Start with the DOB Place of Assembly Certificate of Operation, then match the recurring FDNY Public Assembly Permit for the same venue and permit period. The initial PACO is not the annual FDNY permit, and an inspection event is not the permit itself. Keep the approved space and plan identity beside every date before treating the records as one chain.
Build a record-by-record venue log
Use one row per document and preserve each document’s matching identifiers and dates:
| Record | What to copy from the document | Question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| DOB PACO | Certificate number, issue date, space or room, capacity and approved plan reference shown | What initial place-of-assembly certificate applies to the space? |
| FDNY Public Assembly Permit | Permit or account number, stated period and venue description | Which recurring permit period is documented? |
| FDNY inspection record | Inspection date, result and the permit or venue reference printed on it | What field event and result were recorded? |
| Later change | New plan, room, capacity or certificate reference | Did the later record concern the same approved configuration? |
These are comparison fields to copy from records in hand. They are not a claim that every public portal accepts each field.
Keep the DOB and FDNY stages separate
DOB's PACO page describes the initial DOB inspection and certificate process. It directs approved PACOs in DOB NOW to that system, while earlier applications use different records paths. The page also says the recurring Public Assembly Permit and its inspection are handled by FDNY.
FDNY's assembly-permit page treats the DOB PACO and approved plans as prerequisites for the Public Assembly Permit. The permit's stated term is no longer than one year. Record the exact period printed on the returned permit; do not turn that maximum into an assumed renewal date.
The DOB temporary-use page distinguishes a Temporary Use Permit letter from a separately filed Temporary Place of Assembly Certificate of Operation. Keep the TUP letter and TPACO under their own names instead of labelling either as an annual FDNY permit.
Choose the record route by filing era
DOB's PACO page directs applications and printing of approved certificates through DOB NOW. Filings submitted before December 10, 2018, and PAAs to jobs approved before that date continue at borough offices. Preserve the BIS job number if known. For a pre-BIS or BIS folder, the page directs readers to the Records Room on the third floor of the Manhattan Borough Office. These are filing and copy routes, not guarantees that every certificate is online.
The DOB NOW public-portal FAQ documents a filing split between DOB NOW and BIS and describes public property-profile searches by address, BBL, BIN or job number. The public portal excludes pre-filing jobs and does not display plans; the FAQ names the DOB NOW: BIS Options record request for plans. No public property or document search or records request was performed for this guide.
The blank BIS Property Profile showed generic address, BBL, BIN, job and permit-number controls. They are not PACO-specific filters. Save which system was checked, the identifier used and the date observed instead of describing an empty result as proof that no PACO exists.
Match the same venue, not just the newest date
Consider a wholly fictional venue folder. It contains an older PACO for “Room A,” a current-looking FDNY permit for “Assembly Area,” and a note that an inspection occurred. The permit period is visible, but the plan or capacity reference needed to connect the two spaces is missing. This example describes no real venue.
Do not treat the newer permit as a match merely because the address is the same. Compare the certificate number, room or space, capacity, plan reference and permit period. Ask for the inspection result separately. If the later paper uses a changed room or plan, preserve that mismatch until a document links the configurations.
The file gap does not mean the venue lacked authorization. It means the available papers do not yet establish that the initial certificate, recurring permit and field result belong to the same configuration and period.
Find a known FDNY permit or ask for the missing copy
FDNY's permits page distinguishes anonymous permit and Letter of Approval viewing from account-linked services for permit holders. Its Quick Print page says assembly permits issued on or before September 3, 2021 use an Account Number on the legacy route; later permits follow the anonymous-view instructions. That date distinguishes published routes, not the beginning of online records or a retention floor.
When a known permit or later inspection copy is missing, keep the venue name and address, PACO number, FDNY permit or account number, permit period, inspection date and exact missing document in one request note. Use 311 or the business-support email identified on the FDNY pages to ask which custodian or copy route applies. The FDNY building-record chooser explains why a permit inquiry is different from a violation, incident or tank-report request.
A PACO or annual inspection reference does not prove that a current annual permit was issued. An issued permit also does not establish a later inspection result, a DOB final sign-off or a certificate of occupancy. The permit and occupancy guide covers that separate distinction.
Official sources reviewed October 8, 2026 UTC. No venue, address, BBL, BIN, job, PACO, FDNY permit, inspection, portal account, form, payment, contact or records request was queried, opened or submitted.