Street Opening Permits are required for excavations or other work in a city street that disturbs the street surface.

Outlined below are the basic application procedures for Street Opening Permits. These are in addition to the "Common Requirements" listed at the beginning of this section. Additional requirements are contained in Sections 2-02 and 2-11 of the Highway Rules  and should be consulted before any work is performed on the street.

1. Street Opening Permits are designated as the "01" permit series, meaning all permits in this category begin with "01." Listed on the following page are the most commonly requested Street Opening Permit types which may be used when completing an application. A separate permit is required for each street opening activity.
2. All Street Opening permit types usually allow for work within 300 linear feet by a width of 12 feet. Other conditions may apply, such as a variation in the distance and width of the job, which may increase the fee required. For further information regarding fees, the applicant should refer to Section 2-03 of the Highway Rules.
3. An application for a Street Opening Permit on a protected street will automatically be placed on a Street Arterial Maintenance (SAM) hold if the proposed work is to start within 18 months of the street being resurfaced or reconstructed. The hold is to review the proposed work and set conditions for the work and/or the street restoration. More information on this and other "holds" that may be placed on permit applications can be found in Section 3.5 Other Provisions Pertaining to Permits of this chapter.

Information on restoration requirements following street openings/excavations can be found in Chapter 4 Executing Work in the Street.

Protected Streets Listing

A street is considered to be protected for five years from the date it was last resurfaced or reconstructed. The purpose of placing a street in protected status is to maintain the integrity of a new street surface.

The list of protected streets is updated daily and is accurate as of the previous business day. Prior to submitting a Street Opening Permit application, the Protected Streets Listing should be consulted in order to determine if the proposed work location is in protected status. If the proposed work location is in protected street status, the application will automatically be placed on SAM hold for further review.

Only in circumstances where the applicant can demonstrate that the work could not have been reasonably anticipated prior to the street resurfacing/reconstruction will an application for a Street Opening Permit on a Protected Street be reviewed.

The Protected Streets Listing consists of four separate files, each covering all five boroughs:

• Protected street status for segments
• Protected street status for intersections
• Active/Future start dates of projects for segments
• Active/Future start dates of projects for intersections

All streets on the "Active/Future" lists show the anticipated start date of the project. This information should be used to plan work before streets go into protected street status.

View the Protected Streets Listing.