DOB NOW permits: checking what work is filed at a building
Last reviewed Oct 6, 2026 · DOB violations and permits
Search the address in the DOB NOW Public Portal for recent filings and permits, and in DOB BIS for older ones. DOB moved filing to DOB NOW progressively, so neither system holds the complete history on its own.
Two systems, one building
DOB NOW is the current filing platform. BIS is the legacy Building Information System, and it still holds the long history for most buildings. The migration happened by work type over several years rather than all at once.
The practical consequence is simple and catches people out constantly: a building can have an active permit visible in DOB NOW and nothing recent in BIS, or a long history in BIS and nothing in DOB NOW. Checking one is checking half.
What to look at on a filing
- Status
- Whether the job is filed, approved, permitted, or signed off. A permit that was issued is not the same as work that was completed and signed off, and the gap between them is where open jobs sit for years.
- Expiry
- Permits expire. Work continuing under an expired permit is work without a permit, with the violation exposure that implies.
- Applicant of record
- The professional who filed. Useful when you inherit a building and need to know who handled previous work, and necessary if a job needs to be withdrawn or amended.
- Job type and description
- Tells you what was actually authorised. Work that goes beyond the scope filed is a common source of violations even where a valid permit exists.
Why an owner should watch filings, not just violations
A permit filed against your building by somebody else is worth knowing about. It happens: a tenant filing for alteration work, a neighbour’s job that includes your party wall, a contractor filing under the wrong BIN.
Open jobs also matter at sale. A job filed and never signed off is an unfinished item in the building’s record, and buyers’ lawyers ask about them.
Common questions
Do I need an account to search DOB NOW?
No. The DOB NOW Public Portal is open and searchable without a login. An account is needed to file, not to look.
Why can I not find a permit I know exists?
Most often because it is in the other system, or because it was filed against a different BIN on the same lot. Check both BIS and DOB NOW, and confirm the BIN.
What happens if a permit expires mid-job?
Work must stop until it is renewed. Continuing is work without a permit and is cited as such, with the additional difficulty that the work already done may now need to be legalised.
Official sources
Rules and figures change. Check anything you are about to act on against the agency itself.
Related guides
- DOB violations in NYC: what they are and how they are resolved
What a Department of Buildings violation is, the common types, how resolution differs from HPD, and why an unresolved DOB violation blocks new work at the building.
- How to check DOB violations by address
Look up Department of Buildings violations for any NYC address using the BIS property profile, and understand why DOB violations and ECB summonses are listed separately.
- Buying a NYC building with open violations
Open violations transfer with the building, not the seller. What to search before you commit, which records matter most, and what tends to be negotiated.
- BIN and BBL: the two numbers NYC systems actually use
What a Building Identification Number and a Borough-Block-Lot are, how to find them, and why searching by address alone returns the wrong building on some lots.
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