How to Book a Tennis Court — Step-by-Step Guide

Beginner Friendly About 10 minutes Works on phone & desktop

How to book a tennis court in 9 simple steps.

A friendly, step-by-step walkthrough — no technical know-how required. By the end of this guide, you'll have a tennis court reserved at The Octagon and a confirmation email in your inbox.

Start at the beginning I'm ready — take me to the form

Overview

Before you begin

Have these three things ready and the rest will go smoothly:

A working email address — we'll send a verification link and, later, your booking confirmation.
Your home or organization address — needed to complete your profile.
An idea of when you want to play — courts are open 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM, April 1 – November 30.

One-time setup

Set up your account

If you already have a RIOC account, log in and skip ahead to Phase 2.

Create your free RIOC account

Visit the sign-up page and enter your name, email, and a password (at least 8 characters). You'll use this account to track all your future bookings.

riocny.com/account/signup

Create Account

First Name

Jane

Last Name

Doe

Email Address

jane@example.com

Password

••••••••

Confirm Password

••••••••

Create Account

Open the sign-up page

Already have one? Log in instead.

Use an email address you check often. Every step of the booking process — verification, status changes, and confirmation — happens by email.

Verify your email address

Right after signing up, check your inbox for a message from RIOC. Click the link inside to confirm your email. You won't be able to book until this is done.

Inbox · 1 unreadJust now

RIOC

no-reply@riocny.com

Verify your email address

Welcome, Jane! Please confirm your email by clicking the button below…

Verify my email

Can't find it? Check your spam or junk folder. The email arrives within a minute or two. If you still don't see it, try signing up again with the same email.

Complete your group information

Log in, click My Account, and fill in your group name, address, and classification. This is a one-time setup — you won't be asked again.

riocny.com/account/profile

Group Information

Required for permit applications

Group / Organization Name

Doe Family

Address

1 Main St, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044

Classification

Class 3 — Adult Community Group

< 25 participants, no fees collected

Class 4 — Non-Profit 501c3

Tennis

Save Group Info

This affects how long you can book

Class 3 (Adult Community Group) and Class 4 (Non-Profit 501c3) members can book up to 3 hours per request.

Everyone else — including the Tennis classification — is limited to 1 hour per request. You can always make another booking later.

Open my profile

The fun part

Reserve your court

Pick a site, pick a court, and choose your time slots — all in under 2 minutes.

Open the permit request form

From the menu, go to Community → Permits → Request a Permit. You'll be guided through 4 quick screens.

CommunityPermitsRequest a Permit

Take me there

Choose The Octagon Tennis Courts

You'll see a list of available sites. Click The Octagon Tennis Courts to continue.

riocny.com/community/permits/request-permit

1SiteFacilityTime SlotDetails

Select a Site

The Octagon Tennis Courts

888 Main Street, Roosevelt Island

Capobianco Field

Main Street, Roosevelt Island

Firefighters Field

River Road, Roosevelt Island

Lighthouse Park

North end of the island

Pick a specific court

Choose the court you'd like to reserve. Each court is identical — pick whichever you like, or whichever has slots open at the time you want.

Select a Facility

At The Octagon Tennis Courts

Court 1

Court 2

Court 3

Pick your date and time slots

Click any future date on the calendar. Time slots for that day will appear on the right. Green slots are open, gray ones are taken. Click the slots you want and they'll turn dark green.

Pick a Time Slot

Court 1 at The Octagon Tennis Courts

‹May 2026›

SMTWTFS

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031

Wed, May 14

7:00 AM

8:00 AM

9:00 AM

10:00 AM

11:00 AM

12:00 PM

Continue with 1 slot

A quick note on time limits

A yellow banner at the top of the calendar will show how much time you're allowed per request. The system won't let you select more — so if "Continue" looks greyed out, try selecting fewer slots.

Class 3 & Class 4

3 hours

Per request

Everyone else

1 hour

Per request

The final stretch

Submit and play

Add a few details about your activity and you're done.

Fill in your activity details

Tell us a little about your booking: what kind of activity, how many people, and a phone number we can reach you at. Then click Submit.

Event Details

SiteThe Octagon Tennis Courts

FacilityCourt 1

Activity Name

Casual tennis match

Activity Description

Friendly singles game

Expected Participants

Phone Number

(212) 555-0142

I agree to the facility use terms and conditions.

Submit Permit Request

Don't sweat the wording — a short, clear description like "Casual doubles match" is perfectly fine.

Watch for your confirmation email

A green success message will appear right away. Within a few minutes, RIOC will email you a confirmation with your permit number. Bring a printed or on-screen copy to the court in case staff ask to see it.

Permit Request Submitted!

Your permit request has been submitted successfully. You will receive an email confirmation shortly.

You're all set!

That's the whole process. Once you've done it once, the next booking only takes a minute or two.

Request your permit now

Helpful to know

Pro tips from regular players

Book at off-peak hours

Mornings before 9 AM and weekday afternoons are far less crowded than evenings and weekends. Better odds, less waiting.

Season runs April – November

Courts close December through March. Plan ahead — your favorite slots open back up April 1.

Bring your confirmation

Show a printed copy or the email on your phone if PSD or RIOC staff ask. Photo ID may also be requested.

Need to cancel?

Email permits@rioc.ny.gov with your permit number. No penalty — just give other players a chance at the slot.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

I don't see The Octagon in the site list. What now?

Tennis courts are only listed in season (April 1 – November 30). If you're booking outside of those months, the site won't appear. Bookmark this page and come back in April.

Can I book the same court two days in a row?

Yes. There's no daily limit — only a per-request time cap (1 or 3 hours depending on your group class). Just submit another request for the next day.

What if I picked the wrong site or time?

No problem. Use the numbered step indicator at the top of the request page to jump back to any earlier step. Your selections for the later steps will reset, but nothing is locked in until you click Submit.

Do I need to pay anything?

Tennis court reservations at The Octagon are free for residents and non-residents. You'll only see a payment screen for special-event or commercial permits.

I forgot my password.

On the login page, click Forgot password. We'll email you a secure reset link.

Are lessons allowed on the courts?

Private and group lessons are prohibited unless sponsored by NYJTL, the RI Tennis Association, or the RI Racquet Club. Violators lose court privileges.

How far in advance can I book?

Reservations can be made two days in advance. Same-day reservations are accepted on weekdays only, no later than 3:00 PM.

Still need a hand?

We're happy to help. Email permits@rioc.ny.gov or call PSD at 212-832-4545.

Welcome to Our Community

Permits

Tennis Information

How to book a tennis court in 9 simple steps.

Here's the journey, at a glance

Before you begin

Set up your account

Create your free RIOC account

Verify your email address

Complete your group information

Reserve your court

Open the permit request form

Choose The Octagon Tennis Courts

Pick a specific court

Pick your date and time slots

Submit and play

Fill in your activity details

Watch for your confirmation email

You're all set!

Pro tips from regular players

Book at off-peak hours

Season runs April – November

Bring your confirmation

Need to cancel?

Frequently asked questions

Still need a hand?