NYC PGL-1 Form Guide (2026): How to Complete It Without Permit Delays

The NYC PGL-1 form (also called PGL1 in DOB NOW) is a required insurance document for certain construction permits that need project-specific general liability coverage. It confirms that the project's insurance policy matches the permit filing before DOB can issue or renew the permit.

When your filing triggers that requirement, DOB NOW generates the form from your PW2 answers under 1 RCNY 101-08. You upload the completed PGL1 form and a matching Certificate of Liability to the required-documents area on the PW2. An ACORD 25 summarizes a policy. It does not replace the signed, notarized PGL-1 affirmation.

Who needs to complete a PGL-1?

Several parties touch the NYC PGL1 form, but each has a distinct job. Knowing who owns each step prevents the back-and-forth that stalls PW2 review.

The NYC DOB NOW guide for general contractors explains who completes and submits the permit request when roles overlap.

PGL-1 completion workflow

Follow this sequence from filing to permit issuance. If any step fails QA, see the insurance rejection guide.

What is the PGL-1 form?

PGL-1 (PGL1): The Project-Specific General Liability Insurance Summary and Affirmation. It is a DOB-generated form that confirms the project-specific coverage, limit, and policy details match the permit filing.

The PGL form is not a broker-created PDF. DOB NOW generates the PGL1 form from your filing inputs and the calculated minimum amount. Your broker then issues the underlying policy and Certificate of Liability that must agree with it.

An ACORD 25 can support license-level insurance updates. It does not replace a triggered PGL-1 requirement on the PW2.

When does DOB NOW require a PGL-1?

DOB NOW requires a PGL1 form when the PW2 filing triggers project-specific general liability insurance under 1 RCNY 101-08. Common triggers include tower crane use, major new-building work, full demolition, and foundation or earthwork above certain adjacent-building thresholds.

The amount ranges from $1 million to $80 million depending on scope, building dimensions, adjacent buildings, and crane use. Do not guess the limit. Run DOB's calculator before asking a broker to issue documents.

For the full limits table, policy conditions, and one- or two-family exceptions, see NYC general liability insurance requirements for construction permits.

How do you complete the PGL-1 step by step?

Use this checklist when the DOB PGL1 required-document slot appears on your PW2:

1. Check the job filing answers that drive the insurance amount.
2. Run the official calculator and send the result to the broker.
3. Obtain compliant project-specific coverage and the matching Certificate of Liability.
4. Generate a fresh PGL-1 from DOB NOW.
5. Print and sign the PGL1 form.
6. Notarize the applicant signature and obtain the authorized broker signature.
7. Upload the PGL1 package and Certificate of Liability to the PW2 required-document area.
8. Check that each document moves through review. Pending means uploaded, not accepted.
9. Resolve any QA failure reason and resubmit through the designated contractor.

The DOB NOW PW2 step-by-step guide explains who completes and submits the permit request. NYC PGL1 is required again on an applicable permit renewal.

What must the underlying policy satisfy?

The PGL-1 form confirms coverage that already exists. The policy package must meet 1 RCNY 101-08 before anyone signs.

Use this broker checklist:

1. The per-occurrence limit meets the calculated amount.
2. The aggregate is at least equal to that limit and applies exclusively to the project.
3. The City of New York, its officials, and employees are included as additional insureds.
4. Coverage is at least as broad as ISO CG 00 01.
5. The policy does not exclude the permitted work or contain a prohibited exclusion listed in 1 RCNY 101-08.
6. The policy details match the work location, permit applicant, and filing scope.
7. The coverage dates support the requested permit period.

Prohibited exclusions include completed operations, XCU, third-party action-over, and NYC work exclusions. Residential or exterior insulation and finish system exclusions also matter when that work is involved.

What mistakes cause PGL-1 QA failures?

These are the most common reasons a PGL1 package fails PW2 review:

• The PGL-1 form is missing or uploaded to the wrong slot.
• The Certificate of Liability is missing or does not match the PGL1 amount.
• The applicant did not sign or notarize the PGL-1.
• The authorized broker did not sign.
• The stated limit does not match the amount generated from the job conditions.
• Policy or certificate details do not agree with the project, permit applicant, or work scope.
• A revised filing reset an attestation that was not completed again.

For the full correction workflow, see Why DOB Rejected Your Insurance Certificate in NYC. If insurance is only one open issue on the permit, use the NYC permit delay guide.

Example: reusing a prior project's PGL1 package

A GC sends the broker a $5 million package from a prior job. The current filing has a taller adjacent building, so DOB NOW generates a $15 million minimum. Uploading the old PGL1 form and certificate does not solve the requirement, even if the address and policy dates look correct.

Recheck the filing inputs, confirm the official calculation, have the broker assemble compliant coverage, and generate a new PGL-1 that matches it.

Can you waive or defer a PGL-1 requirement?

If DOB NOW triggered a PGL1 requirement for work that does not require project-specific insurance, recheck the filing inputs first. Filing answers, not the broker, usually drive the trigger.

If the DOB PGL1 requirement is genuinely inapplicable, request a waiver through the document Action menu and explain why the trigger is incorrect. PGL1 is waiver-eligible but not deferrable under DOB's March 2026 waiver and deferral list. A waiver request corrects an inapplicable document trigger. It does not waive insurance required by law.

What happens after the PGL-1 is approved?

An accepted PGL1 package clears the project-specific insurance document requirement so DOB can issue or renew the permit. That is a permit milestone, not the end of insurance compliance on the job.

Once work begins, the operational challenge shifts. The GC must collect subcontractor COIs, verify endorsements, and track renewals through mobilization. The PGL-1 form got the permit approved. Ongoing subcontractor insurance compliance is the next problem.

Use subcontractor insurance requirements to build the project review checklist. If additional-insured language is causing confusion after mobilization, read the GC guide to additional insured endorsements. You can also use the subcontractor insurance requirements generator to draft a practical spec once permit-level coverage is confirmed.

Once subs start mobilizing, use the COI Approval Checker to flag common certificate gaps before they block work.