1999 is the phone service window of the Taipei and New Taipei city governments. You can ask about city services, be transferred to the staff handling a matter, file a complaint or report, and ask an agency to send a crew for problems such as broken streetlights, potholes and roadside trees. In Taipei, dialing 1999 from within the city is a free 24-hour service (except from public phones, 放心講 and Type II telecom, 第二類電信); from outside the city, call 02-2720-8889. New Taipei's 1999 is for use within New Taipei only; from outside the city, call (02)2960-3456.
Note: 1999 is not an emergency line. For a fire, an injury or a gas leak, call 119; for law-and-order incidents, call 110. Do not call 1999 first and wait to be transferred. For the differences between the numbers, see what 110, 119, 112, 113, 165 and 1955 are for. Services and time limits are subject to the latest announcements from the two city governments.
How Taipei's and New Taipei's 1999 differ
| Item | Taipei: 1999 臺北市民當家熱線 | New Taipei: 1999 市政服務專線 |
|---|
| Calling from outside the city | 02-2720-8889 (city hall main number) | (02)2960-3456 (city hall switchboard) |
| Cost | Free, 24 hours; except from public phones, 放心講 and Type II telecom (第二類電信) | This article did not find an official statement on cost; follow New Taipei announcements |
| Hours | 24 hours | 24 hours a day, all year, since July 1, 2009 |
| Service types | Information, transfer, complaints and petitions, dispatch of work crews | Information, transfer, complaints and petitions, reports, quick service, sign-language video |
| Languages | This article did not find an official statement on language service | Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, English and Japanese; Hakka, English and Japanese only Monday to Friday, 8:30-17:30 (suspended at midday and on national holidays) |
| Overseeing unit | Supervised by the Taipei research, development and evaluation commission (研考會), operated by a contracted service vendor | The New Taipei research, development and evaluation commission (研考會) sets the improvement plan |
New Taipei's service description states that the line is reached by "dialing 1999 directly within the city from landline and mobile phones." Once connected, you can enter a city government extension directly, or press 9 to be served by a 1999 operator. People who need sign language can use LINE on a mobile phone, or use Teams video at a sign-language video service location.
What you can report: Taipei's four service types
The Taipei research, development and evaluation commission (研考會) FAQ divides 1999 services into four types, each with an example:
- Information: simple, general information about city services, for example how to handle a labor dispute. For questions outside city government matters (for example National Health Insurance (NHI) Administration business), the operator will ask you to call a more suitable number.
- Transfer: questions that need administrative or technical judgment are passed to the responsible unit or handler, for example the progress of a building permit or occupancy permit.
- Complaints and petitions: specific petitions such as suggestions for administrative reform, legal inquiries, reports of misconduct and protection of rights. An example is a fire lane that has been occupied; the case is entered into the petition system and tracked.
- Dispatch: asking the responsible city agency to attend in person, logged in the dispatch system, for example handling a roadside tree.
Taipei agencies handle petitions within 6 working days. If the content is complex and cannot be investigated on time, they must reply within 6 working days with the planned schedule and preliminary results, and the process may not exceed 30 days (calendar days). This is the rule in point 14 of the Taipei City Government and its agencies' guidelines for handling petitions (臺北市政府及所屬各機關受理人民陳情案件注意事項).
New Taipei's quick service: what gets handled within 4 hours
New Taipei's 1999 has a "quick service" for items the city has selected as urgent or time-sensitive. After an operator takes the report, the system sends it to the responsible agency around the clock. The first-stage time limit is 4 hours to 1 day, and where necessary it can be extended to 1 day to 14 days. Some of the items, from the annex to the New Taipei 1999 service improvement plan (新北市政府 1999 市政服務專線精進計畫, amended September 12, 2023), are listed below:
| Agency | Item | First-stage time limit | Second-stage time limit |
|---|
| Transportation bureau (交通局) | Faulty traffic signals (all lights out at a major intersection, red and green lit together, etc.) | Site inspection and repair completed within 1 day | Repair completed within 4 days |
| Public works bureau (工務局) | Streetlight not working | Site inspection or repair within 1 day | Repair completed within 4 days (where wiring or cable parts need repair) |
| Public works bureau (工務局) | Potholes in the road surface | Safety measures and emergency handling within 4 hours | Repair within 4 days |
| Public works bureau (工務局) | Damaged roadside drainage ditch | — | Repair within 14 days |
| Agriculture bureau (農業局) | Fallen roadside tree | Reported before 6 p.m.: righted or removed within 4 hours; reported after 6 p.m.: by 12 noon the next day | — |
| Agriculture bureau (農業局) | Animal rescue | Staff sent to investigate within 4 hours | Placement completed within 1 day |
| Environmental protection bureau (環保局) | Ownerless garbage in the neighborhood (bagged or bulky waste) | Reported before 2 p.m.: cleared within 4 hours; reported after 2 p.m.: by 12 noon the next day | — |
| Environmental protection bureau (環保局) | Arranging bulky-waste collection (residences only) | Reported before 2 p.m.: collection time set within 4 hours | — |
| Environmental protection bureau (環保局) | Noise (a call-back to confirm is required), air pollution, water pollution | As a rule, staff on site within 4 hours; reply within 1 day | — |
The same plan also provides that cases without a name are not eligible for quick service. However, for emergency medical care, public safety, natural disasters and personal safety, 1999 will still notify the responsible agency by phone immediately. If the same location and the same reason are checked 3 times in a row with no violation found, later identical cases go through the regular petition process and are no longer handled immediately.
