FDNY splits building history into separate violation, fire and tank reports. If you know an open summons or violation-order number, request that copy. If you need an unknown open-number list for one property, use the Summonses and Violation Orders Special Report. A fire response, a fire investigation and a fuel-tank history each have different products and request routes. Start at FDNY’s Records Requests directory, then name the document you need rather than asking for a generic building profile.
Pick the record by the question still unanswered
| What you need to establish | FDNY product and documented route | Identifiers to carry forward |
|---|---|---|
| Copy of a known open summons or violation order | PR05 known-number copy form; FDNY lists email, window and mail routes. | Exact summons or order number, property address, borough and ZIP. |
| Numbers for open summonses or orders at a property | PR04 Summonses and Violation Orders Special Report; window or mail with payment. | Property address, borough and ZIP; save the list’s numbers for a later copy request. |
| A list of fire responses associated with a property | PR10 Fire Incidents Special Report, attached to an FDNY OpenRecords request. | Property address, borough, ZIP and reporting From/To dates (MM/DD/YYYY). |
| Details of one known emergency response, or findings from an investigation | Individual Fire Incident Report or full Fire Marshal Investigation Report through OpenRecords. | Incident details and the specific report type; distinguish a response record from investigative findings. |
| Tank records for an address | PR03 Fuel Tank Special Reports, using the relevant tank/test/leak category; window or mail only, with payment. | Property address, borough, ZIP and exact tank-report category. |
The table is a routing aid; FDNY confirms whether a record exists for your building. The two violation forms are especially easy to confuse: PR04 is an open-item list; PR05 is a copy request tied to known open numbers. Neither form promises a complete list of closed or older violations. PR04 says a paid report is handled in person or by mail, despite the directory’s BuildingProfile email address for report inquiries. Use that address to clarify routing; an email alone leaves the paid request incomplete.
Where permits and fire reports split from the records window
FDNY Business documents an anonymous way to view or download permits and Letters of Approval and to view violation information. That is a sensible first check when your question is whether a particular FDNY permit or approval copy is available online. Its older anonymous permit guide describes searching by Account/Record Number. Open Record Info, then Supporting Documents, and select the PDF. If the correct number finds no document, ask FDNY Business Support through NYC311. Keep an issued document and its record number as well as the search-list label. FDNY’s account-linked legacy PIN guide describes active records associated with a linked account; anonymous access to older records is a separate question.
Fire reports take a different path. NYC311’s FDNY report descriptions distinguish one incident report from a property-wide Fire Incidents Special Report, while a Fire Marshal Investigation Report contains investigative findings. The current FDNY directory sends incident and Marshal requests to OpenRecords under Public Safety, then FDNY. PR10 asks for reporting From/To dates and states a charge per year searched; if you already know the incident, seek the individual report instead of paying for an address-wide list. The directory says a Fire Marshal Face Sheet is now included with a full investigation report, rather than offered as a separate OpenRecords choice. A response list and an investigative report answer different questions.
For tanks, PR03 separates existing from removed or sealed heating-oil and buried motor-fuel tanks, plus buried-tank leaks and the most recent tank or piping tests. Select the category that answers the file question; each tank’s status comes from its own report. FDNY’s directory also names an Environmental Assessment Report through its BuildingProfile contact, and PR03 lists no checkbox for it. Ask FDNY which product applies if the assessment is what you were told to obtain.
Keep a record of the route when a copy is missing
Suppose a wholly fictional buyer’s folder has an FDNY permit printout, a handwritten violation number and a note saying “fire report.” The permit leaves open whether the numbered violation remains open, and the note leaves unclear whether someone needs a single incident report, a property list or Marshal findings. First compare the violation number with PR05’s known-number requirement. If the number is unconfirmed, use the open-item list route for the address; it covers open items only. Ask the person requesting the “fire report” which event or period and which of the three fire products would answer their question.
Keep a small request log with the property address and borough, product sought, any exact number or incident date, years checked, official route used, and what response or document was actually received. If the anonymous page lacks the permit or a form cannot identify an older item, preserve that gap and ask the FDNY Public Records Unit or NYC311 which custodian or copy route applies; direct incident and Marshal questions through OpenRecords. The directory says Public Records Unit visits require an appointment.
An empty online result doesn’t prove there was no fire, historical violation or tank, and a report speaks to its own date rather than present safety or full code clearance. Building-permit and occupancy records sit in the City’s building files. For that separate construction-file problem, use the older building-permit lookup guide to keep a search log; the permit-versus-occupancy guide explains how an issued permit differs from an occupancy certificate.
FDNY records and business pages and NYC311 report descriptions checked October 8, 2026.