New York City maintains a large amount of public information about buildings, construction, and development. Some of this information is easy to find through tools like DOB NOW or the Building Information Search (BIS). Other records are available, but require an additional step to access.
One way to obtain these materials is through New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), which allows members of the public to request records from city agencies.
For the Department of Buildings (DOB), this can include documents such as permit applications, plans, and other materials related to a filing. These records provide additional context beyond what appears in standard online searches.
Requests can be submitted through the NYC OpenRecords portal. Typically, this involves providing an address and, if available, a job number, along with a brief description of the materials being requested. For example:
“Records related to DOB Job # [number] at [address], including plans and related documents.”
Responses may take several weeks, depending on the scope of the request, and some materials may be redacted. In many cases, records are delivered digitally.
For those interested in understanding how building projects are documented and reviewed, FOIL provides a way to access additional layers of the public record.
Follow this link to make a FOIL request:
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