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Summonses

View the Status of an OATH Summons:  
or to search for a Summons by address, use the Buildings Information System (BIS)

The Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) is an administrative tribunal that provides hearings on notices of violation issued by City agencies. As it relates to the Department of Buildings, all violating condition(s) must be corrected and certified as corrected with DOB to resolve a summons in the DOB record.

Certificate of Correction Documents

The AEU2, AEU20 and AEU3321 forms are no longer required to be submitted. Instead of uploading these forms, stakeholders will enter the required information directly into the COC request. See the Documents section in the Certificate of Correction Request User Guide for a list of required and supporting documents.

If AEU approves the COC submission, the process is complete, and the Summons is resolved. However, if the initial COC submission is disapproved, the Submitter may choose to Resubmit the COC or Dispute AEU’s decision.

Failure to submit a COC for a Summons, may result in additional violations. Violations remain open (active) on the property’s public profile until they have either been Dismissed at an OATH hearing or Resolved through the COC review process.

See the Certificate of Correction Request User Guide for more information. For questions about a summons, contact AEU's Customer Service Team at (212) 393-2405 or nyc.gov/dobhelp. 

Steps to Resolve a Summons

STEP 1: Correct the Violating Condition(s) 

Correct the violating condition(s) listed in the summons, which may require obtaining permits.

STEP 2: Certify Correction

A Certificate of Correction can be submitted once the violating condition is corrected. To submit a Certificate of Correction request, use an NYC.ID account to login to DOB NOW at nyc.gov/dobnow. If you need an NYC.ID account, visit nyc.gov/dobnowtips for step-by-step instructions. On the main dashboard, go to DOB NOW: Safety and select Violations & Notices of Deficiency. From the Violations dashboard, select +Certificate of Correction Review Request, and then enter the summons number to search and add it to the request.

Certificate of Correction Stakeholder Roles & Responsibilities

  • Submitter: The person who is submitting the COC Request. The Submitter can be the Property Owner, Respondent (the person named on the Summons), Contractor, Licensed Professional, Filing Representative or the Preparer.
    If the Submitter is not the Property Owner or Respondent, the Property Owner or Respondent must separately log in and attest on the Statements & Signatures tab indicating they have authorized the submitter to complete part of the Certificate of Correction request.
  • Certifier: The person who has personal knowledge of how the violating condition(s) was corrected and will certify to that correction. The Certifier can be the Property Owner, Respondent, Contractor, Licensed Professional, or Other authorized representatives.
  • Corrector: The person who performed the work to correct the violating condition(s). The Corrector can be a Contractor, Licensed Professional, or Other authorized representative.

Immediately Hazardous (Class 1) Summonses

Class 1 summonses must be corrected immediately, and a Certificate of Correction must be filed with AEU to prove the violating condition(s) have been corrected. Immediately Hazardous (Class 1) Summonses that have been issued at construction sites larger than four families and have not been certified as corrected in a timely manner, face additional DOB civil penalties of $5,000, with re-inspections every 60 days.

Upon re-inspection, if it is determined the condition remains or an acceptable Certificate of Correction has not been filed with DOB, additional summonses may be issued. To avoid the $5,000 DOB civil penalty and further re-inspections of the condition, certify the summons as corrected with AEU.

Tips & Additional Information

  • Comply with NYC Construction Codes, Zoning Resolution, and other applicable rules and laws.
  • Always obtain permits when necessary.
  • Work within the scope of your permit. Hire registered/licensed design professionals.
  • Hire registered/licensed contractors. Perform regular or scheduled maintenance on buildings.
  • Comply with required inspection and reporting requirements for façades, boilers, and elevators.
  • Stay current with new requirements by signing up for the Department’s monthly newsletter, Buildings News.

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