Street Co-naming Requests

Street co-naming designations are made by an act of legislation via the New York City Council. The deadline varies for submissions.

The City of New York's official policy for street co-naming designations begins with a request being made directly to the Community Board that represents the selected location. Brooklyn Community Board 4 requires that a petition with at least 65% of block residents names and addresses be submitted with an explanation that includes the reasoning and justification for the co-naming.

If the street is to be co-named after an individual, it may only be done posthumously, and the reasoning and justification should include a brief biography of the individual that links them to the block.

Procedure and Timeframe

The first step is a review of the required documentation by the community board's Civic/Public Safety/Religious Committee. The committee meets every other month or as needed from September to June and may make a recommendation to the full board. The community board may subsequently vote to make a recommendation to the City Council member in whose district the street is located.

Council Members submit street co-naming requests to NYC Council central staff and provide background information. The staff conduct a background analysis of the proposed honoree(s) and produce a memo with its findings. The background analysis and all relevant vetting information are forwarded to all Council Members, who have up to 21 days in which to comment.