ECB · heard at OATH
ECB violations search NYC. What's owed, and what's still on the hearing calendar.
ECB violations carry the money. Search an address to see each summons, its class, the hearing result and the balance due.
- ECB
- DOB
- + 8 more agencies in the full search
ECB ticket finder: by address or by summons number
If you have an address, use the box above. It pulls every DOB-issued ECB violation on the building and shows the class, the hearing result and the balance still due, open items first, without you needing a single summons number.
If you have the summons in hand, or you're searching by the respondent's name, use OATH's Summons Finder, the city's own ECB ticket finder. It also covers summonses from Sanitation, FDNY, Health and other agencies, which our box doesn't. More on that in our guide to the OATH summons finder and hearings.
NYC ECB violations, explained
When a DOB inspector finds a problem serious enough for a penalty, they write a Notice of Violation that goes to a hearing. These used to be heard by the Environmental Control Board, which is why everyone still says "ECB". Today the hearings happen at OATH, the city's administrative court, but the violation number, the record and the name stayed.
An ECB record shows things a plain DOB violation doesn't: the severity class, the hearing date and result, the penalty imposed, amount paid and balance due. Across the city, $805 million in ECB penalties is still unpaid. Unpaid balances become judgments that can follow the owner, not just the building. To see that balance next to the building's DOB and HPD records, search building violations by address on the home page.
The three ECB classes
Cure date: never. Fix now and certify, or face an extra $5,000 AEUHAZ1 penalty.
Cure date: some codes. Check the penalty schedule.
Cure date: always. Certify before it and there's no hearing.
Bars show the maximum penalty on one scale. Ranges from 1 RCNY §102-01. Repeat and aggravated violations carry higher penalties. Full breakdown on violation classes.
Reading an ECB hearing status
| In violation | You lost or admitted it. Pay the penalty and certify the correction. |
| Dismissed | No penalty. The violation still needs to be closed with DOB if it's marked as requiring a certificate. |
| Default | Nobody showed up. Maximum penalty, and it becomes a judgment. |
| Stipulation | You settled before the hearing, usually for a reduced penalty. |
| Cured | Corrected and certified before the cure date. No penalty. |
| Written off | The city stopped trying to collect. The violation can still show on the record. |
Paying vs clearing
This trips up a lot of owners. Paying the penalty doesn't close the violation. ECB violations that need a Certificate of Correction stay open until DOB accepts one. Since December 15, 2025 those requests go through DOB NOW: Safety. Details on how to remove a violation.
Last checked against nyc.gov: October 23, 2026 (1 RCNY §102-01, DOB enforcement FAQ, About OATH, OATH payments). Totals from NYC Open Data (6bgk-3dad), June 2026.
The path of a summons
From inspection to certificate of correction
- 01Day 0
Inspection
A DOB inspector finds a condition out of code, often after a 311 complaint, or DOB flags a missed filing like a boiler report.
DOB violation goes on the BIN - 02Same visit
Notice of Violation
If it carries a penalty, the inspector writes an ECB summons: the charge, the class, the penalty range and a hearing date.
Hearing usually weeks out - 03Hearing day
ECB hearing at OATH
By phone, video, online or in person. Outcome: in violation, dismissed, or a stipulation. Miss it and you lose by default.
161,826 cases lost by default - 04Within 30 days
Penalty, or cure
Class 3 and some Class 2 have a cure date: an accepted correction before it means no penalty and no hearing. Otherwise penalties are due within 30 days.
Class 1 runs $1,000–$25,000 - 05To close it
Certificate of Correction
Paying doesn't close the violation. File a Certificate of Correction with proof in DOB NOW: Safety. Skip it on a Class 1 and DOB adds a penalty of at least $5,000 (AEUHAZ1).
In DOB NOW since Dec 15, 2025
From the team behind this tool
Never miss an ECB hearing date
Default judgments happen because the summons went to an old managing agent or got lost in a pile of mail. ViolationWatch puts every new ECB violation and hearing date on a calendar and alerts you the day it's filed.
Monitoring · per building
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Common questions
ECB violations: common questions
Short answers first. Still stuck? Call (347) 201-2336 and a person picks up.
What is an ECB violation in NYC?
An ECB violation is a summons, most often from the Department of Buildings, that carries a civil penalty and goes to a hearing. ECB stands for the Environmental Control Board, which used to hear these cases. In 2008 the City Council moved the board under OATH, the city's administrative court, and OATH's Hearings Division decides them today. The name stuck, which is why DOB records and BIS still say ECB.
How do I look up an ECB violation?
Search the building's address in the box above to see every DOB-issued ECB violation with its class, hearing result, penalty and balance due, or use OATH's Summons Finder, the city's ECB ticket finder, which searches by name, address or summons number. In BIS, the building's property profile also has a Violations-ECB link. The Summons Finder covers other agencies' summonses too, and lets you download a copy of the summons.
Can I look up an ECB violation by its number?
Yes: enter the summons number in OATH's Summons Finder to see the hearing date, the result and what's owed, or enter the Notice of Violation number in DOB's BIS to see the DOB side of the record. DOB's Administrative Enforcement Unit answers questions at (212) 393-2405. The search on this page works by address, so use it when you don't have the number.
Is ECB the same as OATH?
Not quite. ECB was the board that heard these cases, and since 2008 it sits under OATH, whose Hearings Division now holds the hearings, so an "OATH/ECB violation" is one summons described two ways. The records still say ECB. For summonses from Sanitation, Health, FDNY and other agencies, see OATH violations.
How do I pay an ECB violation online?
Pay it on OATH's online payment page, which runs on NYC CityPay and takes a credit card, debit card or electronic check, using the summons number; a service fee is added online. Paying before the hearing admits the charge and waives the hearing, and the money has to reach OATH by the hearing date. Defaulted judgments are paid through the Department of Finance. Paying never closes the violation with DOB. That still takes an accepted Certificate of Correction.
How much are ECB fines?
ECB fines depend on the violation code and class. DOB's penalty schedule (1 RCNY §102-01) sets a standard, mitigated, default and aggravated amount for each code, and its Class 1 amounts run from $1,000 to $25,000 while Class 3 tops out at $500. Missing the hearing brings the higher default amount, and some uncorrected Class 1 violations add $1,000 a day for up to 45 days. The average Construction penalty on record is about $1,925.
What happens if I miss an ECB hearing?
You lose by default: OATH finds you in violation and imposes the higher default penalty, which becomes a judgment the city can collect on, including through the Department of Finance. 161,826 ECB cases on record ended in default. A default can sometimes be reopened. The time limits are on our OATH page.
Can I avoid the hearing?
Sometimes. Every Class 3 violation and some Class 2 violations can be cured: if DOB accepts your Certificate of Correction within 60 days of service, by the cure date printed on the summons, there's no penalty and no hearing. Class 1 never gets a cure. Some summonses also come with a stipulation offer by mail, which trades an admission for more time and usually half the penalty.