Code: Certificates (DOB approval documents)
Description: (DOB Certificates) are official documents issued by the NYC Department of Buildings that confirm a building, space, piece of equipment, or licensed individual meets the required standards for occupancy, construction, safety, or professional qualification. There are three main groups: building and project certificates (such as Certificate of Occupancy, Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, Letter of Completion, and Letter of No Objection), equipment and system certificates (such as Certificate of Compliance for boilers, elevators, sprinklers, and other building systems), and professional qualification certificates (such as Certificate of Competence for licensed tradespeople).
Practical Meaning: As a homeowner, the certificate you need depends entirely on your situation: a CO or TCO to prove your building or unit is legally occupied, a LOC to close a permitted construction job, a COC-Compliance to show a boiler or elevator passed its required inspection, a COC-Correction to officially prove a violation was fixed, or a COC-Competence to verify that the person doing regulated work is properly licensed. A missing or wrong certificate can trigger violations, block a sale or refinancing, or prevent a tenant from legally occupying a space.
Where You May See It: You may see certificates listed in DOB BIS or DOB NOW under your property address, attached to a job filing or permit application, referenced in a DOB violation or inspection letter, or requested by your bank, title company, or attorney during a sale or refinancing. Boiler and elevator Certificates of Compliance are also tracked separately in DOB inspection records, and Certificates of Correction are processed through the Administrative Enforcement Unit (AEU) or ECB filings.
Why It Matters: Each certificate type has its own deadline, renewal cycle, and consequences if missing: an expired TCO can make a building illegally occupied; a missing COC-Compliance for a boiler or elevator can result in a violation and forced shutdown; an unfiled COC-Correction keeps a violation open and allows penalties to grow; and a missing CO can block a sale or refinancing entirely. Always confirm which specific certificate applies to your situation because the rules, agencies, and deadlines are different for each one.
Source: More About DOB Certificates