DOB NOW is the NYC Department of Buildings’ online portal — available 24/7 for filing permits, submitting documents, checking violation status, scheduling inspections, and looking up building records. It replaced most in-person borough office visits and phone-based filings.
At a Glance
- DOB NOW launched August 6, 2016 — available 24/7, no office visit required for most transactions
- Anyone can search the public portal — no account needed to look up violations, permits, or job status
- Licensed professionals and filing representatives use accounts to submit filings, pay fees, and track approvals
- Property searches use address or BIN (Building Identification Number)
For Title Companies · Property Managers · Real Estate Firms
Need an expediter you can call on every transaction?
All Boro Expediter works directly with title companies, real estate attorneys, property managers, and investors across all five NYC boroughs. Every violation type. Every borough. One contact for your whole book of business.
What You Can Do in DOB NOW
| Function | Who Uses It | Account Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Search violations, permits, job status by address | Anyone — property owners, buyers, lenders, attorneys | No |
| File permit applications and pay fees | Licensed professionals, filing representatives | Yes |
| Upload documents and plans | Architects, engineers, expediters | Yes |
| Schedule plan examiner meetings | Filing representatives, design professionals | Yes |
| File post-approval amendments (PAA) | Licensed professionals | Yes |
| Print work permits and letters of completion | Contractors, project managers | Yes |
What the Public Portal Shows
| What You’re Looking For | Where to Find It |
|---|---|
| Open and closed DOB violations | DOB NOW Public Portal → search by address or BIN |
| Open and closed permits | DOB NOW or BIS (Buildings Information System) |
| Job filing status and approvals | DOB NOW Public Portal → Job Status |
| Certificate of Occupancy records | BIS — search by address or block/lot |
All Boro Expediter uses DOB NOW daily to track filings, manage permit applications, and monitor violation status for clients across all five boroughs. Contact All Boro Expediter if you need help navigating your property’s DOB record.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DOB NOW?
DOB NOW is the NYC Department of Buildings’ online platform for filing permits, tracking jobs, submitting documents, and looking up public building records. It launched in 2016 and is available 24/7 at nyc.gov/buildings.
Can anyone search DOB NOW without an account?
Yes. The public portal allows anyone to search by property address or BIN to find open violations, permit history, job filings, and inspection records. No account is needed for lookups — only for filing and submitting documents.
What is a BIN number in NYC?
A BIN (Building Identification Number) is a unique identifier assigned to every building in New York City by the Department of Buildings. It’s used in DOB NOW and BIS to pull records for a specific building, especially useful when multiple buildings share an address.
