Planning permissions
Verified 13 February 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
You want to set up a subdivision, a campsite, a parking area, a sports or leisure field, a travel reception area (AGVA: titleContent) or earth-moving works. Before starting your works, you must obtain a planning permit (PA). It is issued by the town hall. We guide you through the steps of your permit application.
Step-by-step approach
You must first inquire with your town hall to find out if your project is in a protected area, because the rules are different.
General scenario
Developments and works subject to development permits are as follows:
Operations | Conditions |
|---|---|
Subdivision | With creation or development of tracks, spaces or equipment specific to the subdivision, common to several lots at the expense of the subdivider. For non-contiguous plots:
If the area of land to be developed exceeds 2 500 m2, you must call on a architect or to a landscape designer. |
Renaturation or reassignment to ecological or landscape functions | Parcels contributing to overall coherence, with or without development works |
Clutch | Carried out by a free urban land association (Aful: titleContent) where it provides for the construction of common roads or spaces |
Campground |
|
Residential leisure park |
|
Holiday village classified as light accommodation | Creation or enlargement |
Land intended for the practice of sports or motorized leisure | Arrangement |
Amusement park and playground and sports area | Development of a park or an area of more than 2 hectares |
Golf course | Development of a plot of more than 25 hectares |
Parking area open to the public, vehicle depot and collective garages of caravans or mobile homes for leisure | Development resulting in a total capacity of at least 50 units |
Reception area and family grounds for Travelers | Development of built or unbuilt land to allow the installation of more than 2 mobile residences constituting the permanent habitat of their user |
Land intended for the installation of demountable residences constituting the permanent habitat of their user | Development of built or unbuilt land to allow the installation of at least 2 demountable residences creating a total floor area greater than 40 m² |
Scour the ground | Scour of a depth greater than 2 meters and covering an area greater than or equal to 2 hectares when it is not linked to a building permit |
Exhaust of the soil | Exhaust of a height exceeding 2 meters and covering an area of 2 hectares or more |
Protected area
Developments and works subject to development permits are as follows:
Operations | Conditions |
|---|---|
Subdivision | Subdivision located within the perimeter of a remarkable heritage site, on the edge of a historic monument, in a listed site or pending classification. For non-contiguous plots:
If the area of land to be developed exceeds 2 500 m2, you need to hire an architect or a landscape designer. |
Renaturation or reassignment to ecological or landscape functions | Parcels contributing to overall coherence, with or without development works |
Clutch | Carried out by a free urban land association (Aful: titleContent) where it provides for the construction of common roads or spaces |
Campground |
|
Residential leisure park |
|
Holiday village classified as light accommodation | Creation or enlargement |
Land intended for the practice of sports or motorized leisure | Arrangement |
Amusement park and playground and sports area | All projects located within the perimeter of a remarkable heritage site, in the vicinity of a historic monument, in a classified or pending site or in a nature reserve |
Golf course | All projects located within the perimeter of a remarkable heritage site, in the vicinity of a historic monument, in a classified or pending site or in a nature reserve |
Parking area open to the public, vehicle depot and collective garages of caravans or mobile homes for leisure | Any project located within the perimeter of a remarkable heritage site, in the vicinity of a historic monument, in a classified or pending site or in a nature reserve |
Reception area and family grounds for Travelers | Development of built or unbuilt land to allow the installation of more than 2 mobile residences constituting the permanent habitat of their user |
Land intended for the installation of demountable residences constituting the permanent habitat of their user | Development of built or unbuilt land to allow the installation of at least 2 demountable residences creating a total floor area of more than 40 m² |
Scour the ground | Scour with a depth of more than 2 meters and covering an area of more than or equal to 100 m² when it is not linked to a building permit |
Exhaust of the soil | Exhaust with a height of more than 2 meters and an area of 100 m² or more |
Public space | Creation within the perimeter of a remarkable heritage site, in the vicinity of a historic monument, in a classified site or pending classification or in a nature reserve |
Track | Creation or modification of an existing lane within the perimeter of remarkable heritage sites and in the vicinity of historic monuments |
Light fittings, necessary for the management, economic development or opening to the public of remarkable spaces (road, parking, wildlife observation post...)) | In a remarkable space or midshore identified in an urban planning document as being to be preserved |
The application for authorization is addressed to the town hall by natural persons and moral following:
- Owner(s) of the land or its agent
- Acquirer of the property
- Company authorized by the owner(s) to make the works
- Person in undivided or its authorized representative
- Trustee and co-owner
- Beneficiary of a expropriation (public service, public establishment, chamber of commerce...).)
