Lost something in New York City? Review your report options.
Create a free public listing, add six months of automatic monitoring for $12, or choose $25 team-assisted search with manual research, direct service contact, and local social sharing.
What did you lose?
If there isn’t an adequate suggestion, select “Other – My item isn’t listed” and enter the item’s category. You can provide details later.
Publishing your report is free and your details stay private. The assisted search is a separate paid service, described in the Terms.
Recent activity
New York : the holding period scales with the item's value: the more it is worth, the longer the police must keep it. A finder must deposit an item worth $20 or more at a police station within 10 days. (New York Personal Property Law §§252-253)
Across the United States
- Wrislet clutch gray/silver bag with documents · Chicago, IL, October 8
- Ring TM on top · Greensboro, NC, October 8
- Keys · Sarasota, FL, October 8
- Keys · Brookline, MA, October 7
- Camera · Monterey, CA, October 7
How reporting works in New York City
1. You report the loss
Describe the item and where you lost it. The more detail, the better the match.
2. Choose a report option
The free listing publishes your report. The $12 option adds six months of automatic monitoring, a ReportLost certificate, an anonymous case address, and printable QR stickers. The $25 option adds manual research, direct contact with relevant services, report submission, local social sharing, and 12 months of monitoring.
3. Search and review possible matches
The paid option includes 12 months of public-web monitoring. Potential matches are reviewed before notification.
New York City has separate lost-property systems for transit, airports, venues and public agencies. Use the official links below to identify the channel relevant to where the item was lost. ReportLost is independent and offers three report options: a free listing, six-month automatic monitoring for $12, and $25 team-assisted search with manual research, direct contact with relevant services, local social sharing, and 12-month monitoring.
The right contact depends on where the item was lost. The links and guidance below identify the relevant transit, airport, venue and city reporting channels.
Lost-and-found contacts by location type
New York has separate lost-and-found systems for transit, airports, agencies and venues. The links below list contact details for common situations.
Subway, bus or Staten Island Railway (MTA)
Tell the nearest station booth agent, or file a claim with NYC Transit Lost & Found. Items are held at least 3 months; the central office is by appointment only, after they contact you.
Yellow/green cab, Uber or Lyft
For taxis, report to 311 with the medallion number from your receipt. No receipt? A card statement often shows it (e.g. “NYCTAXI AB123”). For Uber/Lyft, use the in-app lost-item flow.
Handed to the police (NYPD Property Clerk)
Found valuables are often vouchered by the NYPD Property Clerk in the borough where they were turned in. Bring ID. Important: for non-evidence property, claim it within 120 days or it may be disposed of.
JFK, LaGuardia or Newark
Lost it at security? Contact TSA for that airport. On the plane or at the gate? Contact your airline. Elsewhere in the terminal, the Port Authority lost & found handles it.
Street, park, shop or venue
Ask the venue’s front desk or security first (museums, malls, stadiums and hotels keep their own lost & found). For items lost on the street, check with the relevant NYPD precinct or NYC311. Local community groups are another place to share a public notice.
Lost pet (dog, cat, other)
File a lost-pet report with Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) and search their found database daily. It links to Petco Love Lost, which uses facial recognition. Any shelter or vet scans for a microchip, so keep your details current.
Create a New York lost-item report
Document the item and review the relevant local reporting channels.
Create a reportLost something in a specific NYC neighborhood?
New York City spans five boroughs and hundreds of neighborhoods. Pick the area closest to where you lost your item — each has its own transit hubs, precincts and hotspots.
Manhattan
Midtown, Times Square, the Financial District, SoHo, Greenwich Village, the Upper East & West Sides, Harlem and Chelsea. Highest density of taxis, subway lines and tourist sites — and the most lost phones and wallets.
Brooklyn
Williamsburg, DUMBO, Park Slope, Bushwick and Downtown Brooklyn. Busy nightlife and transit hubs like Atlantic Terminal mean plenty of items left on trains and in bars.
Queens
Astoria, Long Island City, Flushing and Jamaica — plus both JFK and LaGuardia airports, so a large share of luggage and travel-document losses happen here.
The Bronx
Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Zoo, Fordham and the Grand Concourse. Event days and the 4/B/D lines are common spots for misplaced belongings.
Staten Island
The Staten Island Ferry and the SIR railway. Items lost on the ferry or railway go through the MTA / Staten Island Railway lost & found.
New York community channels
Local social channels provide another way to share a report. Examples of NYC community channels:
“NYC Lost & Found”, borough & neighborhood groups
r/nyc, r/AskNYC, borough subreddits
Your exact neighborhood — great for pets
Tag the subway line, station or venue
Local lost-pet & community pages
Universities, coworking, residential
New York lost & found — frequently asked questions
How do I report something lost on the NYC subway?
Tell the nearest station booth agent, then file a claim with NYC Transit Lost & Found online at lostandfound.mta.info or by calling 511. Items are held for at least three months.
I left something in a New York taxi — what now?
Call 311 with the medallion number from your receipt. If you paid by card, your bank statement often shows the medallion number. For Uber or Lyft, use the in-app 'I lost an item' flow to contact the driver.
How long does the NYPD hold found property?
It depends on the value, but for non-evidence property you should claim it within 120 days of it being vouchered by the Property Clerk, or it may be disposed of.
My pet is lost in New York City — where do I start?
File a lost-pet report with Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC), search their found database daily, and use the linked Petco Love Lost facial-recognition search. Make sure your microchip contact details are up to date.
Is ReportLost.org official or does it replace the police?
No. ReportLost.org is an independent service. We provide information about relevant official channels and offer optional team-assisted outreach. Official lost-and-found offices retain and release found property.
Lost & found in nearby areas
Choose a report option
Free listing, $12 automatic search, or $25 team-assisted search.
Start my report →ReportLost.org is an independent service and is not affiliated with the MTA, NYPD, TLC, the Port Authority or the City of New York. Official lost-and-found offices retain and release found property.