NYC DOT - General Conditions For All Permits

Permit applications for the following work shall be reviewed by DOT's Office of Construction Mitigation and Coordination (OCMC) prior to issuance:

Work to be performed for sewer and water system construction

Work to be performed in Manhattan

Work required on primary and secondary arteries

Permits to close streets

Any other activity deemed necessary by the Commissioner

Unless otherwise authorized, permits shall be kept at the work site or designated field headquarters at all times and shall be made available for inspection upon request of any police officer or any authorized employee of the Departments of Environmental Protection, Buildings, Police and Transportation or any other City employees specifically authorized by the Commissioner to enforce these rules.

Permittees shall display signs at the work site or at 100 foot intervals along a series of excavations or continuous cut indicating the name of the permittee conducting the work, the name of the entity for whom the work is being conducted and, if applicable, the name(s) of the subcontractor(s). Such signs shall include: permittee's telephone number for complaints; contractor's telephone number, if not the permittee; the permit number; the purpose of the street opening; and the start and scheduled completion dates of the work. Signs shall be conspicuously displayed and shall face the nearest curb line. Such signs shall be clear, readable and in letters at least 1 1/2 inches in height and shall conform to the Department's specifications.

Embargo Periods

All routine work shall be suspended during an embargo period unless approval for the work is granted by the OCMC. Such suspension shall not apply to emergency work, for which an emergency number shall be obtained by the permittee pursuant to the provisions of section 2-11 of these rules. Information regarding embargo periods is on file at each borough permit office and is available upon request. It is the responsibility of each permittee to obtain such information prior to the commencement of any work. It shall be a violation of these rules to do any work on the street during an embargo period without the prior approval of the OCMC or an emergency number.

Insurance Information

Permittees are reminded to comply with §2-02(a)(3) of Title 34 (pdf) of the Rules of the City of New York, which requires specified insurance coverage and special notice provisions which may not be provided by your existing insurance polices. Additionally, §2-02(3) contains an indemnification provision and a requirement for coverage during the applicable Guarantee Period.

Permittees shall obtain Commercial General Liability (CGL) policies written by companies that may lawfully issue such polices, with an A.M. Best rating of at least A-VII or a Standard & Poor's rating of at least AA. The CGL policy should provide coverage for no less than $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence, except for permits for placing a crane on a street, which requires $3,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence.

A Certificate of Insurance may be provided as proof of insurance coverage only if accompanied by a notarized statement (pdf) by the insurance broker or insurance company attesting to the accuracy of the coverage described on the certificate. Otherwise permittees must provide copies of the applicable polices. Please submit two copies of the Certificate of Insurance to the Central Insurance Unit when applying for a permit.
Download a sample of an acceptable Certificate of Insurance (pdf)

The Certificate of Insurance should show the Certificate Holder as:

The City of New York

c/o NYCDOT Office of Permit Management

55 Water Street, Concourse Level

New York, New York 10041

The Description of Operations should indicate that the the policy of insurance names the City of New York as an additional insured and provides completed operations coverage. The Description should also include a 30 day cancellation clause.

Permit Bond Templates

In November 2014 DOT made language amendments to the permit bonds that are found in the New York City Highway Rules.

All active Permittees who have bonds on file are required to submit a bond with the new bond language.

For street and sidewalk openings:

Permit Bonds for One Location Liability

Permit Bonds for Two to Fifty Locations Liability

Permit Bonds for 51 to 100 Locations Liability

Permit Bonds for More Than 100 Locations Liability

For building operations:

Permit Bonds for More Than One Location Liability

DOT has made a number of amendments to the permit bond section of the New York City Highway Rules.

Worker's Compensation Insurance

Permit applicants must provide a Worker's Compensation Certificate. The Certificate shall state that the General Contractor and all Subcontractors are covered for the entire operation. A separate Policy or Certificate need not be filed for each location, provided such coverage is in force for all operations in the entire Borough, City or State.