Caution | Mandatory Outdoor Water Restrictions

Due to continued dry conditions, mandatory Stage 1 Outdoor Water Restrictions are in place until further notice.

Visit Calgary.ca/restrictions for more information.

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Recording, reporting and removing graffiti | Graffiti abatement program | Graffiti FAQs

Graffiti includes words, figures, letters, drawings or stickers applied, scribbled, scratched, etched, sprayed or attached on or to a public surface.

Under our Community Standards Bylaw applying graffiti is illegal. Property owners must ensure that graffiti placed on their premises is removed, painted over, or otherwise permanently blocked from public view.

Fines for violations of these regulations range between $150 for failure to remove graffiti to $5,000 for applying graffiti.

Impact of graffiti

  • It ruins the natural and architectural beauty of a city.
  • Acts of vandalism decrease the city's attractiveness as a place to visit, conduct business, and invest in.
  • Property owners are faced with the cost and task of cleaning up graffiti.
  • Graffiti is often profane, obscene and offensive.
  • Individuals and identifiable groups are hurt by discriminatory or hateful messages.

How can you minimize graffiti's impact?

Related bylaws

Graffiti is enforced under our Community Standards Bylaw section 19.

This is an overview of these regulations. Please refer to the actual bylaw for more detailed information. Original copies of the bylaw are available at the City Clerk's office.

Filing a complaint

How to file a complaint and what happens to it

To report graffiti or a bylaw violation choose one of the following options:

  • If the graffiti is in progress, call 911.
  • If the graffiti is not in progress, call 311 (from within Calgary) or 403-268-CITY (2489) (from outside Calgary).
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