What You Need To Know About NYC’s New Parking Structure Laws

The Top Five Things You Need To Know About NYC’s New Parking Structure Laws 

Some of the biggest news for NYC parking structures has just been announced: In an effort to keep buildings, local communities and parking structure end-users safe, parking garage owners and owner’s representatives must now complete a certified structural inspection for any parking garage located within the five boroughs of New York City.  

Here are the top five things you need to know about NYC’s new parking structure laws: 

1. What is the new law? 

Since the law is relatively new, not many people are aware of the changes that have taken place. New York City has changed the way parking structures are being managed with revisions to New York City Department of Building laws (Construction Codes §28-323 and Rules of City of New York (RCNY) §103-13). The new law has been in consideration for many years, and was modeled after the 2018 New York State law after witnessing its success. Like the State law, the NYC’s parking inspection law require parking structures to be inspected by State and City certified Qualified Parking Structure Inspector (QPSI) on a prescribed cyclical basis.  

2. Who is affected? 

Parking structure and garage owners within all five boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island) are required to comply with this new law. Parking structure owners may work with owner’s representatives, such as facilities managers, property managers, parking management service providers, or even occupiers, to help support compliance, so it is important that all parties are aware of the law and how it affects their roles.  

3. Why did the law change? 

Like many governing bodies and municipalities, City officials considered these changes in light of recent concrete garage and building structure collapses that have been responsible for both casualties and significant property damage. The law was changed to help keep parking structure end users and the wider community safe from collapse.   

4. When do I need to act? 

The timing of a parking structure’s inspection is determined by the geographic location of the site. The City has created a cyclical timeline spanning from January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2027. Each of the five NYC boroughs have been allocated a specific two-year timeframe by the City to complete the parking inspections.  

QPSIs must submit the parking inspection reports within 60 days after completing the assessment.  

Once the inspection has been completed and the paperwork submitted, property owners must repair any identified unsafe conditions within 90 days of filing a condition assessment report. Once the work is finished, an amended report must be sent within two weeks. 

5. How should I get started? 

If you own or manage a parking structure within one of the five boroughs of New York City, you will need to engage a QPSI to get started with the parking inspection process.  

Next Steps 

StructureCare is here to help.  

As the nation’s leading structural engineering firm focused solely on maintaining the integrity of parking structures and garages, we are certified by both the City and the State to provide the required inspections necessary under this law. We have completed the rigorous process to become a QPSI, so we are confident we can show you the path to compliance.  

Not heard of StructureCare yet? We are parking structure management with no hassles or surprises, here to help you when you need it most. Contact us today to get the conversation started.