The way to prepare your planning permit file differs depending on whether you are in Paris or in another municipality:
General scenario
You must complete your planning permit file by dematerialized means according to the arrangements made by your municipality or on a paper form. Find out more on the town hall website or on site.
On the internet
You can fill out your planning permit application on the Internet:
In Paris
You must complete and send your file to the Office of Reception and Service to the user (Basu: titleContent) only by dematerialized means:
Reception and user service office (Basu) in Paris: electronic one-stop shop
Depending on whether you are in Paris or another municipality, you must submit your application:
- By dematerialized method according to the arrangements made by your municipality (find out more on the website of the town hall or on site)
- By letter RAR: titleContent
- By hand.
Warning
In a municipality of more than 3,500 inhabitants, a legal person must submit its application forurban planning authorization only by electronic means.
General scenario
By internet
You can send your application via the internet:
Assistance with your urban planning permission application
The town hall issues you a receipt. When you submit your application electronically, the receipt is the electronic acknowledgement of receipt.
It contains the registration number of your file and the information telling you the date from which the works will be able to start.
Deposit in town hall or by mail
Your permit application can be submitted or sent by mail RAR: titleContent at the town hall.
You must deposit 4 complete files in town hall.
In some cases, additional copies you are asked:
- Project located within the perimeter of a remarkable heritage site, to surroundings of historical monuments, in a classified site, registered site or in a nature reserve: 1 additional copy
- Project located in the heart of a national park: 2 additional copies
- Project subject to commercial exploitation authorization: 2 additional copies (including 1 on dematerialized medium).
You must attach 5 copies of the situation plan and the overall composition plan.
In the case of a construction, you must also provide 5 copies of the ground plane, the plan of the facades and roofs and the cross-sectional plane.
If the operation is located in 2 municipalities, the file is preferably submitted in the municipality where the project is mainly located.
In Paris
You must complete and send your file to the Office of Reception and Service to the user (Basu: titleContent) only by dematerialized means:
Reception and user service office (Basu) in Paris: electronic one-stop shop
The town hall issues you a receipt following the submission of your file.
The receipt includes the registration number and information to let you know the date from which works can start.
This date is different depending on whether your file is complete or not:
Complete file
The response time is usually 3 months from the date of submission of the application.
The town hall must notify you within one month of the date of filing of your permit file if the processing time is longer. This is the case for:
- Project located within the perimeter of a remarkable heritage site or to surroundings of historical monuments : 4 months
- Project submitted for the opinion of the departmental commission for the preservation of natural, agricultural and forestry areas: 4 months
- Project subject to commercial exploitation authorization: 5 months
- Project located in an area intended to be classified in the heart of a future national park or in the heart of a demarcated national park: 5 months.
Incomplete file
The town hall has 1 month to inform you that your file is incomplete. You must complete it within 3 months. If you do not provide the missing documents, your request will be considered rejected.
The investigation delay starts when your file is complete.
The response time is usually 3 months from the date of submission of the application.
The town hall must notify you within one month of the date of filing of your permit file if the processing time is longer. This is the case for:
- Project located within the perimeter of a remarkable heritage site or to surroundings of historical monuments : 4 months
- Project submitted for the opinion of the departmental commission for the preservation of natural, agricultural and forestry areas: 4 months
- Project subject to commercial exploitation authorization: 5 months
- Project located in an area intended to be classified in the heart of a future national park or in the heart of a demarcated national park: 5 months.
The decision is sent to you by letter RAR: titleContent or by LRE: titleContent or an equivalent electronic process.
You may receive a decision authorizing, refusing, staying or not receiving a response:
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Authorization
The decision of the town hall takes the form of a arrested. It may be accompanied by requirements for which the administration must give the reasons.
