Over 7 million property documents are publicly searchable through ACRIS NYC, the city's free online portal for deeds, mortgages, liens, and satisfaction records dating back to 1966. As a Licensed Real Estate Associate Broker with Keller Williams NYC, I use ACRIS on nearly every transaction to verify ownership history, confirm mortgage balances, and flag potential title issues before they derail a deal. In my 25+ years closing transactions across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, ACRIS has saved my clients from costly surprises more times than I can count.
Whether you are a first-time buyer researching a condo or co-op, an investor evaluating a multi-family property, or a seller preparing to list, understanding ACRIS NYC is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. This guide walks you through exactly how to use it.
What Is ACRIS NYC?
ACRIS stands for the Automated City Register Information System. It is operated by the New York City Department of Finance and provides free, public access to property records filed with the City Register. Every real property transaction in NYC, with the exception of most co-op share transfers in some boroughs, gets recorded here.
The system covers all five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. You can access ACRIS at a836-acris.nyc.gov directly from any web browser, no account or login required.
What Records Can You Find on ACRIS?
| Document Type | What It Tells You | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Deed | Current and previous owners, sale prices | Confirms legal ownership chain |
| Mortgage | Lender name, loan amount, date | Shows existing debt on the property |
| Satisfaction of Mortgage | Proof a mortgage has been fully paid off | Confirms no outstanding liens from prior loans |
| UCC Filing | Personal property liens (often co-op shares) | Critical for co-op buyers to verify |
| Lis Pendens | Pending lawsuits involving the property | Red flag for buyers, indicates legal disputes |
| Tax Lien | Unpaid property taxes | Must be resolved before a clean title transfer |
| Memorandum of Contract | Recorded purchase contract | Shows the property is under contract |
Step-by-Step: How to Search ACRIS NYC
Step 1: Go to the ACRIS Portal
Navigate to a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/Index. You will see several search options. The two most useful are "Parcel Identifier" (borough, block, and lot) and "Address."
Step 2: Search by Address
Click "Address" in the left menu. Select the borough, enter the street number and street name, and click "Search." ACRIS will return all recorded documents associated with that property. For condos, you will also need the unit number. For co-ops, ACRIS may not have individual unit records since co-op transfers are often recorded differently.
Step 3: Search by BBL (Borough, Block, Lot)
If you know the BBL number (available on NYC's property tax bill or the Department of Finance website), select "Parcel Identifier." Enter the borough code (1=Manhattan, 2=Bronx, 3=Brooklyn, 4=Queens, 5=Staten Island), then the block and lot numbers. This method is the most precise and avoids address formatting issues.
Step 4: Review the Results
Results appear in reverse chronological order. Each row shows the document type, date recorded, and parties involved. Click any row to view the full scanned document. I recommend checking deeds first to verify the ownership chain, then mortgages to understand the existing debt picture.
Pro Tip: Cross-Reference with DOF Property Tax Records
ACRIS shows recorded documents, but the NYC Department of Finance property tax portal shows the assessed value, tax class, and any exemptions (like STAR or 421-a abatements). I always check both when doing due diligence on a property. The DOF portal is at propertyinquiry.finance.nyc.gov.
Active NYC Listings
Properties currently available across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens
157 W 123RD Street #2C
South Harlem
77 W 55TH Street #12K
Midtown
Listing information provided courtesy of the Real Estate Board of New York's Residential Listing Service (RLS). Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Sale listings verified. ©2026 REBNY. RLS data displayed by Keller Williams NYC.
How Buyers Should Use ACRIS NYC
Before making an offer on any NYC property, I advise my clients to pull the ACRIS records. Here is what to look for:
- Ownership verification: Confirm the seller is actually the recorded owner. Deed records show every transfer since 1966.
- Outstanding mortgages: Check whether any mortgages lack a corresponding satisfaction record. If a mortgage from 2015 was never officially satisfied, it creates a cloud on title.
- Liens and judgments: Tax liens, mechanic's liens, and lis pendens can all affect your ability to get clear title.
- Sale price history: Deed transfer records often include the sale price, letting you see what the seller originally paid. This is valuable context for your offer strategy.
How Sellers Should Use ACRIS
Sellers benefit from checking ACRIS before listing. You want to confirm that any old mortgages show a satisfaction of mortgage on record. I have seen closings delayed by weeks because a lender from a refinance 10 years ago never filed the satisfaction. Catching this early lets your attorney resolve it before it becomes a closing issue.
