What the Permit Requests file holds
Each row has Permit_Number, Full_Address, Issue_Date, Permit_Type, Description_of_Work and a map point. There is no contractor, status, job value or final inspection date. The file covers the City of Syracuse only; DeWitt, Salina, Geddes and the rest of Onondaga County run their own permit offices.
| What you want | In the file? |
|---|---|
| Was a permit issued at this address, and when | Yes |
| What the work was | Yes, in Description_of_Work |
| Who did the work | No |
| Whether it passed final inspection | No |
| Electrical, HVAC, sprinkler, demolition permits since 2022 | No |
How to look up the permits on a Syracuse address
- Open Permit Requests and switch from the map to the data table.
- Filter Full_Address by the house number and street name.
- Sort by Issue_Date and read Permit_Type and Description_of_Work. Decks, fences, ramps, porches and roofs share one type, Misc.
- Note the Permit_Number of any job you care about.
- For its inspection result, or for a trade permit the file does not carry, file a FOIL request with that number.
What "status" means in Syracuse's file
There is none. The City's public file has an issue date but no permit status and no final inspection date, so our pages count every Syracuse permit as issued and show no finished share. A permit in the file means the City issued it, not that the work passed.
When the record is not online
File a Freedom of Information Law request. The FOIL page gives three ways: the online request portal, the City's FOIL request form emailed to FOIL@syrgov.net, or the form mailed or hand-delivered to the Law Department Office, 233 East Washington Street, Suite 300, Syracuse, NY 13202. Paper copies cost $0.25 a page (read 24 October 2026). Give the address and, if you have it, the permit number.
What our Syracuse pages add
The map answers "what was permitted at this address". Our Syracuse page counts the same City file, January 2023 to October 2024:
| Kind of work | Permits (Jan 2023–Oct 2024) | Last 12 months (Nov 2023–Oct 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Remodels & repairs | 591 | 275 |
| Fences & walls | 411 | 211 |
| Roofing | 195 | 16 |
| Other (signs, fire alarms, elevators, commercial) | 657 | 354 |
63% of the 1,980 permits were for homes. Roof permits all but stop appearing after July 2023, and the file does not say why, so the roofing count is not a trend. Permits by ZIP code shows where the work is: 13205 had 380 permits, 13204 had 288 and 13210 had 283 in the same window. The permit statistics page has the months, and browse permits lists the rows without owner names or street addresses. To check a contractor's licence, use How to check a contractor's license in New York.
What this does not tell you
Our window stops in October 2024 because the file has had almost no new rows since early 2025. It names no contractor and has no value, status or final date, so we show none of those. About one permit in twenty does not match the City's 2025 parcel map and has no ZIP code.
How we know this
The Permit Requests link and FOIL process are quoted from the City of Syracuse Law Department's FOIL page, and the application portal details from the Central Permit Office's Online Application Portal page and help aid, all read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the City's Permit Requests file, read 19 October 2026: building-type permits issued January 2023 to October 2024, City of Syracuse only.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I find out if a permit was pulled on my house in Syracuse?
Open Permit Requests on data.syr.gov, the map the City's FOIL page links as its permit database, and filter the Full_Address field by your address. Each row has the permit number, issue date, permit type and a description of the work. If a permit is not there, file a FOIL request with the Law Department.
- Is the Syracuse permit file up to date?
Not fully. It has had only a handful of new rows since February 2025, and electrical, HVAC, sprinkler and demolition permits left it in 2021 and 2022. For recent or trade permits, ask the Central Permit Office or file a FOIL request.
- How do I file a FOIL request for a Syracuse permit?
Use the City's online portal at syr.justfoia.com, email the FOIL request form to FOIL@syrgov.net, or mail or hand it to the Law Department, 233 East Washington Street, Suite 300, Syracuse, NY 13202. Paper copies cost $0.25 a page.
- Can I search Syracuse permits by contractor?
No. The City's public file names no contractor; the only name in it is the property owner. Ask the contractor for the permit number, then find it in the file by number.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
- Adams County, CO building permit search: the e-Permit Center, statuses and CORA
- Alachua County building permit search: Citizenserve, statuses and old records
- Anaheim building permit search: Anaheim NEXT and the Building Permit Report
- Arlington, VA building permit search: Permit Arlington lookups and FOIA requests
- FOIL Request Self-Service Portal — City of Syracuse Law Department (2026-10-24)
- Permit Requests — Syracuse Open Data (2026-10-24)
- Online Application Portal — City of Syracuse Central Permit Office (2026-10-24)
- 2024 Online Application Portal Help Aid (PDF) — City of Syracuse (2026-10-24)
- Permit Requests — Syracuse Open Data (ArcGIS FeatureServer) (2026-10-19)