Warning
The City Council may withdraw a permit if it considers that it has been illegally issued within 3 months of the date of authorization of the planning permit.
Refusal
The refusal of planning permission takes the form of a arrested which specifies all the grounds for refusal of the administration. It must also indicate the ways and time limits for appeal.
Stay of proceedings
In certain circumstances, the mayor can postpone his decision on your permit for up to 2 years. This is the case, for example, when your request for works may compromise or make more expensive the execution of a future local urban planning plan (MORE: titleContent) or a development operation.
The mayor takes a arrested stay of proceedings which indicates its duration.
Your request is neither accepted nor refused. It will be considered later.
The stay of proceedings may concern any application for authorization concerning works, structures or installations in the following cases:
- Land that is part of the perimeter of a concerted development area (Zac: titleContent)
- Initiation of the investigation prior to the declaration of public utility (DUP: titleContent) of an operation
- Proposed constructions that may compromise or make more expensive the execution of public works or the carrying out of a development operation
- Planned constructions likely to compromise or make more expensive the execution of the future MORE: titleContent
- Project located in a space intended to be in the heart of a national park.
The reasons for the decision and the means and time limits for appeal are specified in the order.
Within 2 months of the expiry of the period of validity of the stay of proceedings, you must confirm your license application.
Within 2 months of your request, you will receive the mayor's decision. If you do not receive the mayor's decision within this period, your permit is considered granted.
FYI
The owners of the land to which a stay of proceedings has been applied may give notice to the community (or the public service which took the initiative) to purchase their land. The community has 1 year to decide.
Lack of response
In principle, if you do not receive a response from the town hall at the end of the investigation period, the permit is tacit granted. On simple written request from you, the town hall can issue you a permit certificate.
Warning
Within 3 months of the date of the permit decision, the City Council may withdraw the permit if it considers that it has been issued illegally.
Warning
In certain specific cases, the absence of a written decision from the town hall, or the Basu: titleContent for Paris, causes the refusal of your request. For example, if your project to edit is in a classified site, in the heart of a national park, if your project is refused by the government or concerns a building listed as a historic monument.
The lack of an answer is also valid rejection unspoken permits in the following cases:
- Draft submitted for opinion to departmental commission for commercial development
- Project to extend or reopen a cinema whose application was refused by the competent departmental commission
- Works subject to authorization by the Minister of Defense.
However,
When the mayor refuses your application for urban planning authorization or takes a arrested from stay of proceedings, you can challenge his decision in 2 ways:
- Appeals to the mayor (and/or the prefect in a municipality without MORE: titleContent, nor municipal card)
- Appeals to the administrative judge.
These 2 appeals can be made independently one from the other or simultaneously.
Warning
If you are in a remarkable heritage site or to approaches to a historic monument and if the refusal of authorization is motivated by an unfavorable opinion of theABF: titleContent, you have to make a mandatory prior administrative appeal (Rapo). It must be made to the regional prefect before your appeal before the administrative judge.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Appeals to the mayor and/or the prefect
You have 1 month to make a ex gratia before the mayor from the date of notification refusal (date of deposit or postmark). If your municipality is without MORE no municipal card, within the same period, you can also submit a hierarchical redress before the prefect, in addition to the appeal to the mayor.
To make your request, you write your appeal on free paper. You hand-drop it off or send it to the town hall and/or the prefecture by post RAR: titleContent.
In the absence of a response from the mayor and/or the prefect in the 2 months which follow the date on which your appeal was sent or lodged, your request is rejected.
Appeals to the administrative judge
You have 2 months to make a litigation before the administrative judge from the date of notification the refusal of the mayor or the date of implied rejection (date of deposit or postmark as proof). This period remains 2 months, even if you have previously appealed to the mayor and/or the prefect.
To make your application, you must refer the case to the administrative judge by letter in which you justify your appeal. You don't have to hire a lawyer.
You must apply to the administrative court on which the municipality where your project is located depends.
You can do your recourse with the help of an online service:
Citizens' telemedicine (appeal to the administrative judge)
You can also drop it off by hand or send it to RAR: titleContent.
