Online Help System

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Is there a fee for using CRIS?

CRIS is currently available to all users free of charge.

What browsers are compatible with CRIS?

CRIS should be compatible with all up-to-date browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you encounter issues with a particular browser, please send details to CRISHelp@parks.ny.gov. To help us diagnose the issue, please visit What’s My Browser, copy the unique link shown on the page, and paste the link in your message. This link will identify your browser version and settings.

I received an error message from CRIS. What should I do?

If the error prevents you from completing an action, send an email to CRISHelp@parks.ny.gov with the following information:

• The exact text of the error message, copied and pasted from the popup alert.
• A specific description of what you were attempting to do when the error popped up, such as I attempted to draw my project boundary at Step 5 in initial consultation submission DF89HQQ4HFAK and received the following error message.
• Optionally, include a screenshot of the entire CRIS web page in your message. In Windows, you may copy an image of the page with the Snipping Tool or by pressing Alt + PrintScreen. On a Mac, you may copy or save the image using instructions provided at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201361.

I entered an address that CRIS couldn’t correctly locate. How do I get CRIS to go to the right location?

When you enter an address or intersection for a project or building location in CRIS, New York State’s Street and Address Maintenance (SAM) geocoder returns a ranked list of location results, and CRIS selects the top-ranked result. Sometimes the top-ranked result is not the intended location. Below are some tips that may help you get the correct result.

• Include the ZIP code. This will usually direct the geocoder to the correct municipality or hamlet.
• For the city name, enter the post office designation for the place, rather than the governing municipality.

Guest and Authenticated Users

What are the differences between using CRIS as a guest versus signing in?

Guest users can access the basic functionality in CRIS. Authenticated users, who sign in with an NY.gov ID account, can access advanced functionality and can apply for additional privileges. Below is a table comparing the two user types and their available functionality.

Functionality	Available to guest users?	Available to authenticated users?
Create, view, and edit submissions	Yes	Yes
Primary contact information automatically entered in new initial submissions	No	Yes
Manage submissions and projects from a dashboard	No	Yes
View your project, including review status and correspondence	Yes	Yes
Add or edit project contacts	No	Yes(1)
Search and view building and district records	Yes	Yes
Search and view building surveys	Yes	Yes
Search and view National Register nominations	Yes	Yes
Search and view archaeological sites	No	Yes(2)
Search and view archaeological surveys	No	Yes(2)
Search and view all projects	No	Yes(2)

(1) Your NY.gov ID email address must match the primary contact record in order for you to modify the project’s contact list.

(2) Requires advanced privileges. Contact CRISHelp@parks.ny.gov to request archaeological or project searching privileges.

I am a government or business employee who plans to use CRIS for work. Can I create a government or business NY.gov ID account to use with CRIS?

OPRHP does not presently review or approve government and business NY.gov ID accounts. If you need to create a new NY.gov ID account to use for CRIS, SHPO recommends that you create a personal NY.gov ID account using your government or business email address. For more information about NY.gov ID accounts, please visit https://my.ny.gov/NYgovId/about.xhtml.

I can’t remember my NY.gov ID username or password. How do I log in?

Visit the Forgot Username Self Service or Forgot Password Self Service page to recover or reset your NY.gov ID login information.

How do I change the email address on my CRIS user profile?

To change the email address for your CRIS user profile, you must first change the email address for your NY.gov ID account.

Sign into https://my.ny.gov and click Update My Account in the left sidebar. This will launch the NY.gov ID Account Update form in a new tab. In the NY.gov ID Account Update form, change your email address and click the Modify Account button. Click the Confirm button to save your changes. An alert will pop up: To the best of my knowledge, I have not willfully entered inaccurate information. Intentional violation may result in penalties and/or prosecution. Click the OK button to confirm your changes and update your account.

The next time you sign into CRIS, your updated email address will be attached to your user profile. Be sure to click the My Profile link in the upper-right corner of the CRIS page to check that your information is up to date.

Search and Maps

Can I download data from CRIS?

