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  OFFICE OF COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION  
  GRAFFITI REMOVAL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS  

What is the Graffiti Removal Program?

  • Residents may complete the GRAFFITI REMOVAL REQUEST FORM or call the City of Los Angeles Graffiti Removal Hotline, (311), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to report graffiti on public property, or their own privately owned property.

What methods of removal are used?

  • Depending on the type of structure, there are generally three methods of removing graffiti.
    • Painting is used on most walls and buildings. Contractors will try to match the existing color as closely as possible.
    • Sand/water blasting will be used on unpainted concrete surfaces such as curbs, sidewalks, cinder block walls etc.
    • Chemical removal is used on surfaces such as metal light poles, street signs, trees, traffic control boxes etc.

Who actually does the work?

  • The Office of Community Beautification contracts with Community Based Organizations (CBO’s) geographically spread throughout the City. Each CBO has a graffiti removal program that utilizes persons needing to complete community service hours for the court system. These workers are supervised by permanent employees of the graffiti removal program.

What if the graffiti comes back?

  • Simply call the Graffiti Removal Hotline, (311), and request that the graffiti be removed again. However, if a location is frequently targeted by taggers, OCB encourages property owners or local residents to remove the graffiti themselves as soon as it appears. This is much more effective than continually calling the hotline to request service since the graffiti will remain for several days prior to removal, possibly attracting more graffiti. The Office of Community Beautification will provide paint, rollers and other supplies to persons interested in removing graffiti themselves.

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All rights reserved. For licenses to use these materials or to report infringement, please contact the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, Intellectual Property Counsel, 200 North Main Street, City Hall East, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

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