To file the MTA Lost Property Customer Inquiry Form, go to lostandfound.mta.info, select the subway line, bus route, or Staten Island Railway train you were on, describe the item with as much detail as you can, add your contact information, and submit. You’ll get a reference number on the confirmation screen. Save it. You’ll need it for every follow-up and for the pickup itself.1Metropolitan Transportation Authority. MTA Lost Property Customer Inquiry Form
Check the Station Booth First
If you notice the loss while you’re still in or near the station, skip the form for the moment and ask a station agent. Items turned in to a booth sit there until they’re transferred to the central Lost & Found office, and that transfer may not happen for at least a day.2Metropolitan Transportation Authority. What to Do if Youve Lost an Item on New York City Subways or Buses3THE CITY. How to Find Lost Items: Parks, MTA, Trash A quick in-person check can end the whole process before it starts.
If the agent doesn’t have it, or you’ve already left the area, file online.
Make Sure You’re on the Right Portal
The MTA runs three separate Lost & Found operations, and they don’t share reports automatically. The online inquiry form at lostandfound.mta.info covers only NYC Transit: subway, bus, and Staten Island Railway. The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad each handle their own claims through separate processes linked from mta.info/lost-and-found. Filing with the wrong agency delays everything. All three are free to use.4Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Lost and Found
What the Form Asks You
The form uses a step-by-step layout with a Next button between screens, so you won’t see every field at once.1Metropolitan Transportation Authority. MTA Lost Property Customer Inquiry Form Plan to spend a few minutes on it.
Where You Were Traveling
The first section asks for the bus route or train line, the station where you most likely lost the item, and the date and approximate time of your trip. If your trip involved transfers, add each leg. Include direction of travel. A northbound A train and a southbound A train end up at different yards, and a bus route plus a time narrows the search to a specific depot run. Vague answers here are the single biggest reason claims go nowhere, because staff don’t know where to look.
Describing the Item
Be specific. Brand, color, material, and any distinguishing marks like stickers, scratches, or monograms. For electronics, give make and model, and add a serial number if you have one. Serial numbers are often the fastest way for staff to confirm a match when several similar items come in the same day. For bags, list what’s inside; staff sometimes identify a bag by its contents rather than its exterior.
Your Contact Information
Fill in how the MTA can reach you if the item turns up. That’s also how you’ll receive the reference number.
After You Submit
The confirmation screen gives you a reference number. Copy it or save the page before closing the browser. You’ll need that number for any follow-up and for pickup.
If staff find your item, you can ask them to mail it to you instead of coming in person.1Metropolitan Transportation Authority. MTA Lost Property Customer Inquiry Form That option matters if you’re a visitor or can’t easily get to Manhattan during business hours.
To check status or get help, call 511.5Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Contact the New York City Transit Lost and Found
Picking Up Your Item
The NYC Transit Lost & Found office is inside the 34 St–Penn Station stop on the A/C/E lines, also reachable by the M10, M17, M20, or M34 bus to 34th Street and 8th Avenue.6Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Make a Lost and Found Appointment for Subways and Buses It’s appointment only. Schedule online through the MTA site or by calling 511.7Metropolitan Transportation Authority. New York City Transit Lost and Found
Bring a government-issued photo ID that matches the name on the claim. Staff verify identity before releasing anything.3THE CITY. How to Find Lost Items: Parks, MTA, Trash For phones, laptops, and similar electronics, expect to demonstrate ownership. Unlocking the device or showing a receipt with a matching serial number works.
How Long the MTA Keeps Unclaimed Items
The MTA holds lost property for at least three months. More valuable items may be kept up to three years, depending on estimated value.2Metropolitan Transportation Authority. What to Do if Youve Lost an Item on New York City Subways or Buses3THE CITY. How to Find Lost Items: Parks, MTA, Trash After the retention period, unclaimed property is auctioned or disposed of under New York State Personal Property Law.7Metropolitan Transportation Authority. New York City Transit Lost and Found
File the same day if you can. The MTA processes a huge volume of lost property, and a fresh claim with specific details is far easier to match than one filed weeks later from fading memory.
What the MTA Won’t Hold
Not everything that gets turned in enters the system. Perishable food and beverages are discarded immediately for health and safety reasons. Personal hygiene items and loose clothing are also typically disposed of rather than cataloged. If a bag contained perishables alongside something valuable, the food will be gone, but the bag and its other contents should still be logged normally.