How to check a NYC building's elevator or boiler records

Checked against the official pages listed below on 27 Oct 2026. Not legal advice.

Every elevator and boiler violation in New York City is a public record. This is the short way to find a building's records, and where to confirm them at the source.

1. Search the address

Use the search on the home page. Type a street address, for example 646 Dean Street, Brooklyn. If the building has a record, you get its page with the elevators on file, the boilers, the active violations and the full list for the last two years. Each violation links to its city record.

2. What to look at

Active violations. A violation stays active until DOB records it as resolved. Most elevator and boiler violations are for a report that was not filed.
Last Cat 1 test. The Cat 1 safety test is annual. A date more than a year old on an active device is worth a question to the owner or the elevator company.
Device status. Active, in progress or removed. A removed device should not carry current filing duties.
Boiler filing status. The latest report per boiler, and whether defects were reported.

The terms are explained in the elevator inspection guide and the boiler filing guide.

3. Know the BIN

DOB identifies a building by its Building Identification Number, or BIN. If you have one, inspectionlookup.com/nyc/bin/BIN/ takes you to the building page when we have it. Otherwise search by address.

4. Confirm at the city source

Inspection Lookup is built from NYC Open Data and refreshed daily, but DOB's own systems are the record of truth.

DOB NOW. DOB's elevator FAQ says to open DOB NOW, enter the address, then choose SAFETY: Compliance Filings and the compliance type Elevators to view a device's filings and their status.
BIS. For other DOB violations on the property, DOB's FAQ points to the Buildings Information System: Building Information Search, then the Property Profile Overview, then Violations-DOB or Violations-OATH/ECB. Each building page links to its BIS profile.
NYC Open Data. The datasets behind our pages are open to anyone: violations, elevator devices and boiler inspections.

5. A record that looks wrong

Open data lags the live systems by days. A violation may already be paid, or a report may have been filed and not yet posted. Check the city record before acting on anything you read on a third-party site, ours included.

Sources

Related guides

Browse violations by borough

General information from public NYC sources, current as of 27 Oct 2026. Rules and amounts change, so confirm with DOB before you act. Not affiliated with NYC DOB.