A Certificate of Correction in NYC is the document you file with the Department of Buildings to prove a violation has been fixed, and until the DOB approves it, the violation stays open on your property’s public record even if the work is done and the fines are paid. Filing happens entirely through the DOB NOW: Safety portal, where you enter the details the old paper forms (AEU2, AEU20, AEU3321) used to capture, upload evidence, and wait for the Administrative Enforcement Unit to review.1NYC Buildings. Certificate of Correction
Your Deadline Depends on the Violation Class
DOB violations come in three classes, and the commissioner’s order tells you the exact date by which you must correct the condition and file your certification.2American Legal Publishing. New York City Administrative Code 28-204.2 – Order to Certify Correction Read the notice for that date rather than assuming.
- Class 1 (Immediately Hazardous): a serious threat to life, health, safety, or property. Correct right away and file as soon as the work is done.
- Class 2 (Major): affects life, health, safety, or property but doesn’t require immediate action. Real deadlines still apply, set in the order to correct.
- Class 3 (Lesser): smaller impact, with deadlines set in the original notice.
What It Costs If You Don’t File
Civil penalties under NYC Administrative Code §28-202.1 escalate quickly for anything left uncorrected:3American Legal Publishing. New York City Administrative Code 28-202.1 – Civil Penalties
- Class 1: $2,500 to $25,000 per violation, plus up to $1,000 per day the condition remains uncorrected.
- Class 2: $1,000 to $10,000 per violation, plus up to $250 per month uncorrected.
- Class 3: up to $500 per violation.
On top of that, failing to certify correction of an immediately hazardous violation triggers a separate penalty under NYC Administrative Code §28-217.1 of $1,500 to $5,000, payable directly to the DOB. Until that penalty is paid, the DOB will not issue new permits or certificates of occupancy for the property, and existing stop-work orders cannot be lifted.
One point that catches owners off guard: paying your OATH penalty does not, by itself, clear the violation. It stays open in the Buildings Information System until an approved Certificate of Correction is on file.4NYC Buildings. Resolve a Summons or Violation
What to Gather Before You File
The system will ask for the same substance the old paper forms captured, so pull these together first:1NYC Buildings. Certificate of Correction
- Before-and-after photos, each labeled with the date, location, and summons number, with “Before” and “After” clearly marked.5NYC Department of Buildings. AEU2 Certificate of Correction
- Itemized receipts and invoices for materials and labor.
- Permit documentation, including the permit number, if the work required one.
- Proof that all applicable civil penalties for the summons have been paid, in the form of a DOB invoice. Do not send checks; the system requires proof that payment has already been made.4NYC Buildings. Resolve a Summons or Violation
- Contractor licenses or professional certifications for any work that required them.
If the summons was for work without a permit, the associated DOB civil penalties must be paid at the DOB borough office where the summons was issued before your Certificate of Correction can be approved.6NYC Buildings. What Is an OATH Summons?
Filing Through DOB NOW: Safety
You need an NYC.ID account to log in.7NYC Buildings. Certificate of Correction Frequently Asked Questions After signing in at nyc.gov/dobnow, choose DOB NOW: Safety, then “Violations & Notices of Deficiency,” then create a new Certificate of Correction Review Request. Enter your summons number and confirm the violation details the system pulls up.8New York City Department of Buildings. DOB NOW: Safety – Certificate of Correction Review Request User Guide
The request moves through several tabs. General Information captures your relationship to the summons and who has personal knowledge of the correction. Corrector Information asks who performed the work, the completion date, whether permits were obtained, and a written description of what was done. If your violation qualifies for a penalty waiver (a “Cure”) or a reduced penalty (a “Stipulation”), checkboxes appear here so you can request those reductions in the same filing.
On the Documents tab, upload your photos, receipts, permit paperwork, and proof of payment as individual files. The Statements & Signature tab requires you to attest to the accuracy of everything, and submitting sends the request to the Administrative Enforcement Unit.
After You File
The Administrative Enforcement Unit assigns one of three statuses: Approved, Disapproved, or Incomplete. Both the filer and the owner or respondent receive an email once a decision is made, and you can check status any time from your DOB NOW dashboard.7NYC Buildings. Certificate of Correction Frequently Asked Questions
When the review closes, the summons status updates in the Buildings Information System, the public property record title companies and buyers check. If you’re selling or refinancing, an open violation on BIS can stall the deal, so watch this actively.
If Your Application Is Disapproved
Disapprovals happen most often because photos don’t clearly show the correction, the work was done without required permits, contractor licenses are missing, or the repair doesn’t actually address the specific violation cited. Penalties keep accruing while the violation stays open, so move quickly.
From your dashboard, open the disapproved request, read the reviewer’s disapproval reasons, and click Resubmit. The system generates a new request number with a suffix like -R1 or -R2. On the Documents tab you can replace rejected files and add anything the reviewer flagged as missing, but you cannot add document types beyond what was requested. You can resubmit up to 10 times.8New York City Department of Buildings. DOB NOW: Safety – Certificate of Correction Review Request User Guide
If you’re on a second or third rejection, reassess whether the underlying work actually fixed the cited condition. Better photos of inadequate repairs won’t clear the violation. For process questions, the Administrative Enforcement Unit can be reached at (212) 393-2405.9NYC Department of Buildings. Contact Us – Buildings