The planning permit has a period of validity initial which can be extended on request.
Period of validity of the planning permit
The planning permit has a validity period of 3 years.
This period shall start from notification of the decision of the town hall. It is addressed to you by post RAR: titleContent (or electronically if you have accepted this method in the permit application form).
Depending on the method of transmission of the notification, the period of validity of your authorization begins on the following date:
- 1re presentation of registered mail
- The day after the date of electronic notification.
Without a written response from the City Council, the period of validity is calculated from the date of initial submission of the application.
Example :
A building permit order is sent by post RAR: titleContent . It shall be presented or received by hand on 22 July 2024. The permit is valid until July 22, 2027.
A building permit order is sent electronically on July 22, 2024. It is valid until July 23, 2027.
Your permission no longer valid if you do not start the works within 3 years or if after this period you interrupt them for more than 1 consecutive year.
Please note
The period of validity of authorizations issued between 1er January 2021 and May 27, 2022 is 4 years.
The period of validity of authorizations issued between 28 May 2022 and 28 May 2024 shall be 5 years. In this case, the authorization cannot be extended.
Apply for an extension of the development permit
The period of validity may be extended 2 times for a period of 1 year if the rules of urban planning and administrative easements have not changed.
You have to make it there request at least 2 months before the expiry of the initial period of validity of your urban planning authorization (or before the end of the period of validity of your 1re request for extension).
Example :
An authorization valid from June 5, 2025 to June 5, 2028 can be extended for 1 year if you apply before April 5, 2028.
It can be extended a 2e once if you request it 2 months before the end of the 1re extension granted.
The request must be sent on free paper, in 2 copies, by letter RAR: titleContent or dropped off at city hall.
Upon receipt of your request, the town hall has 2 months to answer you.
The extension is granted if you do not receive a response within this period.
Only the valid urban planning permissions may be extended.
If the urban planning rules and administrative easements have changed, you cannot apply for an extension of your authorization. You must file a new application for urban planning that complies with the new rules.
Warning
Authorizations issued between 28 May 2022 and 28 May 2024 have a validity period of 5 years. In this case, they cannot be extended at the end of 5 years.
Purpose and duration of the display
THEdisplay of planning permit on the east field mandatory. In case of obtaining a permit unspoken, it's the license certificate which must be displayed. You must ask the town hall in advance.
You must make this display as soon as notification of the order or as soon as the processing time of your file is completed (in case of license unspoken).
It must remain in place throughout the duration of the project.
An extract of the permit is posted in the town hall within 8 days after the issuance of the authorization and for 2 months.
Display form and content
You must use a rectangular panel with dimensions greater than 80 cm. It must be visible from the outside. The information on your billboard must be legible from the public highway or open spaces.
The display displays the following information:
- Name, company name or company name of the beneficiary
- Date and license number
- Nature of the project, land area
- Address of the town hall where the file can be consulted
- Name of thearchitect author of the architectural project.
Depending on the nature of the project, it shall also indicate the following:
- Floor area authorized and the height of the construction(s), expressed in meters in relation to the natural ground, if the project provides for construction
- Maximum number of lots planned if the project involves a subdivision
- Total number of pitches and, if applicable, the number of pitches reserved for light recreational housing if the project involves a campground or residential recreational park
- Surface of the building(s) to be demolished if the project involves demolition.
The display must also mention the possibility for third party to exercise a appeal. They must notify the licensee within 15 days of their appeal. For 1 month from 1er field display day, these third parties may in fact carry out a ex gratia with the mayor who issued the authorization.
In the absence of posting, they will be able to challenge the authorization for 6 months from the completion of the works.
The declaration of the opening of the construction site is mandatory. Depending on whether you are in Paris or in another municipality, the approach is different.
General scenario
Before you start your works, you must declare the opening of the construction site on a form in 3 copies to be deposited or sent to the town hall, preferably by letter RAR: titleContent :
In Paris
Before you start your works, you must declare the opening of the construction site at Basu only by dematerialized means:
Reception and user service office (Basu) in Paris: electronic one-stop shop
You can start your works as soon as you receive thearrested of PA. In the absence of a response, you can start your works as soon as the inquiry period has expired.
