Turn your DOB NOW filings into an API

What you can build on DOB NOW

• Get job filing statuses

  Build this

  Reads the job filings listed on your DOB NOW: Build dashboard, with each filing's address, BIN, work types and current filing status.

  Takes

  Filing status (optional), BIN (optional)

  Returns

  Job filing number, address, borough, BIN, job type, work types, filing status

• Get the objections on a job filing

  Build this

  Opens one job filing and reads the objections the plan examiner issued, with each objection's status and the comments added to it.

  Takes

  Job filing number

  Returns

  Job filing number, filing status, objection, objection status, comments

• Get your work permits

  Build this

  Reads each permit on the Work Permits dashboard in DOB NOW: Build, with its job filing number, address, work type, status and expiration date.

  Takes

  Job number or BIN (optional)

  Returns

  Job filing number, address, work type, permit status, issued date, expiration date

• Renew a work permit

  Build this

  Finds the permit on the Work Permits dashboard, selects Renew Permit in its Filing Action column, completes the renewal and submits it.

  Takes

  Job filing number, work type

  Returns

  Job filing number, work type, permit status, renewal submitted at

Automate DOB NOW with a workflow

A workflow runs your methods as one process, with nobody at the screen. A schedule or a call from your own system starts it, the steps run in order, and the result arrives in your inbox or in the systems you already use.

• Filings that went to Objections, every morning

  Build this

  Starts

  Every weekday at 7:00

  Step 1

  Get the job filing statuses on your DOB NOW: Build dashboard.

  Step 2

  Keep the filings in Objections that were not in Objections on the last run.

  Step 3

  For each one, get the objections and their comments.

  Step 4

  Email you the list, one section per job filing.

• Work permits that expire in the next 30 days

  Build this

  Starts

  Every Monday at 8:00

  Step 1

  Get the work permits on your Work Permits dashboard.

  Step 2

  Keep the permits whose expiration date is within the next 30 days.

  Step 3

  Post the list, soonest first, to your project system's webhook.

• Filing status changes, posted to your project tracker

  Build this

  Starts

  Every day at 18:00

  Step 1

  Get the job filing statuses on your dashboard.

  Step 2

  Keep the filings whose filing status changed since the last run.

  Step 3

  Post each change, old and new status, to your webhook.

You can run a workflow by hand on every plan, Free included. Schedules and webhook triggers come with the paid plans, from $29 a month.

Once built, one call from your code

Once you have built a method, it is one POST to /v1/runs from your backend, or a tool an AI agent calls over MCP. This is what “Get job filing statuses” would look like.

curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "method": "a810-dobnow.nyc.gov/get_job_filing_statuses",
    "input": {
      "filing_status": "Objections"
    }
  }'

{
  "status": "completed",
  "data": {
    "filings": [
      {
        "job_filing_number": "M00412876-I1",
        "address": "214 West 38th Street",
        "borough": "Manhattan",
        "bin": "1015842",
        "job_type": "Alteration",
        "work_types": [
          "General Construction"
        ],
        "filing_status": "Objections"
      }
    ],
    "count": 1
  }
}

An example with invented data, not a ready-made endpoint. The method exists in your organization once you build it, and its name, inputs and fields follow your request.

DOB NOW’s own options

The Department of Buildings says there is currently no API in DOB NOW: Build. It publishes DOB NOW filings as read-only datasets on NYC Open Data, with only the fields entered in the filing, and DOB NOW jobs can be searched on the DOB NOW Public Portal. Filing, objections, permits and payments are done in DOB NOW itself.

Read on November 12, 2026: DOB NOW: Build FAQs, DOB NOW: Build, DOB NOW: Build Job Application Filings (NYC Open Data).

Signing in to DOB NOW

Since June 2024 every DOB NOW user signs in with an NYC.ID account, synced to the email address their DOB NOW records are tied to. NYC.ID supports two-factor authentication, which an application can require. With Fous you sign in once through DOB NOW's own sign-in with your own NYC.ID: the login is sealed with AES-256, never returned by the API or written to logs, and code and AI agents never see it.

Worth knowing

Your dashboard follows your email address

Filings on the DOB NOW dashboard are tied to your email address, not the property. Change the email on your eFiling account and you lose access to your records, so build on the account the filings name.

Filing representatives cannot submit

A filing representative can enter the data for a work permit application but cannot upload plans or submit filings or permits. A method acting on a filing can do only what your role on it allows.

Objections wait for you

After objections are issued, DOB does not review the filing again until you resubmit it. You mark each objection Resolved in the Objection Status dropdown, with comments, before resubmitting.

Permits expire at the earliest of three dates

A DOB NOW permit expires at the earliest of an insurance expiration, the license expiration or one year from issuance. Renewal details are due at least 5 days before the license or insurance expires.

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