Nassau County property research is fundamentally different from NYC. There is no ACRIS, no BBL system, and no single portal that covers everything. Instead, you are dealing with a patchwork of county, town, and village agencies — each with its own records and quirks. This guide walks you through every major source.
Nassau County Land Records Viewer (LRV)
The Nassau County Clerk's Office maintains the Land Records Viewer at lrv.nassaucountyny.gov, your primary source for recorded documents. You can search deeds, mortgages, lis pendens, liens, and satisfactions going back to the late 1800s.
Key tips for using the LRV:
- Search by name, not address. The LRV indexes documents by grantor/grantee name and liber/page — not by street address. If you only have an address, you need the Section-Block-Lot first (get it from the tax map).
- Use the "Recorded Documents" search. This lets you search by document type, date range, and party name. Results include scanned images of the original documents.
- Cross-reference with ORPTS. The Nassau County Office of Real Property Tax Services (ORPTS) provides the Section-Block-Lot identifiers you need to connect tax records to recorded documents.
Nassau County ORPTS and Tax Records
The Nassau County Department of Assessment (formerly ORPTS) maintains property assessment and tax data at nassaucountyny.gov/assessment. Here you can look up:
- Current assessed value and market value
- Property class (residential, commercial, vacant land, etc.)
- Section-Block-Lot identifier
- Lot dimensions and acreage
- School district and tax district codes
- Owner of record
- Sales history (including deed date and consideration)
Nassau County went through a major reassessment in 2020 — the first in nearly a decade — which caused significant shifts in assessed values across the county. Many property owners saw dramatic increases or decreases. If you are evaluating a property, check whether the current assessment reflects the post-reassessment value or an older figure.
Nassau County GIS and Tax Maps
Nassau County offers a GIS portal that lets you view tax map parcels overlaid on aerial imagery. This is invaluable for:
- Identifying exact lot boundaries and dimensions
- Finding the Section-Block-Lot number for any parcel
- Viewing adjacent properties and their characteristics
- Understanding lot shape and access points
- Checking flood zone designations (critical for coastal Nassau County)
The GIS system links directly to the assessment database, so you can click any parcel and pull up the full tax record.
Town Building Department Records
Unlike NYC, where the DOB is a single citywide agency, building permits and code enforcement in Nassau County are handled at the town level. The three towns — Hempstead, North Hempstead, and Oyster Bay — each have their own building department:
- Town of Hempstead Building Department — the largest, covering most of southern Nassau. Building permits, certificates of occupancy, and code violations are maintained at Town Hall in Hempstead.
- Town of North Hempstead Building Department — covers the northern shore communities including Great Neck, Manhasset, Port Washington, and Roslyn.
- Town of Oyster Bay Building Department — covers the eastern portion including Syosset, Woodbury, Massapequa, and Hicksville.
Additionally, the two cities within Nassau County — Glen Cove and Long Beach — have their own building departments separate from the towns.
To check building permits and violations, you need to know which town or city the property falls in, then contact or visit that specific building department. Online availability varies — Hempstead has some records online, while others may require an in-person visit or FOIL request.
Incorporated Village Records
Nassau County has 64 incorporated villages, many of which have their own zoning codes, building permit requirements, and code enforcement. A property in the Village of Garden City, for example, is subject to both Town of Hempstead regulations and Garden City's village zoning ordinance. Always check whether a property is within an incorporated village.
Nassau County Surrogate's Court
For probate and estate records — wills, letters testamentary, and estate filings — you will need the Nassau County Surrogate's Court. Probate records can reveal ownership chains that do not appear in the land records because the property transferred through an estate rather than a recorded deed.
Nassau County Supreme Court (Civil Index)
Judgments, lis pendens, and mechanics' liens filed in Nassau County Supreme Court are searchable through the NYS Courts E-Filing system (NYSCEF) or by visiting the County Clerk's office. These records are critical for title searches — a judgment against the property owner can become a lien on the property.
Flood Zone and Environmental Data
Nassau County's southern shore is heavily impacted by flood zones, especially post-Hurricane Sandy. Check FEMA flood maps for any property. Properties in zones AE, VE, or AO face mandatory flood insurance requirements that significantly affect carrying costs.
How RegWatch Helps
RegWatch is expanding coverage to Nassau County, aggregating data from the county assessment database, land records, and other sources into a single search. Learn more about Nassau County property records on RegWatch or sign up free to search properties across the tri-state area.