The period of validity may be extended 2 times for a period of 1 year if the rules of urban planning and administrative easements have not changed.
You have to make it there request at least 2 months before the expiry of the initial period of validity of your urban planning authorization (or before the end of the period of validity of your 1re request for extension).
Example :
An authorization valid from June 5, 2025 to June 5, 2028 can be extended for 1 year if you apply before April 5, 2028.
It can be extended a 2e once if you request it 2 months before the end of the 1re extension granted.
The request must be sent on free paper, in 2 copies, by letter RAR: titleContent or dropped off at city hall.
Upon receipt of your request, the town hall has 2 months to answer you.
The extension is granted if you do not receive a response within this period.
Only the valid urban planning permissions may be extended.
If the urban planning rules and administrative easements have changed, you cannot apply for an extension of your authorization. You must file a new application for urban planning that complies with the new rules.
Warning
Authorizations issued between 28 May 2022 and 28 May 2024 shall be valid for 5 years. In this case, they cannot be extended at the end of 5 years.
When you have finished your works, you must send to the town hall a Declaration of Completion and Compliance of works (DAACT).
The method of transmission of your DAACT differs depending on whether you are in a province or in Paris:
General scenario
You must submit your DAACT file to the town hall:
- By dematerialized method according to the arrangements made by your municipality (find out more on the website of the town hall or on site)
- By letter RAR: titleContent
- By hand.
On the internet
You can complete your DAACT application on the Internet:
Form
You can complete your DAACT application using a form:
In Paris
You must submit your DAACT file to Basu: titleContent only by dematerialized means.
Reception and user service office (Basu) in Paris: electronic one-stop shop
You have various contributions to pay: a tax, a royalty and participations.
Tax, royalty and participations payable
The order informs you of the amount of any contributions you may have to pay. They can be:
- Development tax
- Preventive Archeology Fee
- EAP: titleContent
- Participation in the construction of public parking lots or PNRAS: titleContent
- Pepe: titleContent
- PVR: titleContent
- Participation of local residents (in the departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle).
Entries may also take the form of:
- Execution of works: the decree specifies the general characteristics of the works and the estimate of their cost
- Contributions of built or unbuilt land: the by-law indicates the area to be transferred and the value of the land.
You can simulate the amount of your development tax and the preventive archeology tax:
Estimate the amount of urban planning fees (development fee and preventive archeology fee)
Please note
The connection to the sewer of new or existing constructions generates the payment of the participation for the financing of the collective sanitation (Pfac: titleContent or Pac).
Know the amounts and pay
You must contact your property tax center for the development tax and the preventive archeology fee :
You must contact the urban planning department of your town hall for the participations :
Who shall I contact
Assistance with your urban planning permission application
Reception and user service office (Basu) in Paris: electronic one-stop shop
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
For information on urban planning regulation and administrative procedures
For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Please note: the service does not have access to users' personal files and cannot therefore provide information on their progress.
- Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15
- Service free
The informants who answer you belong to the ministry in charge of housing and urban planning.
For information on the local urban planning plan, your planning permit file or participations
Town hallFor information on the local urban planning plan or your planning permit file in Paris
Paris: Reception and user service office (Basu)For information on the development tax or the preventive archeology fee
Departmental Center for Property Taxes (CDIF)
Decisions of the City Hall
Posting of the planning permit
Use of an architect or landscape designer for subdivisions
Definition of a subdivision
Tax, royalty and participations
Time limit for appeal to the mayor and/or the prefect
Time limit for appeal to the administrative court
Works requiring planning permission
Application for authorization of urban planning: holders of the right of deposit and number of copies
Deadline for the examination of a planning permit
Implied decisions of rejection
RAPO in a remarkable heritage site or on the edge of a historic monument
Declaration of the opening of the construction site
Period of validity of the urban planning authorization
Deadline for ordinary law investigations
Expanded processing time
Use of an architect or landscape designer for subdivisions
Declaration of Completion and Compliance of works (DAACT)
FAQ
Service Public
Service Public
Service Public
National Commission for Commercial Development (CNAC)