Search results are available for download as tables in the CSV (Comma-Separated Values) format. Photographs and attachments (including building inventory forms and National Register nominations) are also downloadable. GIS data cannot be downloaded from CRIS, but the following layers are available as ArcGIS web services that you can use in GIS applications:

• Building USN Points
• National Register Building Listings
• Building District USN Polygons
• Archaeological Buffer Areas
• Qualifying Census Tracts

For all other layers, you may request GIS data by contacting CRISHelp@parks.ny.gov.

How do I search for State or National Register–listed properties in an area?

Use the Spatial Search tools to zoom to your area of interest. If you wish to generate a list of State or National Register listings within a specific area, you may specify a search buffer or draw a search area. When you search the area, the listings will display in the Building NRs grid on the Results tab. Click the View (magnifying glass) button next to the listing in the Results tab to open the National Register Project Details module.

How do I check whether a property is eligible for or listed on the State or National Register of Historic Places?

You can check whether a property is eligible for or is listed on the State or National Register with the following steps:

1. Click Search in the top navigation bar (between Submit and Communicate).
2. On the left, click the Spatial tab to open the Spatial Search interface.
3. To zoom the map to an address, enter it in the Option B: Find an Address Location field and click the Find Address button.

If the address is within a purple boundary, as shown in the image below, it is within a historic district that has been inventoried by SHPO (represented by a Building District USN). Historic districts with purple shading are eligible for the State or National Register; hollow boundaries indicate districts that are not eligible, are already listed on the State or National Register, or have not yet been evaluated by SHPO. In the image below, the green dots are National Register–eligible buildings, and the shaded purple boundary is a National Register–eligible historic district.

If the address is within a shaded peach area, as shown in the image below, it is either individually listed on the State or National Register, or it is listed as part of a historic district. In the image below, the yellow dots represent National Register–listed building USNs. If the address is in a historic district, you can check whether the building contributes to the district with the following steps:

1. Click the peach area to open a callout balloon with brief information about the listing.
2. Click the View button in the callout balloon to open the National Register Project Details module.
3. Click the Attachments (Atts.) tab and click the green download arrow button to view the nomination PDF. If the nomination has a list of buildings, the list should state whether each building is contributing or not. Some nominations only explicitly state whether a building is non-contributing.

If you are unable to find the property on the map or have further questions, please contact CRISHelp@parks.ny.gov.

Where can I find the National Register nomination form for a listed property?

The nomination form for a property that is listed on the New York State Register or National Register of Historic Places will be available for download under the Attachments (Atts.) tab in the National Register Project Details module. You can access this module in the following ways:

• Search for the National Register project and click the View button for the project in the Results tab.
• In the map interface, click the peach nomination boundary in the National Register Building Listings layer, and then click the View button in the callout balloon.

Where can I find National Register Multiple Property Documentation Forms (MPDFs)?

Multiple property listings and multiple property submissions, which include Multiple Property Documentation Forms (MPDFs), are groupings of historic resources that may be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places based on a theme or geographic area. More information about multiple property submissions is provided by the National Park Service in Chapter II of National Register Bulletin 16B, How to Complete the National Register Multiple Property Documentation Form.

Presently, you can view MPDFs in CRIS through the National Register Project Details module for one of the listings under the multiple property submission. Under the Nomination Data tab, click the Classification tab. Under that tab, next to Name of Related Multiple Property Listing, click the linked multiple property listing name to open the documentation PDFs.

If you do not know which listings were made under the multiple property submission, contact the Survey and National Register Unit reviewer for the region represented by the multiple property submission to ask for the MPDF.

How do I check whether a property is in a qualifying census tract?

Use the Spatial Search tools to zoom to your area of interest. Open the Layers list in the map interface and toggle on the Qualifying Census Tracts layer to view tracts (or portions of tracts) in New York State that may be eligible for New York State’s historic tax credit programs. Properties in certain cities may qualify for the state homeowner tax credit program, even if they are in census tracts that do not meet the basic eligibility criteria. Click within a tract to display its county, tract number, qualifying city (if applicable), and eligibility for the homeowner and commercial tax credit programs, as shown in the image below.

How do I search for archaeological sensitivity in an area?

