  • Ask for a 15-day extension if you want more time to decide how to respond to the notice.

Check Status of Graffiti Removal Request

Graffiti removal is generally done year-round, depending on the weather. Specific dates for cleanup are not available.

If you have already submitted a request, you can check the status of the graffiti removal job.

You can report graffiti on New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) public housing property to the NYCHA Customer Contact Center.

Before filing a complaint, you should try resolve the issue with the NYCHA Maintenance Office.

  • Agency: New York City Housing Authority
  • Division: Maintenance Hotline
  • Phone Number: (718) 707-7771
  • Business Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
  • Staff is available at all times to handle emergencies and schedule routine maintenance repairs for Mon - Fri: 6:00 AM - midnight. Automated assistance is also available in Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish.

You can report graffiti on United States Post Office blue collection mailboxes and green drop boxes. The United States Postal Service (USPS) takes these reports as maintenance complaints for the local post office.

Online

Contact the United States Postal Service (USPS).

By Phone

  • Agency: United States Postal Service
  • Division: United States Postal Service Hotline
  • Phone Number: (800) 275-8777
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 8:30 PM; Saturday: 8 AM - 6 PM
  • Staff is available through the automated phone system during business hours. Automated assistance is also available in Spanish. Additional languages are available through a staff person.

You can report graffiti on a highway. 

To report graffiti on a highway sign, go to the Highway Sign Complaint page.

You can report graffiti in a City park.

To report graffiti carved into a City tree, go to the Tree Destruction page.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) accepts reports of graffiti impacting the operation of a traffic or pedestrian signal.

Online

Email the Department of Transportation.

By Phone

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) to report the problem.

By Mail

Mail your request to:

Department of Transportation Commissioner
55 Water Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10041

You can report graffiti done within the past seven days or repeatedly at the same location. Officers from your local police precinct will respond when they are not handling emergency situations.  

You can also request that the responding officers issue a police report for insurance or other purposes. If you request a police report, you cannot remain anonymous and you must be available to meet the responding police officers.

This service does not result in removal of the graffiti.

When to Respond to a Notice of Intent

Graffiti Removed by Owner

You have the option to remove the graffiti yourself and report that you did within 35 days of the date on the notice. You can also request an extra 15 days to make a decision. After 50 days of the date on the notice, the City will inspect the property and close the case if no graffiti is found. If graffiti is found, the City will remove it.

Graffiti Intentionally Left on Building

You can ask the City to leave the graffiti on the building for artistic or other reasons. You must respond within 35 days of the date on the notice. If you do not respond in 35 days, the City will remove the graffiti from your building.

15-Day Extension Request

You can request a 15-day extension to the 35-day timeframe within which you must notify the City that you either wish to keep the graffiti or that you have removed it yourself. If you request a 15-day extension and do not report either of these options by the end of the additional 15 days, the City will remove the graffiti from your property.

Graffiti Not on Property Reported

If someone incorrectly reported that there is graffiti on your building, you do not have to do anything.

After 35 days of the date on the notice, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) will inspect the property and close the case if there is no graffiti. If there is graffiti, DSNY will remove it.

How to Respond to a Notice of Intent

You must submit your response to a Notice of Intent online.

Respond to a Notice of Intent to Remove Graffiti.

    If you own a property, you can complete and submit a Forever Graffiti Free form to the City even if there is no graffiti on your property. The form is valid for as long as you own the property.

    By submitting this form, you ensure that the City will always attempt to remove graffiti from your property free of charge in case it is ever reported. You will not receive a Notice of Intent to Remove Graffiti each time graffiti is reported on your property.

    You must submit the form online.

    Submit the Forever Graffiti Free form.

    You can inform the Department of Sanitation if you received a notice for a property that you do not own.

    Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for help.

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