Sellers should also verify their recorded deed matches their current legal name. Name changes from marriage or other reasons sometimes create discrepancies that require a corrective deed filing. If you are preparing to sell, my seller consultation page covers the full checklist.
ACRIS Limitations to Know
ACRIS is powerful, but it has blind spots. Co-op transfers in some boroughs may not appear because co-op sales involve the transfer of shares and a proprietary lease rather than a deed. For co-op due diligence, you will need to request information directly from the building's managing agent. Read more about the differences in my co-op vs. condo guide.
ACRIS records go back to 1966 for most boroughs, but earlier documents require a visit to the City Register's office. The search interface can also be finicky with address formatting, so using BBL numbers is almost always more reliable.
ACRIS NYC for Investors
Real estate investors use ACRIS to research properties before bidding. You can see every mortgage, refinance, and transfer associated with a property. If you are evaluating a multi-family building, ACRIS reveals whether the current owner has been refinancing aggressively (which may signal financial stress) or whether the property has been in the same hands for decades (potentially undervalued).
For studio and one-bedroom condo investors, ACRIS confirms the original offering plan sponsor's deed and whether any unsold sponsor units remain, which affects building governance and financing eligibility.
How to Search ACRIS by Owner Name (Party Name)
The address search works well when you know the property. When you need to find all documents tied to a specific person or company, the Party Name search is faster. From the ACRIS home page, choose "Party Name" in the left navigation. Enter the last name and first name, then use the Party Type dropdown to filter: "Grantor" means the person transferred or sold property (seller), while "Grantee" means the person received it (buyer). You can also filter by document class to narrow results to deeds, mortgages, or liens only.
Exact name matching matters here. If a property is held by "123 Main Street LLC" and you search for "Main Street LLC," you may get zero results. Try partial matches when you are unsure of the full legal name. This is why I always cross-reference the deed image itself, not just the search results summary, to confirm the owner's exact recorded name.
Party Name search is particularly useful for estate research (finding every NYC property a decedent owned), fraud checks (verifying the person claiming to be the seller is actually the recorded owner), and due diligence on LLCs buying property. If you are evaluating a multi-family building and the seller is an LLC, searching that entity as Grantor shows every prior sale or refinance they have executed across the city. That transaction history can reveal a pattern of aggressive refinancing or rapid flips that affects your negotiation. For more on evaluating these properties, see my multi-family investing guide.
How to Find a Lis Pendens, Tax Lien, or Federal Lien on a Property
Liens are the most consequential records you will find on ACRIS, and they are easy to miss if you only look at deed history. To search for liens, use the address or BBL search and then apply the Document Class filter. Under "Other Documents," you will find subtypes including "Lis Pendens," "Federal Tax Lien," and "NYC Tax Lien." Run each search separately because the filter does not combine them by default.
A lis pendens, from the Latin for "lawsuit pending," means a court action has been filed involving the property's title. This is a serious red flag for any buyer. It could mean a foreclosure action, a dispute between co-owners, or a creditor claiming an interest in the property. The lis pendens does not tell you the outcome, only that litigation is active. Click the document image to read the underlying court filing and get the case number, then look up the case status in the New York Courts SCROLL system to see whether it is still pending or was resolved.
A federal tax lien means the IRS has a recorded claim against the owner for unpaid taxes. Unlike a mortgage, a federal tax lien attaches to all of a taxpayer's property, not just one address. It survives a sale unless specifically released at closing. NYC tax liens work similarly: unpaid property taxes become a lien that must be cleared before a clean title transfer can occur. This is the same workflow your title company runs when issuing title insurance, and understanding it yourself before signing a contract puts you in a stronger position. For more on the attorney's role in this process, read my guide to NYC real estate attorneys.
How to Download a Deed from ACRIS (Free)
Once you locate the record you need, click the document number in the results list. ACRIS opens the scanned document image in a new browser tab; on some browsers, it opens a PDF viewer with a download icon in the toolbar. Use the Print button (then "Save as PDF") if the direct download option does not appear. The resulting file is a true copy of the recorded instrument, legally sufficient for most reference purposes.
If you need a certified copy for legal proceedings, a mortgage application, or an estate matter, you must obtain it directly from the NYC City Register's office. Certified copies cost $4 per page plus a $10 fee and can be requested in person at any borough City Register office or by mail. The online version is free and useful for research, but it does not carry the official certification seal required in some legal contexts.
