An NYC DOB property search by address requires both the DOB NOW Public Portal and BIS: DOB states that filings in the two systems do not fully overlap. Use the address to identify the property, confirm its BIN and borough-block-lot, then keep separate ledgers for jobs or filings, permits, inspections, complaints, violations, and occupancy records.
Reviewed August 26, 2026 against current NYC DOB Public Portal, BIS, FAQ, and building-history instructions.
Reconcile the property before reconciling the systems
| Identity key | Exact value to save | Mismatch it catches |
|---|---|---|
| Address | House number, street, borough, alternate addresses | Same street name in another borough or a range address |
| BIN | Seven-digit Building Identification Number | Several buildings on one tax lot |
| BBL | Borough, block, and lot | One address covering several tax lots |
| Job/filing | Full BIS job or DOB NOW job filing number | A project row being confused with the building |
| Permit | Permit number and work type | A permit being confused with its parent application |
Search by house number, street, and borough first. On the property result, copy the BIN and BBL. Repeat the Public Portal search by BIN when the building has alternate addresses, and use BBL when the transaction or tax lot is the stronger identity. If one lot contains multiple buildings, do not transfer a job or violation from one BIN to another.
Use a two-ledger rule: DOB NOW never silently fills BIS
| System | Use it for | Known boundary stated by DOB |
|---|---|---|
| DOB NOW Public Portal | DOB NOW property profiles, filings, permits, selected compliance/violation records | Only DOB NOW filings; some tools and public record types have narrower coverage |
| BIS | Older jobs, filings, issued permits, complaints, violations, actions, inspections, occupancy information | Does not include DOB NOW filings |
The DOB NOW Public Portal FAQ says DOB NOW currently does not replace BIS, DOB NOW filings are not shown in BIS, and public researchers should use both systems. It also says pre-filing jobs are not displayed in the Public Portal and complaints remain in BIS. For a complete property search, absence from one system is a routing result, not evidence that the record does not exist.
Open records in an order that preserves parent and child status
- Open the property profile and confirm address, BIN, BBL, and any additional BIN or alternate-address entry.
- List every relevant BIS job and DOB NOW filing as a parent record.
- Under each parent, list its document or filing sequence, work type, applicant, scope, and current status.
- List each issued permit beneath the correct job or filing, including permit type and issue/expiration information shown.
- Add inspections, objections, letters of completion, certificates of occupancy, and other closeout records without replacing the permit status.
- Search complaints and the applicable violation tools separately, then attach them only to the correct BIN and record number.
Interpret job, filing, permit, and completion as different objects
| DOB object | What the row can establish | Next evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Job or job filing | A defined application/work scope and its processing status | Documents, objections, approvals, and associated permits |
| Permit | Work authorization record issued under a job/filing | Permit dates, contractor, inspections, and renewal/expiry |
| Inspection | Result for a named inspection at a date | Outstanding inspection types, corrections, and final sequence |
| Letter of Completion | Completion record for the filing scope it identifies | Match job/filing and later work |
| Certificate/Schedule of Occupancy | Occupancy/use information for stated spaces or scope | Compare floor, unit, use, and current building |
DOB’s Find Building Data page explains that BIS includes property profiles, jobs/filings, occupancy information, complaints, violations, inspections, and older permit history, while DOB NOW contains applications submitted there and selected compliance information. The Get Building History page gives the address-to-BIS property-profile route and identifies certificate, violation, and complaint records as distinct checks.
Run zoning as a separate property check
A DOB job or permit answers what was filed or issued for a defined scope. It does not by itself identify every zoning rule that applies to the lot today. After matching the address, BIN and BBL in DOB records, open ZoLa with the same property identity and record the zoning district, special-purpose district and any map or overlay reference shown.
Use ZoLa as the navigation layer, not as the final authority for an exact boundary. The NYC Department of City Planning’s 2025 Zoning Handbook explains that ZoLa provides general zoning information but is not the official zoning map; the linked PDF zoning maps control exact district-boundary dimensions. The zoning text then supplies the rules for the identified district or special area.
Keep the two findings separate:
| Question | First official source | Do not infer |
|---|---|---|
| What jobs, filings, permits or inspections are recorded? | DOB NOW and BIS | That the work complied with every current zoning rule |
| What zoning district appears to apply? | ZoLa, followed by the official zoning map and text | That a permit was issued or work was completed |
| Does a particular filing include zoning analysis? | The exact DOB job/filing documents available for that record | That the analysis covers later amendments or another lot/building |
If the address, BIN and BBL do not point to the same property across DOB and ZoLa, stop before interpreting either result. Boundary questions, special districts, zoning-lot composition and later amendments can require the official map, current Zoning Resolution and a qualified local professional. This guide records sources and identifiers; it does not decide whether a use or building is legally compliant.
Build a one-property reconciliation sheet
| Record | System | Identifier | Scope/date | Status | Missing next record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Property | BIS + DOB NOW | BIN and BBL | Current search date | Matched / conflict | Alternate BIN, lot, or address |
| Project | BIS job or DOB NOW filing | Job/filing number | Work description | Exact system label | Approval, objection, or document |
| Permit | BIS or DOB NOW | Permit number | Trade/work type and dates | Exact permit label | Inspection or renewal |
| Closeout | Owning system | Letter/CO/inspection record | Named space and work | Issued/final/other | Unclosed item |
| Enforcement | BIS or DOB NOW tool | Complaint/violation number | BIN and date | Active/resolved/other | Disposition or correction |
Recover when an NYC address search looks incomplete
- No address result: confirm borough and street spelling, remove unit information, and search the BBL or BIN.
- Several properties appear: compare BBL, BIN, alternate address, building count, and selected profile.
- DOB NOW is blank: run BIS and consider whether the work is in pre-filing or another DOB record family.
- BIS is blank: run DOB NOW and verify that the property identity did not change across the transition.
- A plan or document is unavailable: use DOB NOW: BIS Options or the DOB record-request route rather than treating the public profile as the whole file.
- Two statuses conflict: identify whether they belong to a job, filing, permit, inspection, complaint, or certificate, and compare dates.
Request the missing NYC record by exact identifier
DOB says plans are not viewable in the Public Portal and routes record requests through DOB NOW: BIS Options. For a formal agency-record request, its FOIL page directs users to NYC OpenRecords with DOB selected. Include borough, address, BIN, BBL, job or permit number, record type, and date range. Ask for existing records; do not ask the records officer to decide whether construction was legal or safely completed.
Finish with a dual-system finding
The saved result should show the matched property identity, BIS records checked, DOB NOW records checked, parent/child links, inspections and closeout, complaints or violations searched, and missing document request. Continue to Building Permit History by Address for the combined chronology, Certificate of Occupancy vs Building Permit for occupancy scope, and Request Building Permit Records Not Online for the retrieval packet. A clean result in only one NYC system does not prove a clean building history.