For getting rid of an old sofa or mattress, see how to dispose of bulky waste. If a neighbor's renovation is too noisy, in New Taipei you can call 1999 under the noise item in the table above. For who to call about a snake or a beehive at home, see what to do about a snake or beehive at home.
If you would rather not call: online reporting
- Taipei petition system (1999.gov.taipei): you can file a case on the website and check progress with the case number and password; non-members can also file.
- The Taipei city app (台北通): the research, development and evaluation commission (研考會) explains that the petition and dispatch service is under "Services" (服務) then "Have something to say" (有話要說); you can also make an internet call to 1999 inside the app.
- Disaster reports: the Taipei petition system announces that during disasters you can report through 119, 1999 and the "disaster reporting section" (災情通報專區) of the 台北通 app. To see live disaster conditions during typhoons and heavy rain, use the Taipei real-time disaster map.
Taipei has introduced "real-name petitions" for some case categories: filing on the website redirects you to a single identity verification; if you call 1999 by landline or mobile phone about these cases, the city will ask you to use the 台北通 app's internet call to 1999 instead, or to provide your real name and ID number for verification.
The following is this article's suggestion, not an official rule: before calling, have ready the address or the nearest door number, the streetlight or utility pole number, and the time it happened, and take photos if you can. If the problem keeps recurring, note the time of each occurrence and state it all at once when you file; this is less likely to get the case sent back for more information.
FAQ
Can I call 1999 anonymously?
You can call, but it affects how the case is handled. The Taipei research, development and evaluation commission (研考會) explains that a petition should state the specific content, a real name and contact details, and if these are not provided the agency may decline to handle or reply to it. New Taipei's improvement plan provides that for a petition with no name or contact details, 1999 only records it and does not track it, and quick service does not accept cases without a name (except emergency medical care, public safety and similar matters). You may choose not to give your personal data to the handling staff.
I am in New Taipei and need Taipei's 1999. What do I do?
The Taipei City Government website shows "1999 (outside Taipei: 02-27208889)", so from anywhere outside Taipei, call 02-2720-8889 directly. In the other direction, to reach the New Taipei City Government from Taipei, call (02)2960-3456.
How long until I get a reply to a petition?
Taipei requires handling within 6 working days; complex cases must first receive a reply with the schedule, and the process may not exceed 30 days. New Taipei's quick-service items are handled within the time limits in the table above. For the reply period of regular petitions, this article did not obtain an official statement from New Taipei; you can call 1999 to check progress.
Can I call 1999 about noise?
Yes, you can report it. New Taipei lists noise, air pollution and water pollution as quick-service items, with staff on site within 4 hours as a rule. In Taipei you can also file a petition through 1999, and the responsible agency handles it.
Last updated: 2026-10-31
This article was compiled by SOSfix editors from public information and is for general reference only. For your own case, contact the Taipei City Government research, development and evaluation commission (研考會) or the New Taipei City Government research, development and evaluation commission (研考會).
Sources
- Taipei research, development and evaluation commission (研考會) FAQ: what kind of agency is 1999 and what does it cover? (in Chinese; data updated 2024-09-05, verified 2026-10-31): operated by a contracted vendor under commission supervision; the four types (information, transfer, complaints and petitions, dispatch) with examples.
- Taipei research, development and evaluation commission (研考會) FAQ: how quickly are petitions handled? (in Chinese; data updated 2023-06-01): guidelines point 14: 6 working days, at most 30 days.
- Taipei research, development and evaluation commission (研考會) FAQ: what happens to petitions without a real name and contact details? (in Chinese; data updated 2024-01-26): without a stated name and contact details the agency may decline to handle or reply; you may choose not to give personal data.
- Taipei research, development and evaluation commission (研考會) FAQ: what are the advantages of reporting city problems through the 台北通 app? (in Chinese; data updated 2023-07-03): petition and dispatch under "Services" then "Have something to say" in the 台北通 app.
- Taipei petition system 1999 (in Chinese; verified 2026-10-31): free 24 hours (except public phones, 放心講 and Type II telecom), main number 02-27208889, real-name petition notes, internet calls to 1999 through 台北通, disaster reporting channels announcement (2026-06-23), non-members can file cases.
- Taipei laws and regulations database website footer (in Chinese; verified 2026-10-31): "Phone 1999 (outside Taipei: 02-27208889)".
- New Taipei City Government: 1999 service content and process (in Chinese; verified 2026-10-31): 24 hours since July 1, 2009, languages and hours, direct dialing from landline and mobile phones within the city, extension or press 9, sign-language video (LINE, Teams), service types.
- New Taipei City Government: 1999 service improvement plan (in Chinese; amended by official letter on September 12, 2023): scope of service, quick service of 4 hours to 1 day and 1 to 14 days, annex of quick-service items and time limits, cases without a name not eligible, switch to the petition system after 3 consecutive no-violation findings.
- New Taipei laws and regulations database website footer (in Chinese; verified 2026-10-31): "Switchboard 1999 (New Taipei only) or (02)2960-3456".
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