How to check building permission and occupancy certificate (OC) in Hyderabad before buying (BuildNow / TG-bPASS)

Checked against official sources on 14 Oct 2026 · Not legal advice · Government websites change, so re-check before you rely on a step.

Short answer: Before you buy a flat or house in Hyderabad, ask for two documents: the building permission (sanctioned plan and proceedings with an application number) and, once the building is finished, the occupancy certificate (OC). Building and layout applications under GHMC, HMDA and DTCP limits are now processed through BuildNow, Telangana's new approval portal; the older TG-bPASS portal handled earlier files. BuildNow's own FAQ says that by quoting the building application number, the approved building permission copy can be downloaded in the portal.

BuildNow or TG-bPASS: which one has your building?

The GHMC website says GHMC applications in TG-bPASS were accepted only until 2 April 2025 and stopped from 3 April 2025; new GHMC applications go to BuildNow.
The BuildNow home page says building and layout approval applications under GHMC, HMDA and DTCP limits are now processed through BuildNow, and that pending TG-bPASS applications had to be submitted by 15 December 2025, after which the TG-bPASS portal would be permanently closed. The TG-bPASS site still loaded when we checked on 14 Oct 2026, so whether old TG-bPASS approvals can still be downloaded there is (to verify).
Rule of thumb: a permission issued before April 2025 in GHMC is likely a TG-bPASS (or older) file; a newer one should be in BuildNow. Ask the seller which system issued it (to verify for your file).

How to check the building permission (what the official pages show)

Ask the seller or builder for the building application number, the permission proceedings and the sanctioned plan. Without a number you can't check anything.
BuildNow's header has Citizen Search and Application Search links. Those pages load only in a browser (our plain fetch got no page), so the exact search fields are (to verify).
Compare the downloaded plan with the building: number of floors, setbacks, and the parking area. BuildNow's FAQ says digitally approved building plans are eligible for loans from financial institutions.
Validity: BuildNow's Timelines page lists building permit validity as 3 years for a non-high-rise building and 5 years for a high-rise building. A permission that expired before construction finished is a question for the seller.
Small plots: the FAQ says plots up to 75 sq yards with ground or ground + 1 floor need no permission, only an online registration (Rs 1 fee, paid with the first property tax receipt). Ask for that registration instead.

Occupancy certificate (OC): when it is needed

BuildNow's Timelines page lists the OC rules by plot size and height:

Not required: residential buildings on plots up to 200 sq m and height up to 7 m (the FAQ says the same for a G+1 house on 200 sq m).
Instant: residential buildings on plots above 200 sq m up to 500 sq m, and height above 7 m up to 10 m.
21 days: residential buildings on plots above 500 sq m (height up to 10 m) and all non-residential buildings.

The Checklist page publishes a "Checklist for Occupancy Certificate" and a "Site Visit Check List for issuance of Occupancy certificate". Apartment complexes and high-rise buildings are outside the instant route; ask the builder for the OC proceedings and check the project on TG-RERA (to verify for your project).

What the old TG-bPASS FAQ says about deviations

A plot in an unapproved layout can get building permission only if its sale deed was registered on or before 28-10-2015 (old municipalities) or 30-03-2018 (newly constituted municipalities), as per G.O.Ms.No.251, 261 and 265 MA of 2019 (TG-bPASS FAQ).
Plots in the bed (FTL) of a river, vagu, lake, pond, kunta or nala can't be considered for building permission; plots next to one need irrigation and revenue NOCs.
Parking area put to other use: penalty of up to 25% of the land or building value, besides demolition.
After a demolition, the FAQ says the registration department is informed to include the property in the prohibitory register, and electricity and water departments are told not to give connections.

What it means for you

Green: you have the application number, the downloaded permission matches the floors and setbacks you see, and (where needed) the OC is issued.
Amber: the permission is on TG-bPASS and you can't download it, the OC is "applied for", or extra floors are under regularisation. Ask a lawyer or engineer before paying.
Red: no application number, more floors than the sanctioned plan, parking turned into shops or flats, or a plot in a lake or nala bed. Don't pay a token.

Then finish the other checks

Layout approval and LRS check for the land under the building.
Encumbrance certificate (EC), copy of the registered deed (CC) and prohibited property check.
Buying from abroad? NRIs and OCIs can't buy agricultural land, plantation property or a farm house (RBI Master Direction, para 3.1.1).

We don't check properties for anyone. This page shows what BuildNow, TG-bPASS and GHMC's own pages say, as we read them on 14 Oct 2026. Property in Andhra Pradesh? See our AP building permission and BPS 2025 guide.

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FAQ

How do I check if a building in Hyderabad has building permission?

Ask the seller or builder for the building application number. BuildNow's FAQ says that by quoting the building application number, the approved building permission copy can be downloaded in the portal. Older files may be on TG-bPASS (to verify).

Is TG-bPASS still working for GHMC?

No for new GHMC applications. The GHMC website says GHMC applications in TG-bPASS were accepted only until 2 April 2025. BuildNow says pending TG-bPASS applications had to be submitted by 15 December 2025, after which TG-bPASS would close.

Is an occupancy certificate needed for a house on a 200 sq m plot?

BuildNow's Timelines page says an OC is not required for residential buildings on plots up to 200 sq m with height up to 7 m. Above that, OC is instant up to 500 sq m and 10 m, and 21 days for larger and non-residential buildings.

How long is a building permission valid in Telangana?

BuildNow's Timelines page lists 3 years for a non-high-rise building and 5 years for a high-rise building.

Can I buy a flat where parking was converted to shops?

The TG-bPASS FAQ lists a penalty of up to 25% of the land or building value besides demolition for parking area used for other purposes. Treat it as a red flag. Not legal advice.

Official sources

Not legal advice. We don't check properties or certify ads. A lawyer must confirm title, and the Authority's own notices override anything on this page.