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NYC is divided into 20 Commercial Waste Zones. Once your zone is activated, you must contract with one of the DSNY-authorized haulers designated for your zone. You cannot use any other carter, even a BIC-licensed hauler you have used for years, once enforcement begins in your zone. The contract must be in writing and a signed copy kept on-site at all times. NYC Admin Code §16-1000 et seq.

• 1Go to nyc.gov/commercialwastezones and enter your address to find your zone and its status.
• 2If your zone is active: identify the 3 authorized carters for your zone on the DSNY portal. all three for quotes.
• 3Sign a written service agreement with your chosen authorized carter. Do not rely on verbal agreements.
• 4Keep a signed copy of the contract on-site (not in the cloud, not at home, at the location).
• 5If your zone is pending: continue your current BIC-licensed carter but prepare a transition plan now. DSNY provides at least 6 months notice before enforcement starts.

All food service establishments and covered businesses must separate organic waste, food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste, from regular trash. Organics must be placed in a designated container for DSNY curbside collection or contracted to a licensed private organics hauler. Contamination (non-organic items in the organics bin) is also a violation.

• 1Get a clearly labeled organics bin (brown or green is recommended) for food scraps, food-soiled paper, coffee grounds, and eggshells.
• 2Set out the organics container on your DSNY collection day, DSNY picks up organics with the recycling collection.
• 3Train all staff: what goes in organics (food scraps, soiled napkins, pizza boxes, fruit peels) vs. what does not (plastic, glass, metal).
• 4If using a private hauler, confirm they are BIC-registered for organics collection and obtain a service contract.

All commercial businesses must place trash in sealed, rigid, lidded containers, not in loose black plastic bags placed directly on the curb or sidewalk. Bags inside containers are fine; loose bags placed outside are a violation. The rule applies at all times, including set-out windows.

• 1Purchase or lease rigid, lidded containers. Standard sizes up to 55 gallons work. Wheeled carts and receptacles with handles are fine.
• 2Set out containers, not loose bags, on your scheduled DSNY collection day.
• 3Verify your district's exact set-out hours at dsny.nyc.gov. Setting out too early is a separate violation. General rule: not before 8pm the evening before collection.

New York City bans expanded polystyrene (EPS/foam/styrofoam) food service containers, cups, and packaging. The New York State Bag Law bans single-use plastic carryout bags. Additional restrictions apply to plastic straws (provide only on request), plastic stirrers, and certain plastic cutlery. Violations are issued by DSNY inspectors and by DOHMH during routine food service inspections.

• 1Audit your current supply inventory. Eliminate all foam/polystyrene containers, cups, clamshells, plates, and food trays.
• 2Replace foam items with paper, cardboard, or DSNY-approved compostable alternatives from a restaurant supply distributor.
• 3Replace plastic carryout bags with paper bags. You must charge customers a $0.05 paper bag fee and may retain it. Alternatively, encourage reusable bags.
• 4Straws: provide only on request. Do not pre-set plastic straws on tables. Paper, bamboo, or compostable alternatives are fine to pre-set.

All businesses must separate recyclables from regular trash. Recyclables include glass bottles and jars, metal cans and foil, plastic bottles and containers, cardboard, and paper. Cardboard must be flattened and bundled separately. Inspectors check during routing hours.

• 1Maintain three separate waste streams: (1) glass, metal, plastic; (2) cardboard and paper; (3) regular trash.
• 2Flatten all cardboard before set-out. Don't stuff unflattened boxes into bins.
• 3Verify your district's recycling collection schedule, it may differ from your trash day.
• 4Post a simple recycling guide visible to all staff at your waste station.

Businesses are responsible for keeping the sidewalk immediately in front of their establishment clean, free of litter, and free of snow/ice within four hours of snowfall ending (or by 11am if snowfall ends after 7pm). Trash may only be placed at the curb during designated set-out hours.

• 1Sweep or clean the sidewalk in front of your establishment daily, before your business opens.
• 2Check your district's exact set-out times at dsny.nyc.gov or by calling 311. General rule: no earlier than 8pm the evening before collection.
• 3If you have outdoor seating or sidewalk displays, confirm you have the required DOT or DCA permit and that it's posted.

All food service establishments with grease-producing operations must maintain a properly functioning grease trap or interceptor. DEP requires that cleaning manifests from a DEP-licensed pumper be kept physically on-site for a minimum of 3 years. Failure to produce records during an inspection is itself a violation, even if the trap was cleaned. You cannot simply show a phone screenshot or email receipt.

• 1Clean your grease trap at minimum quarterly. High-volume cooking operations (more than 2 hours/day of frying) may require monthly cleaning.
• 2Use ONLY a DEP-licensed grease trap pumper. Verify their license number against the DEP pumper directory before hiring.
• 3Keep the paper pumper manifest (the receipt/certificate from each cleaning) physically at the location, in a binder, posted in the kitchen, or in your records filing area.
• 4Maintain a 3-year rolling file. Every cleaning for the past 3 years must be on-site at all times.
• 5If you don't have a grease trap and your establishment generates FOG, DEP immediately. Installation is required.

