New York City Property Records
NYC spans five boroughs, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, each mapped to a county. Use this guide to route your property question to the right system before you search the wrong source.
Use this page to find the right official source. PropertyChecker is a third-party property-record research resource. It is not a government office and does not replace certified records. This page helps route common NYC property questions to the correct record family and borough-specific source before users spend time or fees in the wrong place.
NYC Borough-Aware Scope
New York City property questions span five boroughs, each corresponding to a New York State county. Many record systems are shared citywide, but deed routing and some court paths differ by borough.
| Borough | County | Deed / recording path |
|---|---|---|
| Bronx | Bronx County | ACRIS |
| Brooklyn | Kings County | ACRIS |
| Manhattan | New York County | ACRIS |
| Queens | Queens County | ACRIS |
| Staten Island | Richmond County | Richmond County Clerk |
Shared citywide systems: NYC Department of Finance (appraisal, tax), NYC Department of Buildings BIS/DOB NOW (permits), DOF Property Information Portal (parcel).
Which NYC Source System Should You Use First?
NYC property questions rarely belong to one office. Use this map to separate deed recording, tax, building, and court-related next steps.
| Source family | Best for | Search by | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYC ACRIS — City Register recording | Deed recording, mortgage filings, and recorded-document searches for Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. Document copies and certification paths | Address, party name, or document reference; BBL is the strongest NYC parcel identifier | Staten Island deeds, tax payment status, permit history, or court-case records |
| NYC DOF Property Tax — Department of Finance | Property tax bills, payment status and history, tax-account lookup, and assessment context | Address, BBL, or tax-account reference | Certified deed copies, recorded-document retrieval, or building permit status |
| NYC BIS / DOB NOW — Buildings information | Building permit status, inspection activity, complaints, and DOB case history | Address, BBL, permit number, or complaint number | Ownership verification, tax payment confirmation, or recorded-document copies |
| County Court / Judgment-Lien — Per-borough court paths | Case-specific court records, judgment and lien searches, and legal-record routing per borough | Case or judgment reference, party names, property context | Assuming all legal records appear in ACRIS, tax, or BIS systems |
If the question is about liens or court records, first confirm whether it belongs to a recorded-property filing (ACRIS) or a separate court-case record path.
Deed Routing by Borough: ACRIS vs Richmond County Clerk
Four of five NYC boroughs use the citywide ACRIS system for deed recording. Staten Island (Richmond County) uses the Richmond County Clerk. Choose your deed source based on the property's borough.
| Borough | County | Deed / recording path |
|---|---|---|
| Bronx | Bronx County | ACRIS → City Register |
| Brooklyn | Kings County | ACRIS → City Register |
| Manhattan | New York County | ACRIS → City Register |
| Queens | Queens County | ACRIS → City Register |
| Staten Island | Richmond County | Richmond County Clerk |
Key distinction: ACRIS covers Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. Richmond County Clerk covers Staten Island. Do not use ACRIS for Staten Island deed searches, and do not use Richmond County Clerk for properties in the other four boroughs.
Avoid These Common Wrong Turns
The fastest way to get stuck is to use the right address in the wrong official system. These boundaries help users choose the right record family before they search.
Don't use ACRIS for Staten Island deeds
ACRIS covers Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. For Staten Island properties, start with the Richmond County Clerk deed search instead.
Don't use the tax system for deed copies
The NYC Department of Finance handles tax billing and assessment, not recorded-document retrieval or certified deed copies.
Don't use BIS for ownership proof
NYC Buildings Information System tracks permits and inspections. Ownership verification or deed history requires ACRIS or Richmond County Clerk sources.
Don't assume one ID works everywhere
BBL, tax-account numbers, permit numbers, and document references belong to different systems. The wrong ID can return no result.
What Are You Trying to Do?
Choose the task first, then use the strongest identifier you have. This helps users who know the address but do not yet know which official source owns the answer.
Find a deed or recorded document
Start with: ACRIS (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens) or Richmond County Clerk (Staten Island).
Best ID: borough, address or BBL, then document reference if known.
Avoid: starting in tax or BIS systems when you need a filed document.
Check tax bill or payment status
Start with: NYC Department of Finance property tax systems.
Best ID: address, BBL, or tax-account reference.
Avoid: using tax tools for deed-certification or assessment challenges.
Look up permit or inspection history
Start with: NYC BIS or DOB NOW.
Best ID: address, BBL, permit number, or complaint number.
Avoid: assuming public search can complete account-required portal actions.
Search for liens or court records
Start with: ACRIS for recorded-property filings.
Then check: county court path for separate case records.
Avoid: assuming tax or permit tools surface every lien.
What May Delay Results or Add Fees
Newly filed images may lag online
Recently filed ACRIS or Richmond County Clerk document images may take time to appear online, especially for very recent filings.
Current-year data can be in progress
DOF assessment and tax data may still be updating during active cycles. Some values should be treated as in-progress.
Public search has limits
Some DOB actions may require a logged-in portal path rather than a public search result.
Court-path completeness varies
Court records should be treated as a separate branch. Not all legal filings appear in recording or tax systems.
Future recommendation: a borough-specific page model may better serve NYC users long term, but this phase06 prototype intentionally preserves the existing one-page NYC model for one-for-one comparison.
Table of Contents
NYC Quick Tip
Start with the property address or BBL. Then use the source and borough maps below to route your question to the right system. Four boroughs use ACRIS; Staten Island uses the Richmond County Clerk for deed records.
Recommended Starting Point
Use address first when you do not have a BBL, tax-account, permit, or document reference.
Source Families
- ACRIS deeds and recordings
- DOF property tax
- BIS / DOB building records
- County court / judgment-lien
- Richmond County Clerk (Staten Island)
Validation Note
Fee, timing, and system-update guidance should be checked before launch because those details drift faster than source roles.