How to report a pothole in NYC

A pothole is a hole, dip, or broken patch in the paved roadway — the surface vehicles drive on. Freeze-thaw cycles, water intrusion, and traffic wear the asphalt until a chunk breaks loose. Because the roadway is city infrastructure, repairing it is the job of the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT).

This is the single most important distinction to get right before you file:

• Pothole in the roadway → NYC DOT. The city owns and maintains the street surface, so DOT inspects and repairs it.
• Cracked, broken, or uneven sidewalk → different owner. Sidewalk defects in NYC are generally the responsibility of the adjacent property owner, handled under the city’s sidewalk program — not the pothole complaint. If that’s your issue, see our broken sidewalk guide.

Filing a pothole against the roadway makes sure it lands with DOT the first time instead of bouncing between the wrong queues.

NYC routes pothole reports to DOT through 311. When you report a pothole, you’re filing a Street Condition complaint and selecting the Pothole descriptor. That combination is what tells 311 to open a DOT pothole work order rather than treating it as a general street-defect note.

You can file it three ways:

• 311 online. Search “pothole” on the NYC 311 site, which opens the Street Condition report and walks you through the address and photo.
• 311 mobile app or phone (311 / 212-639-9675). Same complaint type, useful when you’re standing at the spot.
• SidewalkSnitch. Snap the pothole and let the app classify it and prepare the complaint for DOT (see the walkthrough below).

Every 311 report returns a Service Request (SR) number. Keep it — it’s how you track the repair status and confirm DOT acted.

Once your report reaches DOT, it becomes a pothole work order. A crew is sent to inspect and, when the defect is confirmed, patch it — typically with asphalt as a durable or temporary repair depending on conditions and season.

On timing, be realistic about what’s actually known:

• There is no single guaranteed turnaround. DOT prioritizes work orders by severity and location — a deep hazard on a busy arterial is addressed faster than a shallow patch on a quiet side street.
• Weather matters. Cold-weather patching may be a temporary fix that DOT revisits with a permanent repair when asphalt plants and conditions allow.
• Status is trackable. Use your 311 SR number on the 311 portal to see when the work order is opened, inspected, and closed. If it’s closed but the pothole remains, you can re-file with fresh photos.

If you don’t know an exact SLA figure, don’t guess at one — the honest answer is that DOT works pothole orders on a severity-first basis and publishes status through 311.

Most street potholes are straightforward NYC DOT repairs. Jurisdiction gets more nuanced in a few places, and getting it right speeds up the fix:

• Local and arterial streets: NYC DOT. This is the vast majority of potholes.
• Bridges: The roadway surface on a bridge is often maintained by whoever operates the bridge — that can be DOT, the MTA (for some crossings), or another authority. 311 still takes the report and routes it to the correct owner.
• State-maintained highways and parkways: Some limited-access highways and parkways are maintained by New York State DOT or another authority rather than NYC DOT. A 311 pothole report is still the right starting point; the city routes it onward if it isn’t a city roadway.

You don’t need to solve jurisdiction yourself. Report the pothole with a precise location; the value you add is an accurate spot and a clear photo, not agency routing.

A strong photo makes the work order easy to act on and hard to close as “not found.” Aim for two shots — one close, one wide.

• Include a scale reference. Put something of known size in the frame near the pothole — a shoe, a water bottle, a soda can, or the curb edge — so depth and width read clearly. Never step into a live travel lane to do it; shoot from a safe position.
• Show lane and location context. A second, wider shot should capture which lane the pothole is in and where on the block it sits, ideally with a lane line, curb, hydrant, or building for reference.
• Capture a landmark for the address. A street sign, storefront, or intersection in the frame helps DOT pin the exact spot.
• Shoot in daylight if you can. Even lighting shows the broken edges and depth better than a flash at night.

Here’s the realistic arc of a pothole complaint:

• Work order opened. DOT logs the report and schedules an inspection. Your 311 SR shows the status.
• Inspection and repair. A crew confirms the defect and patches it, prioritized by severity and traffic.
• Closed but still there? If the SR closes and the pothole remains, re-file with new photos and note the prior SR number — a fresh report reopens the queue.
• Vehicle damage claims are separate. If a pothole damaged your car, that’s a claim against the city, which has its own notice and filing rules — distinct from the 311 repair report. The repair complaint is about getting the hole fixed, not compensation.

Who is responsible for potholes in NYC?

Potholes in the paved roadway are the responsibility of the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT inspects reported potholes and dispatches repair crews. Sidewalk defects are a separate matter — usually the adjacent property owner’s responsibility — and are not the same complaint.

What 311 complaint should I file for a pothole?

File a Street Condition complaint and choose the Pothole descriptor. It routes to NYC DOT, which opens a work order for inspection and repair. Potholes on bridges or state-maintained highways may be routed to a different agency.

How long does NYC take to fix a pothole?

There is no single guaranteed turnaround. DOT prioritizes pothole work orders by severity and location — hazards and heavily traveled roadways are addressed sooner. You can track the status of your 311 service request on the 311 portal.