Graffiti is generally speaking, simply illegal. Graffiti artists do not own the property that they scrawl their art on. The form has evolved considerably over the past several decades and certainly some support the artistic merit of some of these street artists. However, the ownership of the property that is defaced remains the central issue. In the state of New York, for instance, a person cannot apply graffiti to public or private property unless the graffiti artist gets permission from the property owner.
The punishment for doing graffiti ranges widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In most cases, a single offense is a misdemeanor and will be accompanied with a relatively mild punishment, such as a fine. Repeated cases result in the artist being charged with a felony, and the sentence could even include jail time. Another punishment requires that the criminal clean up the tagged property.
Various locations have tried to eliminate or reduce graffiti by controlling access to the spray paint required for the act. In New York, the law prohibits the sale of spray paint to anyone under the age of 18. In Chicago, a stronger law was put into place in 1992. It forbade anyone within city limits from selling spray paint to private citizens.
Many cities have created legal walls for graffiti artists to exhibit their art. Graffiti has become a part of urban art, and many of the artists are extremely talented. Cities feel that by providing legal walls for the artists to work on, less vandalizing of city and private property will take place. At the same time, the cities benefit because they gain what are essentially public art installations for citizens to enjoy.