Local 311 & City Apps
Get the city to fix it. Report from your phone.
What 311 is
A non-emergency number/app for reporting city issues. Most US cities offer it. Used for:
- Potholes.
- Missed trash pickup.
- Broken streetlight.
- Abandoned vehicles.
- Illegal dumping.
- Graffiti.
- Stray animals.
- Loud / nuisance complaints (non-emergency).
- Fallen trees blocking roads.
How to find your city\'s app
- Search your city\'s App Store — most cities have a "[City Name] 311" or "[City Name] Connect" app.
- Big cities with established apps:
- NYC 311.
- Boston 311.
- Chicago 311.
- LA 311 (MyLA311).
- SF311.
- Philly311.
- Seattle Find It Fix It.
- If your city has no app — call 311 (or local non-emergency number) or use city website "Report a problem".
- SeeClickFix — used by 300+ small cities. Universal app.
- Nextdoor sometimes routes reports to city.
How to report effectively
- Take a photo with location data (most phones add GPS automatically).
- Pick the right category — wrong category goes to wrong department.
- Describe specifically: "Pothole 6 inches deep in middle lane of Maple Ave between 5th and 6th street, expanding daily".
- Include nearest landmark / cross street.
- Save the case number for follow-up.
- Report from a different phone if you don\'t hear back in a week.
When to use other apps
- Emergency (fire, life-threatening) → 911.
- Power outage → utility\'s app (e.g., FPL, Duke Energy).
- Water leak in street → water department.
- Crime in progress → 911.
- Suspicious activity (non-urgent) → local police non-emergency.
- USPS issues → file complaint at usps.com.
Quick Tip
Many cities require multiple complaints to act on a pothole or streetlight. Tell neighbors. The 5th report on a pothole gets it fixed faster than the 1st.