In what city is Law & Order: SVU set?

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is set in New York City. Its fictional detectives work for the NYPD's Special Victims Unit, portrayed as part of Manhattan's 16th Precinct and closely connected to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

The show's New York setting is central to its identity. Episodes move through all five boroughs and frequently use recognizable streets, parks, courthouses, hospitals, and neighborhoods. The series also draws on the city's size and diversity, allowing its stories to cover crimes involving tourists, wealthy residents, immigrants, children, public officials, and organized criminal networks.

Viewers sometimes confuse the show's setting with its filming locations. Many exterior scenes were filmed in New York City, but interior police-station and courtroom scenes were often shot in New Jersey, including studio space in North Bergen. That production detail does not change the story's setting: the squad and its cases are based in New York.