Use the Spatial Search tools to zoom to your area of interest. Open the Layers list in the map interface and toggle on the Archaeological Buffer Areas layer to view buffer areas around archaeological sites that are recorded by SHPO. Because these areas are only based on proximity, locations within these areas may not be archaeologically sensitive, and locations outside these areas may be archaeologically sensitive. SHPO’s Archaeology Unit reviewers evaluate sensitivity based on a variety of environmental factors, including topography and hydrology, so these buffer areas are only suggestive.

How do I obtain access to archaeological sites and surveys?

Access to archaeological data in CRIS is restricted to authenticated users who apply for and receive special privileges. To apply for archaeological permissions, please complete the PDF application form and email the form with supporting documentation (if applicable) to CRISHelp@parks.ny.gov with the subject “Archaeology Permission Request.” You will need to log into CRIS with an NY.gov ID account at least once before SHPO can enable archaeological permissions for your user profile.

Can I search projects in CRIS?

National Register projects are searchable for all CRIS users. Searching for other project types, including consultation projects, requires privileges that are generally restricted to preservation personnel at state and federal agencies. To request project searching privileges, please contact CRISHelp@parks.ny.gov.

If you are trying to access your own project, you may open it with the Find My Project form on the guest user Home page or through the My Projects tab on the authenticated user dashboard.

I’m trying to click on a polygon on the map, but another polygon is blocking it. How can I see what the polygon represents?

Zoom to the polygon’s location on the Search page. Use the Spatial Search tools to search the polygons in that location. The list of polygons in that location will display in the Results tab.

Submissions and Projects

What are the different types of tokens, and how can I use them?

There are several types of 12-character tokens that uniquely identify submissions and communication records throughout CRIS. Below is a list of these tokens, along with the places where you can find them and use them.

• Initial submission tokens: These tokens are created when you save an initial submission. They appear in the header of the submission form and in the Token column of the My Submissions tab in the authenticated user dashboard. They also are included in the “Initial Submission Created,” “Initial Submission Received,” “Initial Submission Found Insufficient,” and “Initial Submission Accepted” emails. You can use them in the following ways:
  • To edit an existing initial submission that SHPO has not yet accepted, go to the Submit page and reopen your saved submission.
  • To view an existing initial submission without making changes or affecting its processing status, go to the Submit page, click View an In-Progress Initial Submission, and enter the initial submission token.
  • To view the project details after SHPO has accepted the submission, enter the initial submission token in the Find My Project form on the guest user home page or in the Lookup tab in the Criteria Search tools.
• Question tokens: These tokens are created when SHPO asks a question through CRIS. They appear in the header of the question page, in the Token column of the My Questions/Answers tab in the authenticated user dashboard, and in the Token column of the Q & A tab in the project details module. They also are included in the “SHPO Question Asked” email. You can use them in the following way:
  • To view or respond to the SHPO question, go to the Communicate page, click Answer a Question, and enter the question token.
• Consolidated response tokens: These tokens are created when SHPO completes its review of a project submission and issues comments, information requests, or attachments in response to the submission. They appear in the header of the consolidated response page, in the Token column of the My Information Requests and My Consolidated Responses tabs in the authenticated user dashboard, and in the Token column of the Correspondence (Corr.) tab in the project details module. They also are included in the “Submission Consolidated Response Issued,” “Requested Submission Received,” “Requested Submission Found Insufficient,” and “Requested Submission Accepted” emails. You can use them in the following way:
  • To view a consolidated response or fulfill an information request, go to the Communicate page, click View and/or Address a Response, and enter the consolidated response token.
• Subsequent submission tokens: These tokens are created when you fulfill an information request or submit additional materials for an existing project. They are included in the “Requested Submission Received,” “Requested Submission Found Insufficient,” “Requested Submission Accepted,” “Unrequested Submission Received,” and “Unrequested Submission Accepted” emails. You can use them in the following way:
  • To view the project details, enter the subsequent submission token in the Find My Project form on the guest user home page or in the Lookup tab in the Criteria Search tools.
• Effect finding tokens: These tokens are created when SHPO completes its review of a consultation project and issues an impact or effect finding. They appear in the header of the effect finding page and in the “Effect Finding Rendered” email. You can use them in the following way:
  • To view or download the effect finding letter, go to the Communicate page, click View Project Information (Consultation Effect Findings), and enter the effect finding token.

