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Permit Report » Permits by City » New York

New York Building Permit Search & History Reports

NYC DOB (Department of Buildings) maintains two parallel record systems — BIS (Building Information System) for historical records dating back decades, and DOB NOW for current active filings. Records cover all five boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island). Each borough has its own DOB office and slightly different record formats.

Live data direct from NYC DOB BIS / DOB NOW · Results in seconds

Records available

What's included in a New York permit search.

New building filings, Alt-1/Alt-2 alteration permits, plumbing, electrical, sprinkler permits; BIS historical and DOB NOW active records.

Source: NYC DOB BIS / DOB NOW https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/index.page

  • Permit type and scope of work Full description of the work covered by each permit
  • Issue date, final date, current status Track open vs. finaled vs. expired permits
  • Contractor name & license Where recorded — required for NY permits
  • Original PDF document (Premium tier) Certified copy from NYC DOB BIS / DOB NOW
Coverage limits

What this search does not include.

Counties outside NYC (Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk) — each has its own building department and records system.

  • Outside New York, NY jurisdiction Adjacent counties and municipalities use separate systems
  • Pending / in-review permits Not yet issued — not in the public records database
  • Unpermitted work Not in the records — flagged via history gaps, not direct data
  • Voided / expired (cleared) records New York may clear old records from public view after a retention period
Common questions

Frequently asked about New York permits.

How far back do NYC DOB records go?
BIS has records from the early 1900s depending on the borough and permit type. DOB NOW launched in 2017 and covers current filings only.
Can unpermitted additions be detected?
Yes. Cross-reference BIS permit history with NYC property tax data (Property Tax Photo Archive) and DOB violation records. Significant gaps in permit history may indicate unpermitted work.
How long does a search take?
DOB NOW active records are retrieved in real time (seconds). Historical BIS records take longer due to deeper database queries — typically 1–3 minutes.
What's the difference between BIS and DOB NOW?
BIS is the legacy system holding archived records. DOB NOW is the newer online portal for current filings and open applications. Both are official NYC DOB systems.

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