Start the property search in DOB NOW Public Portal with both the street address and parcel number. Open the permit details, inspections, and final or completion record before deciding what the visible status means for the NYC DOB property search.
For NYC DOB permits for a property address, the useful chain is the permit scope, issue record, inspections, and final or completion status. Match the address and parcel in DOB NOW Public Portal, then check whether older work sits in a legacy portal or scanned archive.
Match the address before opening the NYC DOB permits for a property address record
For the NYC DOB property search, start with DOB NOW Public Portal, then confirm that the city or county shown is the authority that issued permits for the property.
- DOB NOW Public Portal
- Buildings Information System (BIS)
- NYC DOB NOW Public Portal FAQs
- NYC DOB NOW: Build FAQs
- NYC DOB: Get Building History
- USA.gov local government directory
Use both the address and parcel number
Before relying on the NYC DOB property search, have the street address, parcel number, owner or applicant name, permit number, and an approximate work date ready.
- Exact street address
- Parcel or assessor number
- Permit or application number
- Issuing city or county
In New York City, people may say “DOB search” when they mean the older BIS property profile, a DOB NOW job filing, a permit lookup, or a complaint/violation search. Start with the property address, borough, block, and lot if you have them, then compare the result across the relevant DOB screen instead of assuming one page contains every record.
Start with the street address and borough. If the result is unclear, use the borough-block-lot number (BBL), Building Identification Number (BIN), or job number shown in the property record.
Open the permit, inspection, and completion history
- Search the property by street address, then repeat with the parcel number if the portal supports both.
- In DOB NOW Public Portal, open each relevant permit instead of relying on the summary count beside the property.
- For the NYC DOB property search, compare the permit type, issue date, status, inspections, and any completion or final certificate tied to the same work.
- In the NYC DOB property search, if the likely work predates DOB NOW Public Portal, confirm the department’s archived portals or scanned records.
- Save the permit numbers and issuing department before contacting the office.
Read issued, finaled, expired, and open separately
In the NYC DOB property search, the result is strongest when the permit, inspection events, and final status refer to the same scope of work and property.
| Record field | How to read it |
|---|---|
| Lookup wording | Use the responsible official source and compare the identifying fields in its record. |
| DOB BIS search | Building Information Search / property profile: Address, BIN, job numbers, permits, complaints, and status labels. |
| DOB NOW permit search | DOB NOW public portal: Filing type, applicant, permit status, and issued date. |
| DOB property search by address | Start with address or BIN, then follow the record type: Whether the record is open, issued, expired, withdrawn, or closed. |
A permit entry found through NYC DOB permits for a property address does not by itself prove that the work passed final inspection, matches the building today, or complied with rules owned by another department.
If the permit history is incomplete
If no match appears, try address variants, parcel records, former addresses, and the archive date range used by the department.
For the NYC DOB property search, ask the building department whether the missing history needs a public-records request and whether a separate planning, fire, or trade-permit system holds part of the file.