ACRIS vs. PropertyShark vs. StreetEasy: Which to Use
Each tool serves a different research need. Choosing the right one saves time and avoids the mistake of treating one source as comprehensive when it is not.
| Tool | Cost | Best For | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACRIS | Free | Deeds, mortgages, liens, satisfaction records; full legal document images back to 1966 | No owner-name auto-complete; co-op share transfers often absent; interface is dated |
| PropertyShark | Paid ($30-$55/mo) | Owner name lookup, foreclosure and auction data, building tax class history, lot diagrams | Does not show full document images; relies on ACRIS data anyway for recorded instruments |
| StreetEasy | Free | Sale price history with listing photos, days-on-market data, current and prior listings | No legal documents; no lien data; co-op prices frequently incomplete |
My workflow: I use ACRIS for every legal and title question, including ownership verification, mortgage payoff status, and lien checks. I use PropertyShark when I need to identify who owns a property without a known address, trace an LLC's full NYC portfolio, or pull foreclosure auction details. I use StreetEasy for what a specific unit sold for and to see how long a listing sat before going into contract. None of these tools replaces the others. Using all three for a major transaction takes under an hour and can surface issues that save buyers far more than that in renegotiation or avoided mistakes.
Found Something on ACRIS You Need Help Interpreting?
A lien, an old satisfaction of mortgage, or an unexpected lis pendens can mean very different things depending on the circumstances. I review ACRIS records as part of every transaction I handle at Keller Williams NYC.
Schedule a Free ConsultationBottom Line
ACRIS NYC is one of the most underused free tools available to NYC real estate buyers, sellers, and investors. Taking 15 minutes to search a property's records can reveal ownership history, outstanding debt, liens, and legal disputes that directly affect your transaction. I pull ACRIS records on every deal I handle at Keller Williams NYC, and I recommend you do the same. If you need help interpreting what you find, get in touch and I will walk you through it.
Frequently Asked Questions About ACRIS NYC
Is ACRIS free to use?
Yes. ACRIS is operated by the NYC Department of Finance and is completely free. You do not need an account or login to search documents, view scanned images, or download records. The only cost is if you need an official certified copy, which requires a request to the City Register's office and costs $4 per page plus a $10 fee.
Does ACRIS show co-op sales?
Generally, no. Co-op purchases involve the transfer of shares in a corporation plus a proprietary lease, not a deed to real property. Because no deed is recorded, most co-op transactions do not appear in ACRIS. UCC filings (which secure the lender's interest in co-op shares) do appear in some cases. For co-op ownership history and financial due diligence, you need to request records directly from the building's managing agent or co-op board.
How do I find who owns a property in NYC?
Search ACRIS by address or BBL number, then look at the most recent deed document. The Grantee on the latest deed is the current recorded owner. If the property is held by an LLC, the LLC name will appear on the deed; to find the humans behind the LLC, search the NYS Department of State entity database at dos.ny.gov. Note that co-op apartments typically will not show a deed because ownership is through share transfer.
What is a BBL number?
BBL stands for Borough, Block, and Lot. It is the unique identifier the NYC Department of Finance assigns to every parcel of real property in the city. The first digit is the borough code (1=Manhattan, 2=Bronx, 3=Brooklyn, 4=Queens, 5=Staten Island), followed by the block number (a group of parcels bounded by streets) and the lot number (the specific parcel within the block). You can find a property's BBL on its tax bill, in the ACRIS address search results, or via the NYC Department of Finance property lookup at propertyinquiry.finance.nyc.gov.
How far back do ACRIS records go?
ACRIS records are digitized back to 1966 for most boroughs. Documents recorded before 1966 are stored physically at the respective borough City Register office and are not available online. Staten Island property records are maintained by the Richmond County Clerk rather than the NYC City Register, so some Staten Island searches may require a separate county clerk lookup.
Can I find mortgage payoff amounts on ACRIS?
ACRIS shows the original mortgage amount recorded at the time of the loan, not the current outstanding balance. To confirm whether a mortgage has been fully paid off, look for a Satisfaction of Mortgage document filed after the original mortgage. If there is no satisfaction on record for an older mortgage, that does not necessarily mean the debt is still outstanding, but it creates a potential cloud on title that your attorney should investigate before closing.