I have to finish my submission at a later time. What do I do?

The instructions to continue a submission depend on the submission type.

• Initial: In CRIS Submit forms, which open in a separate browser tab, click the Save and Continue or Finish Later button. In CRIS wizards, click the Next button to save the current step and proceed to the next step (unless you are on the final step), and then click the Cancel button in the upper right corner to exit the submission. In both cases, go to the Submit page to reopen your saved submission. If you are an authenticated user, you can reopen the submission from the My Submissions tab on your dashboard.
• Requested: Click the Next button to save the current step, if applicable. Click the Close or Cancel button in the upper right corner to exit the submission. To reopen the information request, return to the consolidated response page that contains the request.
• Unrequested: These submissions cannot be edited at a later time. If you create an unrequested submission using the Submit New Information for an Existing Project form, you must submit it to SHPO or the data will be lost.

Do project contacts need to have an NY.gov ID account?

Anyone can be a project contact, even if they are not an authenticated CRIS user. Authenticated CRIS users can receive more privileges, such as access to archaeological data or the ability to modify the project’s contact list if they are the primary contact. Project contacts may also use CRIS as guest users, but they will not have any additional privileges.

The primary agency for my project isn’t available in the agency list. How do I proceed?

At Step 3 (Agency Information) in the Consultation Project Submission form, the primary and secondary agency pickers use a list maintained by SHPO. This list comprises state and federal agencies, as well as various grant and review programs.

• If you represent a municipality and your project is being reviewed under the State Environmental Quality Review process, select SEQRA as the primary agency.
• If your project is located within New York City and is being reviewed under the City Environmental Quality Review process, select CEQR as the primary agency.
• If you believe that an unrepresented state or federal agency needs to be added to the list, please contact CRISHelp@parks.ny.gov.

All buildings in my project area are less than 45 years old. Do I still need to enter them in my consultation project submission?

SHPO recommends that you include any built resources that are more than 45 years old within the project area in your consultation project submission so that SHPO may evaluate their potential eligibility for the New York State Register and National Register of Historic Places. If your project only contains built resources that are less than 45 years old, please enter at least one in your submission.

What email notifications does CRIS send, and who receives them?

Below is a list of each type of email message sent from CRIS, along with its list of recipients. The primary contact (or Trekker survey lead) will be in the email’s To: line, while all other contacts will be in the Cc: line.

• Initial Submission Created: Sent to the primary contact entered at Step 1 of the initial submission when the submitter saves the primary contact for the first time.
• Initial Submission Received: Sent to all submission contacts when the submitter completes the submission and sends it to SHPO. This message is sent again each time the submitter resends the submission to SHPO.
• Initial Submission Found Insufficient: Sent to all submission contacts if SHPO sends the submission back with comments.
• Initial Submission Accepted: Sent to all project contacts when SHPO accepts the initial submission and creates a new project record.
• SHPO Question Asked: Sent to the primary project contact when SHPO issues a Q&A item.
• Submission Consolidated Response Issued: Sent to all active project contacts when the SHPO reviewers sign off on a submission with comments and/or requests for more information.
• Requested Submission Received: Sent to all active project contacts when someone completes an information request and sends the submission to SHPO.
  • Requested survey submissions: Also includes contacts entered at Step 1: Contact Information.
• Requested Submission Found Insufficient: Sent to all active project contacts if SHPO sends a requested submission back with comments.
  • Requested survey submissions: Also includes contacts entered at Step 1: Contact Information.
• Requested Submission Accepted: Sent to all active project contacts when SHPO accepts a requested submission and adds it to the project.
  • Requested survey submissions: Also includes contacts entered at Step 1: Contact Information.
• Unrequested Submission Received: Sent to the primary project contact and the submitter (if the submitter is an authenticated user) when the submitter sends an unrequested submission to SHPO.
• Unrequested Submission Accepted: Sent to all active project contacts and the submitter (if the submitter is an authenticated user) when SHPO accepts an unrequested submission and adds it to the project.
• Effect Finding Rendered: Sent to all active project contacts when SHPO renders an effect finding and issues the letter.
• Trekker Survey Approved: Sent to the lead contact when SHPO initiates a proposed Trekker survey project.
• Trekker Survey Completed: Sent to the lead contact for a Trekker survey project after SHPO receives and approves the final report.
• Inventory Form Submission Accepted: Sent to all project contacts when SHPO accepts an inventory form submission and creates a new project record.
• Inventory Form Reviewed: Sent to all project contacts when SHPO finishes reviewing an inventory form project.

