Seattle City Attorney Files First Lawsuits Under New Graffiti Ordinance

Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison has filed the city’s first civil lawsuits under its new graffiti ordinance, targeting three prolific taggers accused of causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage to public and private property.

The lawsuits, filed Tuesday, seek approximately $40,000 in civil penalties and restitution from the individuals known by the tags “ALURE,” “LABRAT,” and “NOMAS.” Together, they are accused of committing 25 acts of graffiti vandalism across Seattle. Final restitution amounts will be based on actual cleanup costs, which are expected to total in the tens of thousands of dollars.

“These civil lawsuits will help hold prolific graffiti taggers accountable for the damage they do in Seattle, while we continue to prosecute taggers through the City’s criminal code,” Davison said. “My message is simple: if you vandalize the Emerald City, you will pay. These three lawsuits filed today are just the beginning. We fully intend to aggressively enforce this new law against taggers and expect to file more cases in the near future.”

The city’s updated graffiti ordinance, passed by a 7-1 vote of the Seattle City Council in July, allows for civil penalties of up to $1,500 per violation. It went into effect in August and enables the city to seek penalties for graffiti offenses committed up to three years prior.

The complaints name all three taggers as known and prolific, based on Seattle Police Department investigations. If successful, the lawsuits will allow the city to recover costs associated with abatement and repair of vandalized sites.

In 2024 alone, Seattle reported 28,816 instances of graffiti. The city spends roughly $6 million annually on graffiti removal, while small businesses and private property owners face additional cleanup expenses estimated in the tens of millions of dollars each year.