Used cooking oil (IKG, Inedible Kitchen Grease) is regulated separately from grease trap waste. Establishments with fryers, deep fryers, or any equipment generating used cooking oil must dispose of it through a BIC-licensed IKG hauler. Pouring used cooking oil down any drain, including floor drains and utility sinks, is illegal and triggers both DEP and DOHMH violations.

• 1Identify a BIC-licensed IKG hauler. This is completely separate from your grease trap pumper.
• 2Arrange a regular pickup schedule. Your hauler will typically provide sealed containers for oil storage between pickups.
• 3Get a manifest or receipt for every pickup. Keep on-site for at least 12 months.
• 4Never pour used cooking oil down any drain, toilet, floor drain, or grease trap. Store in sealed containers until pickup.

Businesses using or storing hazardous chemicals, including PERC (dry cleaning solvent), acetone, nail salon chemicals (ethyl acetate, methyl methacrylate), pharmaceutical waste, and industrial solvents, must comply with DEP storage, disposal, and spill reporting requirements. Storage above regulatory threshold quantities requires an FDNY chemical storage permit. Disposal must be through a licensed hazardous waste hauler. Improper disposal down any drain is a serious environmental violation.

• 1Identify all chemicals used in your business and look up their regulatory status under NYC Environmental Code and FDNY Fire Code.
• 2If you store chemicals above threshold quantities, apply for the required FDNY Chemical Storage Permit before storing.
• 3Dispose of hazardous waste only through a licensed hazardous waste hauler. Keep all disposal manifests.
• 4Dry cleaners using PERC must comply with NYC Air Code rules including vapor recovery system requirements and storage container standards.

All food service establishments must hold a valid DOHMH food service establishment permit. DOHMH conducts unannounced inspections using a point-based grading system across temperature, hygiene, food handling, pest control, and facility conditions. Establishments receiving 0–13 points receive an A grade. 14–27 points receive a B. 28+ points receive a C. Grade letters must be posted in the front window at all times. Establishments that receive a B or C on initial inspection are re-inspected within 1 month. Certain violations, imminent health hazards, result in immediate closure orders.

• 1Ensure your DOHMH permit is current and posted in a visible location near the entrance. Permits expire annually.
• 2Post your current grade letter in the front window. A-grade establishments must post their A card; B and C establishments must post their grade during the cure period. This is legally required.
• 3Use DOHMH's published inspection checklist to conduct regular self-inspections. Key focus areas: temperature logs, pest evidence, hand-washing stations, food handler hygiene.
• 4Keep signed pest control service manifests on-site.
• 5Use DOHMH's permit lookup at a816-healthpsi.nyc.gov to check your permit status and expiration date.

NFPA 96 (Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations), adopted by NYC Fire Code §607, requires that commercial kitchen exhaust systems, hoods, plenums, ducts, and fans, be cleaned by a licensed company at intervals determined by the type and volume of cooking. After each cleaning, the service company must affix a dated sticker to the hood. All service records must be maintained on-site.

• 1Determine your required cleaning frequency based on your cooking type and volume using the NFPA 96 frequency table above.
• 2Hire only a hood cleaning company with a valid FDNY Certificate of Fitness. Verify their license at the FDNY contractor lookup before hiring.
• 3After each cleaning, confirm the company affixes a new dated sticker to the hood. If they don't provide a sticker, that is a red flag about their licensing.
• 4Keep all service records (invoice and completion certificate) on-site for at least 2 years in a physical binder or folder.

• 1Check the DCA license checklist at nyc.gov/dca for your specific business type before opening.
• 2Apply for and receive the required license before you open. Do not operate and apply simultaneously.
• 3Post the license in a clearly visible location in the establishment.
• 4Renew annually. DCA sends renewal notices, but it is your legal responsibility to keep the license current.
• 5Ensure prices are clearly posted if your business type requires price disclosure (salons, food establishments, etc.).

Business signs must comply with the NYC Zoning Resolution's size, placement, and illumination rules for your zoning district. Permits are required for most new signs before installation. Landmark and historic districts have additional restrictions enforced by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). Price posting is separately required by DCA for food service, salons, and other specified business types.

• 1Before installing any new sign, check with DOB whether a permit is required. Nearly all illuminated, projecting, or roof signs require a permit.
• 2If your building is in a landmark district, the LPC before changing any exterior signage, even paint color.
• 3Ensure prices are posted for food service, hair salons, and other DCA-covered business types.

All places of public accommodation (virtually all commercial businesses open to the public) must comply with the ADA and the NYC Human Rights Law, which is broader than the federal standard. This covers physical accessibility of entrances, paths of travel, restrooms, service counters, parking, and auxiliary aids for customers with disabilities. NYC Building Code §1101 additionally requires accessibility compliance for any renovation that exceeds a cost threshold (approximately 20% of the full replacement cost of the building).

• 1Ensure your entrance is accessible. If a step or other barrier exists, consult a contractor about a ramp or lift. In the interim, post a sign directing customers to an accessible entry if one exists.
• 2If restrooms are open to the public, at least one must be ADA-accessible (door width, turning radius, grab bars, etc.).
• 3Customer-facing service counters should not exceed 36 inches in height, or an accessible-height section should be available.
• 4Before any renovation, consult an ADA specialist. NYC's trigger thresholds are complex and renovation compliance requirements differ from new construction.