Submit Datasets to New York City Open Data - Steps

Technology and Data New York 3 Minutes Read · published February 02, 2026 Flag of New York

New York City, New York agencies and authorized contractors must follow the city’s Open Data process to publish machine-readable datasets for public access. This guide explains preparing data and metadata, submitting for review, expected review steps, and post-publication maintenance in the NYC Open Data ecosystem. It is written for agency data stewards, IT teams, and vendors who manage official City data.

Start by confirming your dataset matches the City’s required metadata and privacy rules before submission.

Before you submit

  • Validate data formats: CSV, JSON, GeoJSON or other machine-readable formats.
  • Prepare complete metadata: title, description, update frequency, contact, licensing and field-level descriptions.
  • Confirm privacy and legal review: remove or redact personally identifiable information (PII) per agency policy.
  • Standardize schemas and data types to match city conventions and any existing datasets.

How to submit

  1. Identify the primary data steward and internal approver within your agency.
  2. Prepare the dataset and metadata file according to NYC Open Data guidelines.
  3. Contact the DoITT Open Data team to request publication and confirm the preferred transfer method (SFTP, API push, or direct upload). [1]
  4. Submit the files and metadata to the portal or DoITT intake channel; include evidence of privacy review and any redaction logs.
  5. DoITT reviews for format, metadata completeness, and privacy compliance; they may request changes before publishing.
  6. After approval, dataset is published to NYC Open Data and should include a dataset owner and update schedule.

Penalties & Enforcement

Publication of datasets on NYC Open Data is coordinated between the submitting agency and the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT). Specific monetary fines or statutory penalties for failing to publish a dataset are not specified on the cited page; enforcement is managed through internal agency oversight and the City’s open-data governance processes.[1]

  • Enforcer: DoITT Open Data team and the agency data steward (internal compliance and governance).
  • Inspection and complaint pathways: agencies report issues to DoITT intake; the public may report portal errors to the Open Data contact.
  • Fines: not specified on the cited page.
  • Escalation: not specified on the cited page; typical escalation is internal agency review and coordination with DoITT.
  • Non-monetary sanctions: dataset removal, required remediation, or internal administrative action.

Applications & Forms

There is no universal public form published for all dataset submissions; agencies coordinate publication through DoITT intake channels and the NYC Open Data portal intake workflow. If your agency requires a local internal form, follow agency-specific procedures or contact DoITT for the official submission method.[1]

Agencies should not publish datasets containing PII without an approved privacy review.

How-To

  1. Inventory: list datasets proposed for publication and assign a steward.
  2. Review: conduct legal and privacy reviews and document redaction steps.
  3. Prepare files and metadata following NYC Open Data metadata schema.
  4. Submit files to DoITT or upload via the portal intake workflow.
  5. Respond to DoITT review comments and update dataset as requested.
  6. Publish and set an update schedule; monitor and maintain dataset quality.

FAQ

Who can submit datasets to NYC Open Data?
Authorized City agencies and their contractors acting on behalf of an agency can submit datasets; members of the public cannot directly publish on behalf of an agency.
How long does review take?
Review times vary by dataset complexity and required privacy review; DoITT will provide timelines during intake.
Are there standard metadata requirements?
Yes. Include title, description, contact, license, update frequency, and field-level descriptions per NYC Open Data guidance.

Key Takeaways

  • Prepare complete metadata and privacy review before submission.
  • Coordinate with DoITT Open Data for intake and publishing.
  • Set and maintain an update schedule after publication.

Help and Support / Resources

  1. [1] DoITT Open Data initiatives and contacts

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