Per Local Law 126 of 2021, owners of parking structures located in the City will have to hire a New York State professional engineer (licensed and registered) to inspect at least once every six (6) years and file a report with the DOB.
SiteCompli Parking Structures Page
You can now review applicable properties here: Parking Structure Inspections
Per the department the inspection must cover:
- Buildings, or portions of a building, used for parking or storing motor vehicles, including space inside or under a building
- Open parking garages and enclosed parking garages as defined in the NYC Building Code.
- Specifically, laid out in section 406 – starting on page 473 of the above link
Who’s required to submit now, and what’s next
If you’re not sure of your property’s Community District, you can find it here or ask our team for help.
Structures located in these Districts will have to have inspections and file the reports within that time. The DOB will announce additional rules outlining filing dates and cycles for other community districts – stay tuned for updates.
Submit Process
- Request an invoice for the report that is being filed by emailing the Parking Structures Unit at ParkingStructures@buildings.nyc.gov with the Subject Line Request for Invoice for BIN/Address/Report Type where Report Type is Initial, Amended, Subsequent, or Extension.
- Bring the invoice and payment to the Central Cashier at 280 Broadway, 1st Floor Atrium. Payments can be made by credit card, check or money order. (credit card payments include a non-refundable 2% service charge on the total payment amount due)
- Save the report in PDF format with the name BIN-Address-Report Type.
- Email the receipt for the payment with the report to the Parking Structures Unit at ParkingStructures@buildings.nyc.gov with the Subject Line Cycle 1 Report for BIN/Address/Report Type. Only one report per email may be submitted.
Report Filing Fees
Initial filing - $305.00
Amended Filing - $85.00
Subsequent Filing - $85.00
Extension request to complete repairs - $65.00
Who's not required to submit
Per the DOB, the following types of structures will not be required to comply with the above:
- Autobody and automotive repair shops, automotive showrooms, and automotive service stations
- Garages with occupancy of fewer than three cars
- Unenclosed, unattached outdoor parking lots
- Private garages serving one- and two-family homes
In the meantime, if you have applicable properties, it’s a good idea to reach out to an NYC Qualified Parking Structures Inspector (QPSI) regarding an inspection - Please see the attached PDF at the bottom of this article.
The QPSI will submit the Condition Assessment report with one of the following results:
- Safe: No problems and in good condition; or
- Safe With Repairs and/or Engineering Monitoring (SREM): Safe, but requires repair/monitoring; or
- Unsafe: Problems/defects threaten public safety. With an Unsafe classification, the owner shall immediately secure public safety by removing the unsafe condition or safeguarding the area.
Penalties
The following penalties apply after the filing period ends:
- Late Filing (initial report) – $1,000 per month
- Failure to File (initial report) – $5,000 per year
- Failure to Correct Unsafe Conditions – $1,000 per month
- Failure to Correct SREM Conditions – $2,000 (one time)
How To Submit Initial Observations
QPSIs (Qualified Parking Structure Inspectors) can submit one-time initial observation reports in DOB NOW: Safety starting March 25, 2024. QPSIs will be able to log in and select “+ Initial Observation” from the Parking Structures dashboard.
Remember – initial observations for Subcycles B and C are due August 1, 2024.
Keep in mind:
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Owners of structures in Subcycle B can choose to submit a full periodic inspection report before this date to meet both this requirement and the periodic inspection requirement
- If a full periodic inspection is not submitted before 8/1/24, one will still be due in advance of the Subcycle B due date on December 31, 2025
- Structures in Subcycle C must file both the initial observation by 8/1/24, and the full periodic inspection between 1/1/26 – 1/1/27
- Initial observations are not due for structures in Subcycle A. These structures had full inspections due before December 31, 2023, and will again likely in 2028 – 2029
Helpful Details
- Owners need to have an eFiling account to attest to the report once it’s uploaded. The QPSI will enter the owner’s email address, and the owner can log into DOB Now to attest via the Statements & Signatures section
- The DOB’s Parking Structures page and FAQ page have detailed information on requirements and the overall process
Don’t Forget
Going forward, annual observations must be performed according to the checklist your QPSI provided. All observations must be recorded by your team and provided to the DOB upon request. This is in addition to filing future cyclical inspections (due once every 6 years) with the DOB.