Anti-graffiti Laws and Policies

Anti-Graffiti Laws & Penalties

Clark County Is Targeting Tagging:

Under Clark County Code, graffiti vandals charged with a misdemeanor face a minimum $1,000 fine and up to 6 months in jail. Felony convictions under state law can include four years in prison, a $5,000 fine, drivers license revocation, unlimited restitution, and more than 200 hours of community service cleaning up graffiti.
Clark County Public Response Office and Clark County Justice Court started a pilot program that requires adult graffiti offenders clean up graffiti as part of their community service work. The offenders are assigned to Public Response clean-up crews
The Clark County District Attorneys Office also pursues a gang-enhancement penalty, which doubles a vandals punishment, if prosecutors can demonstrate an adult offender is a gang member and was promoting his gang with graffiti or was involved in other gang-related crimes. With the added gang enhancement, the sentence is automatically becomes non-probationable.
If damage is done to public property, Clark County seeks restitution and is looking at ways to become even more aggressive at pursing judgments for damages, particularly through civil court.

Clark Countys Department of Juvenile Justice Services launched a Juvenile Graffiti Offender Program in May, 2006. The program puts youth to work painting over graffiti as part of their court-ordered community service. The program will soon include an educational component that involves parents and children.
The Clark County Commission recently adopted a juvenile implements law that makes it illegal for minors to possess aerosol sprayers, paint sticks, or other tools used to draw or etch graffiti on public or private property.

Retail outlets are required to keep spray paint and markers locked up so graffiti vandals cannot buy or steal such items easily. Clark County Public Response code enforcement officers are visiting retail stores and are issuing citations for failure to lock up paint.

Clark County is seeking public comment on proposed changes to two graffiti-related ordinances. The proposed changes would strengthen existing commercial abatement and lock-up lawsi. Visit Clark County's Public Response Office Web site for more information