The New York City Transit Lost and Found is the final home of items lost on New York City buses, subways, or the Staten Island Railway. Items don’t get to NYCT Lost and Found right away, so if you’ve recently lost something, we might not have it yet. Before contacting us, here are tips on how to get your things back.
How to schedule an appointment
The Lost and Found office is open by appointment only. You can only make an appointment if we’ve contacted you first.
If you need to file a claim for your lost item, you can do so online or by calling 511. Once your claim is complete, you'll receive an automatic notification via text or email at 5 days, 10 days, and 21 days, stating that that we are still looking for their item. On the 30th day, you will be notified if the item has not been found.
If you found an item and need to turn it in, please call 511 to schedule an appointment.
How the process works:
- File an online claim (easiest and preferred method). We have a step-by-step guide.
- Wait for us to contact you.
- After we contact you, you can:
- Make an appointment online to pick up your item in person. If you need help setting up an appointment, call 511.
- Or we can ship your item to you. You will need to pay for the shipping costs.
Reporting an item you have lost
Read our step-by-step guide to what to do if you've lost an item on subways or buses.
Turning in an item you have found
Take smaller items, such as wallets, tablets or cellphones to the nearest subway station booth agent. For security reasons, agents cannot open the booth door. Call us at 511 to arrange to drop off larger items at NYCT Lost & Found. Items found on a bus should be turned in to the bus operator.
We appreciate your help reuniting lost items with their owners.
How long we keep lost items
The amount of time we hold on to items varies based on the estimated value of the article. We hold items for at least three months and at most three years. If no one claims the property during the retention period, it is auctioned with the proceeds helping fund MTA service, including Lost and Found. Found property that is in poor condition is sent for disposal.