How do I check the status of my initial submission?

If you are a registered CRIS user and you were the last person to edit the submission, sign into CRIS and go to the My Submissions tab on your dashboard. The submission’s status will be shown in the grid. You may need to switch the grid view from My Open Submissions to My Completed Submissions to see your submission.

If you are a guest user or you were not the last person to edit the submission, you may view the submission details—including its status—by using the View an In-Progress Initial Submission option on the Submit page.

If the submission’s status is Partial or Insufficient, it is not in SHPO’s processing queue. Please reopen your submission, ensure it is complete, and click the Submit to SHPO button to send it to the queue.

How do I add contacts to my project?

If you are the project’s primary contact and an authenticated user, you can add contacts to your project by opening the project details module, going to the Contacts tab, and clicking the Add Contact button.

If you are not the project’s primary contact or you are a guest user, email CRISHelp@parks.ny.gov to ask SHPO to add the contacts on your behalf. Be sure to include the project number and each contact’s name, address, phone number, and email address in your message. SHPO generally requires approval from the primary contact before modifying a project’s contact list.

Please note that cultural resource management consultants such as archaeologists do not need to be project contacts if they need to submit surveys or other additional project materials on your behalf. See the FAQ Does a third party (such as a consultant) need to be on a project’s contact list to submit additional project materials?

How do I check the review status of my project?

If you are a registered CRIS user and you are a designated project contact, sign into CRIS and go to the My Projects tab on your dashboard. You may need to switch the grid view from My Open Projects to My Closed Projects to see your project. Click the View (magnifying glass) button to open the project details. If you are a guest user, use the Find My Project form on the guest user Home page to open the Project Details module.

Under the Submissions tab in the Project Details module, the Submissions Overview tab will list the project’s submissions and reviewers, along with the due date and status of their reviews. You can expand a column by dragging or double-clicking the right edge of the column header.

If a submission’s status is Open, it is still under review. Any SHPO reviewers who have not yet signed off will have Incomplete next to their name. If a submission’s status is Closed, all SHPO reviewers have signed off on it. If you need to contact a SHPO reviewer, you can find their email address and phone number on SHPO’s Contact page.

How long does SHPO take to review projects?

For consultation projects, SHPO usually has 30 days to respond upon receiving a complete project submission. Some agencies or programs have a shorter review period. If a project has multiple submissions, SHPO’s total review time for the project may be longer than 30 days.

Tax credit submissions have 30-day review periods, which are counted from the date that SHPO receives a submission by mail.

Independent surveys, requests for evaluation of eligibility, National Register applications, and inventory form submissions do not have specific review periods.

Can I upload GIS data directly into CRIS?

The Esri application that is used for CRIS’s maps does not allow shapefiles or other GIS data to be uploaded directly to the map, such as for project or survey areas. However, you may attach a shapefile or file geodatabase to your submission in a .zip file. Please ensure that your GIS file adheres to the following guidelines:

• Only include the relevant features in your GIS file. Common feature types include areas of potential effect/impact, archaeological survey areas, and historic district boundaries.
• Copy all features into a single polygon layer. If your features are points or polylines, please buffer them to create polygon features.
• If you are submitting a shapefile, include all of the shapefile’s components in your .zip file (.shp, .shx, .dbf, .prj, and so on).

My consultation project involves multiple areas. How do I indicate this in the Consultation Project Submission form?

