AP layout approval and LRS check before buying a plot in Vizag, Vijayawada or Guntur
Short answer: Andhra Pradesh reopened its Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS-2020) in 2025. G.O.Ms.No.134 (26-07-2025) moved the cut-off to plots with a registered sale deed before 30-06-2025, and the latest order on the DT&CP LRS page when we checked on 14 Oct 2026, G.O.Rt.No.49 (23-01-2026), extended applications up to 23-04-2026. So if a seller in Vizag, Vijayawada, Guntur or Tirupati offers you a plot in an unapproved layout, ask two things first: did they file an LRS application, and has it been approved? Whether the window was extended again after 23-04-2026 is (to verify).
Why this matters: the scale the government itself reported
G.O.Ms.No.134 records the Director of Town & Country Planning's report that nearly 14,535 unauthorised layouts covering Ac 78,452 had been identified in the UCIMS app by the ULBs and UDAs, and that many owners "couldn't file their applications" and "are now facing problems in obtaining building permission". The DT&CP home page lists a service called "Unauthorized Layouts Identified & Enter in the Prohibited Register" (we couldn't open a public list from it; its "Unauthorised Layout Details" PDF link returned 404 for us, to verify).
What LRS-2020 covers, from the amended rules
- Where: all urban areas except the "Capital City area" of AP CRDA (G.O.Ms.No.134, para 1, on the 2020 rules).
- Which plots: plots in an unauthorised layout with a registered sale deed or title deed as a plot before 30-06-2025, with clear sub-division and clear demarcation of plots and roads. At least one plot in the layout must have been sold before that date (amended Rules 2 and 4).
- Compulsory: the amended Rule 5(1) says it "shall be compulsory" for any plot owner in an unapproved layout to apply within 90 days. Later orders extended the window: G.O.Rt.No.1173 to 23-01-2026, then G.O.Rt.No.49 to 23-04-2026, which also allows individual applications "with a minimum application fee of Rs.10,000/-".
- Decision time: approval or rejection is to be communicated within 6 months of the last date for applications (amended Rule 8).
- Documents: a self-attested copy of the registered sale deed or title deed executed before 30-06-2025 (amended Rule 5(4)(d)).
How the charges are worked out (G.O.Ms.No.134, Rule 9)
Basic penalisation charges are Rs 200 per sq m for plots up to 100 sq m, Rs 400 above 100 and up to 300, Rs 600 above 300 and up to 500, and Rs 750 above 500. You pay a percentage of that basic charge based on the Sub-Registrar land value as on 30-06-2025: 20% below Rs 3,000 per sq yard, rising in steps to 100% above Rs 50,000. If the layout doesn't have 10% open space, open space charges of 14% of the plot value are added. The official LRS charges calculator asks for layout type, plot area, abutting road width, any area lost to 9 m road widening or a Master Plan road, the land value as on 30-06-2025, whether change of land use charges apply, the local body type and the district. Use it with the seller's figures; we don't calculate it for you.
Plot check for Vizag, Vijayawada, Guntur and Tirupati buyers
- Ask for the layout permission (LP) number and the authority that gave it. Around Visakhapatnam that is usually VMRDA and around Vijayawada and Guntur APCRDA; both are on the GO's distribution list (to verify which authority covers your village). DT&CP lists its online permissions system as APDPMS.
- No layout permission? Ask for the LRS application number and the status, and check it on the DT&CP LRS site's "Know Your Application Status" (to verify the exact search fields).
- Pending is not approved. Ask who pays the remaining charges before you sign, and put it in the sale agreement (talk to your lawyer).
- Walk the site: roads and plot lines must be clearly marked on the ground. The amended Rule 2(2) makes "clear demarcation of plots and roads" a condition.
- Check road widening: the calculator asks about area lost to a 9 m road widening or a Master Plan road. Ask the local body whether your plot is affected (to verify).
What the answer means for you
- Green: a layout permission from VMRDA, APCRDA, DT&CP or the local body, and the plot number appears on the approved plan. Move on to land and title checks.
- Amber: unapproved, but an LRS application was filed in time with a sale deed before 30-06-2025. Ask for the status, the charges and who pays them.
- Red: no permission and no LRS application, a plot sold only after 30-06-2025 in an unapproved layout, or a plot in the CRDA Capital City area being sold under LRS. Stop and talk to your lawyer.
Then run the land and title checks
- Meebhoomi land record check. NRIs and OCIs can't buy agricultural land, plantation property or a farm house (RBI Master Direction, para 3.1.1).
- Prohibited property search on IGRS AP.
- Encumbrance certificate (EC) on IGRS AP, then stamp duty and registration charges for the sale deed. Then a lawyer's title opinion.
We don't check layouts or plots for anyone. This page shows what the official AP DT&CP pages and Government Orders say, as we read them on 14 Oct 2026.
A free sample from our Andhra Pradesh property do-it-yourself pack for NRIs: which portal to open, in what order, and what to ask the seller.
Get it free (instant download)FAQ
What is the LRS cut-off date in Andhra Pradesh now?
G.O.Ms.No.134 (26-07-2025) amended LRS-2020 so it covers plots with a registered sale deed or title deed before 30-06-2025. The latest order we found on the DT&CP LRS page on 14 Oct 2026, G.O.Rt.No.49 (23-01-2026), extended applications up to 23-04-2026. Whether it was extended again is (to verify).
Is LRS compulsory in AP?
The amended Rule 5(1) in G.O.Ms.No.134 says it shall be compulsory for any plot owner in an unapproved layout to file a regularisation application within 90 days of the amendment. The window was later extended by G.O.Rt.No.1173 and G.O.Rt.No.49.
How much is the LRS application fee in AP?
G.O.Rt.No.49 (23-01-2026) allows individual applications with a minimum application fee of Rs.10,000. The penalisation and open space charges come on top and depend on plot area and the Sub-Registrar land value as on 30-06-2025; the DT&CP LRS calculator works them out.
Does AP LRS cover Amaravati?
G.O.Ms.No.134 says the 2020 rules apply to all urban areas except the Capital City area of AP CRDA. For land near Vijayawada or Guntur, ask APCRDA or your lawyer whether your village is inside it (to verify).
Is an LRS-approved plot safe to buy?
Regularisation deals with the layout, not the title. You still need the Meebhoomi record, the prohibited property search, an EC and a lawyer's title opinion. Not legal advice.
Official sources
- AP DT&CP: G.O.Ms.No.134, 26-07-2025, LRS-2020 amendments (PDF)
- AP DT&CP: G.O.Rt.No.49, 23-01-2026, LRS extension (PDF)
- AP DT&CP: G.O.Rt.No.1173, 27-10-2025, LRS extension (PDF)
- AP DT&CP: LRS page
- AP DT&CP: LRS charges calculator
- AP DT&CP home
- APDPMS (online permissions)
- AP CRDA
- Meebhoomi
- IGRS AP: prohibited property search
- RBI Master Direction on acquisition of immovable property (id 10196)
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.