One of the most confusing aspects of NYC property research is that the Department of Buildings operates two separate digital systems. Understanding the difference is essential for complete research.
DOB BIS (Building Information System)
BIS is the legacy system, online since the 1990s. It contains:
- All historical violations, permits, and complaints
- Certificate of Occupancy records
- ECB/OATH violation and hearing data
- Elevator and boiler records
- Building registration information
BIS is comprehensive for historical data but has a dated interface, and it has suffered extended outages and reliability problems since early 2026 — treat it as a legacy archive and start any search with DOB NOW. Search by address, BIN (Building Identification Number), or block/lot.
DOB NOW (Build, Safety, Inspections)
DOB NOW is the modern electronic filing system, introduced in 2016 and gradually replacing BIS functions:
- DOB NOW: Build — electronic plan filing and permit applications
- DOB NOW: Safety — facade inspections (FISP), elevator compliance, boiler inspections
- DOB NOW: Inspections — inspection scheduling and results
Newer filings (post-2016 for eligible job types) may ONLY appear in DOB NOW, not in BIS.
The Split-System Problem
The transition from BIS to DOB NOW has been gradual and incomplete. This creates a significant problem for property research:
- Some violations appear only in BIS
- Some permit applications appear only in DOB NOW
- Some records appear in both with different levels of detail
- Historical data (pre-2016) is primarily in BIS only
To get a complete picture, you must search both systems for every property. This is one of the key problems RegWatch solves — we automatically aggregate data from both BIS and DOB NOW into a single property profile.
Which System for What
- Looking up violations: Start with DOB NOW; check legacy BIS for older records
- Searching permits: Start with DOB NOW (recent filings may only be there); check BIS for older jobs
- Certificate of Occupancy: Newer certificates in DOB NOW; older records in BIS
- Facade inspections (FISP): DOB NOW: Safety
- Elevator records: Both systems
- Historical research: BIS has deeper historical data
The RegWatch Solution
Instead of searching two separate systems, search any property on RegWatch to get combined data from both BIS and DOB NOW, plus HPD, ECB, DOF, and other agencies. One search, complete data.