The Esri application that is used for CRIS’s maps does not allow multiple polygons to be drawn for a single project. At Step 5 (Project Location) in the Consultation Project Submission form, select the most representative single area of your project and draw it. In your project area description, include a note that clearly states that the project covers additional areas. Upload reference maps for all project areas as one or more attachments at Step 4 (Project-Level Attachments). If you have GIS data that outlines the project areas, you can export the feature class to a shapefile, compile all shapefile components into a .zip file, and upload the .zip file as a project attachment at Step 4.

I tried to upload a file that was just under the file size limit, but CRIS rejected it. Why was the file not accepted?

The file size limit is expressed in base-10 megabytes (1 MB equals 1 million bytes). Microsoft Windows represents bytes in binary multiples of 1024, rather than 1000. This means that the actual file size is larger than the figure shown in Windows.

I have a file that’s over the file size limit. How can I send it to SHPO?

Depending on the file format, you may be able to compress the file or divide it into multiple sections to be uploaded as separate files under the same submission. SHPO prefers this method over sending files on disc or as paper copies.

What file formats are permitted in uploads to CRIS?

The following file formats may be uploaded for photos:

• .gif
• .jpe / .jpeg / .jpg
• .png

The following file formats may be uploaded for attachments:

• .pdf (SHPO prefers this format for drawings, plans, and text documents.)
• .zip (This format may be used to send compiled GIS or CAD files.)
• .bmp
• .doc / .docx
• .gif
• .jpe / .jpeg / .jpg
• .png
• .ppt / .pptx
• .rtf
• .tif / .tiff
• .txt
• .xls / .xlsx

I submitted new photographs or attachments for my project, but I don’t see them in the project record. What happened to them?

When you submit photographs or attachments in response to a SHPO information request or through the Submit New Information for an Existing Project form, they will not yet be added to the project record, since the submission will be in SHPO’s processing queue. After SHPO accepts the submission and adds it to the project, the photographs and attachments will be added to the project automatically. If the files were uploaded to a built resource, archaeological site, district resource, building survey, or archaeological survey, then the files will be in those specific records after SHPO processes them.

I have an architectural or archaeological survey to submit for a consultation project. How do I send this to SHPO?

If SHPO has requested the survey as part of its review of the project, you must submit the survey in response to a SHPO information request on the consolidated response page. SHPO strongly recommends that the consultant who prepared the survey is the person to submit it through CRIS, since the survey forms ask for specialized information. You or your consultant may access the survey request by clicking the link in the consolidated response email notification or by doing the following:

1. In the top navigation bar, click Communicate.
2. In the Communicate menu on the left, click View and/or Address a Response.
3. Paste the 12-character response token found under the project’s Correspondence (Corr.) tab in the text input and click Start to open the consolidated response page.
4. In the Information Requests table, click the Process (green cog) button to begin submitting your survey.

If SHPO has not yet requested the survey or you cannot locate the response token, please contact CRISHelp@parks.ny.gov or the appropriate SHPO reviewer with your project number and/or initial submission token.

Does a third party (such as a consultant) need to be on a project’s contact list to submit additional project materials?

Consultants and other third parties do not need to be project contacts in order to respond to SHPO information requests. You may forward the consolidated response email notification to a consultant. The email will contain a link to the consolidated response page where they may fulfill the SHPO request.

If the consultant submits a requested survey, the contact entered at Step 1 of the requested survey form will receive email notifications when SHPO receives the survey, sends it back for revisions, or accepts it to the project. After SHPO accepts the submission, the consultant will no longer receive emails for the project if they are not a project contact.

If a third party needs to submit unrequested information for the project, they may do so by entering the project number and the email address of an existing project contact in the Submit New Information for an Existing Project login form.

My archaeological survey involves multiple areas. How do I indicate this in the archaeological survey form?

The Esri application that is used for CRIS’s maps does not allow multiple polygons to be drawn for a single survey. At Step 3 (Survey Area) in the archaeological survey form, select the most representative survey area and draw it. In your survey area description, include a note that clearly states that the survey covers additional areas. Be sure that the survey reports you upload at Step 5 (Report Documents) contain reference maps showing all areas. If you have GIS data that outlines the survey areas, you can export the feature class to a shapefile, compile all shapefile components into a .zip file, and upload the .zip file as an attachment at Step 5.