DOB Now vs BIS: Which NYC Permit Database Should You Use?

NYC's Department of Buildings runs two different permit systems in parallel — BIS (the legacy from 1985) and DOB Now (the modern replacement that started rolling out in 2017). Neither is complete on its own. Most professional users check both.

This guide explains what's in each system, when to check which one, and why our audit tool merges both into a single timeline.

Quick reference

• BIS — legacy permits filed before ~2018, paper-based legacy data, "Job Number" identifiers
• DOB Now — modern permits filed since ~2018, online filings, "Filing Number" identifiers
• Both — most buildings have data in both systems; same physical work may appear in one or the other depending on when filed

BIS — Building Information System (legacy)

BIS launched in 1985 as DOB's first computerized record-keeping system. It contains:

• Permit filings from ~1985 through ~2018 (and some still-active legacy filings)
• Violations issued under the older filing system
• Job numbers in the format "[Borough][8 digits]" — e.g. M00123456
• Architect / engineer ID numbers
• Owner and applicant business names

Where it's strong: historical context. For pre-2018 work, BIS is the only source.

Where it's weak: the UI is from 1995. Searches are slow, exports are limited, and there's no API.

DOB Now (modern)

DOB Now rolled out in stages — Inspections module first (2017), then Permits (2019), then Plan Review (2021). It contains:

• Permit filings from ~2018 onward (some categories started earlier)
• Filing numbers in the format "[Discipline]-[Number]" or "BBL[10 digits]-I1"
• More structured data: job description, cost, contractor, owner
• Better tracking of work-in-progress vs. completed filings
• Real-time inspection status

Where it's strong: recent activity. Faster searches, better data structure, available via NYC Open Data API.

Where it's weak: doesn't include legacy filings. A building's pre-2018 permit history isn't here.

The overlap problem

Some work is filed in both systems. Example: a 2017 facade-repair permit started in BIS, then was reactivated in 2020 with a DOB Now filing. The same physical work shows up in two places under two different identifiers.

For users doing manual searches, this means you can miss the full picture if you only check one system. For us, we merge both into a single timeline and dedupe by job identifier + filing date.

When to check which system

Buying a condo / co-op

Check BOTH. Pre-2018 permits tell you what work was done over the building's life; post-2018 permits tell you what's happening now. If a building's BIS record is mostly empty but DOB Now is full, the building may be in an active major-renovation phase.

Renting

DOB Now is usually enough for most renter questions ("is there active construction?"). Cross-check BIS only if you see a permit type that suggests long-standing work — sidewalk shed older than 2018, elevator certificate not in DOB Now, etc.

Contesting a violation

Check the system the violation was filed in — BIS-issued violations cite job numbers in the BIS format; DOB Now violations use the newer filing format. Bring the correct documentation to your OATH hearing.

Reading the filing number format

Tells you which system you're in:

• M00123456 — BIS Manhattan job number
• X00123456 — BIS Bronx job number
• B00123456 — BIS Brooklyn job number
• Q00123456 — BIS Queens job number
• R00123456 — BIS Staten Island job number
• BBL[10 digits]-I1 — DOB Now BBL-prefixed filing
• BBL[10 digits]-E1 — DOB Now elevator filing

How we merge them

Our audit pulls both BIS and DOB Now via NYC Open Data, dedupes by filing identifier, and presents a single timeline with system-of-origin labels. You can see at a glance what's BIS-era vs DOB Now.

Run a free audit on any NYC address →

Related reading

For the broader violation-system glossary, see DOB vs ECB vs OATH violations. For how to derive BBLs from an address (you need them to search DOB Now efficiently), see NYC BBL lookup.