On this page
- What Is a Commencement Certificate?
- Why Does a Commencement Certificate Matter for Home Builders?
- Who Issues the Commencement Certificate in Bengaluru?
- What Documents Are Required for a Commencement Certificate?
- How Do You Apply for a Commencement Certificate, Step by Step?
- What Slows Down a Commencement Certificate Application?
- How Is It Different From Completion and Occupancy Certificates?
- What Should You Do After Getting the Commencement Certificate?
- A commencement certificate is the authority's permission to begin building on a sanctioned plan.
- It comes after plan approval and before the completion and occupancy certificates.
- Under the RERA Act, 2016, a builder cannot register a project without it.
- In Bengaluru, the Greater Bengaluru Authority's city corporations now handle building approvals.
- Building without it risks stop-work notices and demolition of unapproved parts.
A commencement certificate (CC) is a document from the local municipal or planning authority that allows you to start construction. It confirms that your building plan is sanctioned and the site is ready for work.
What Is a Commencement Certificate?
A commencement certificate is the official go-ahead to begin construction on an approved plan. The municipal authority issues it after checking that the plan, fees and clearances are in order.
The RERA Act, 2016 defines it in Section 2(m). It is the competent authority's permission for a promoter to begin development works.
In practice, the certificate often comes in stages. In Bengaluru, officials have issued the CC after inspecting construction at plinth level, the top of the foundation.
CC can mean two things. On building sites, "CC" may mean commencement or completion certificate. Always check the full name.
Not a company document. The "certificate of commencement of business" is a Companies Act, 2013 filing (Form INC-20A). It has nothing to do with construction.
Why Does a Commencement Certificate Matter for Home Builders?
A commencement certificate proves your construction started legally, on the plan the authority approved. That proof protects owners, builders and buyers.
- Legal start: work without it can attract stop-work orders or demolition of unapproved areas.
- RERA registration: Section 4(2)(c) requires an authenticated copy of the CC with every project application.
- Sales: under Section 3, an unregistered project cannot be advertised or booked.
- Later approvals: the completion and occupancy certificates check work against the same plan.
A commencement certificate is the first page of your building's paper trail. Every later certificate is checked against it.
HomeRun Team
Who Issues the Commencement Certificate in Bengaluru?
In Bengaluru, the city corporation that sanctions your building plan issues the commencement certificate. Since 2025, five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) have replaced the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
The five are Bengaluru Central, East, West, North and South. Applications run online through the Building Plan Approval System (BPAS) portal.
- Plinth marking: a 2026 Bengaluru South City Corporation licence fixes a date for officials to mark the plinth line on site.
- Labour NOC: the same licence requires a Labour Department NOC before construction starts.
- Small plots: the Nambike Nakshe scheme (September 2024) lets owners of plots up to 50×80 ft start on a provisional plan, with a later site inspection.
Commencement certificate rules in three settings
Check the current local rule before you rely on it| Setting | Who issues or needs it | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru (GBA area) HomeRun area | GBA city corporation, via BPAS | Plinth line marked and inspected; Labour Department NOC before work |
| Maharashtra | Planning authority under the MRTP Act, 1966 | Permission lapses after 1 year; extensions capped at 3 years in total |
| Any RERA project | Builder files it with the state RERA | One CC per phase; quarterly updates on approvals taken after it |
BBMP proposed dropping separate CCs in 2022, and GBA took over in 2025. Ask your corporation's town planning office what your building licence requires today.
What Documents Are Required for a Commencement Certificate?
The documents required for a commencement certificate prove ownership, plan approval and safety clearances. A typical set includes:
- Sanctioned building plan and building licence
- Title deed and khata (property record) in the owner's name
- Latest property tax receipt
- Structural design and stability certificate from a licensed engineer
- Appointment letter of the supervising architect or engineer
- Receipts for plan sanction fees and labour cess
- Labour Department NOC and worker registration
- Fire, airport height or pollution board NOCs, where the building needs them
- Relinquishment deed, if part of the plot goes to road widening
Lists differ by authority and building size. Download the current checklist from the portal before you apply.
How Do You Apply for a Commencement Certificate, Step by Step?
You apply for a commencement certificate to the authority that sanctioned your plan, usually online.
Get the plan sanctioned
Submit drawings through BPAS and pay the sanction fee.
Collect NOCs
Obtain the Labour Department NOC and any fire or height clearances.
Apply for the CC
Log in to the portal, upload documents and pay any charges.
Plinth line marking
Officials mark the plinth line on site; the owner or builder attends.
Plinth inspection
Officials check setbacks and footprint against the plan.
CC issued
Download the certificate and keep certified copies.
To check a commencement certificate online, log in to BPAS and open your application's status. Statuses include pending, returned for correction, rejected and approved.
What Slows Down a Commencement Certificate Application?
Most delays come from documents that do not match, or from site work that departs from the plan.
- Owner name differs between title deed, khata and application
- Missing NOCs or unpaid fees and labour cess
- Plinth or setbacks marked differently from the sanctioned plan
- Road widening area not handed over on time
How Is It Different From Completion and Occupancy Certificates?
A commencement certificate allows work to start, while completion and occupancy certificates come after work ends. All three are checked against the same sanctioned plan.
Commencement, completion and occupancy certificates
In order of issue| Certificate | Stage | What it confirms |
|---|---|---|
| Commencement certificate First step | Before or early in construction | You may build on the approved plan |
| Completion certificate | When work ends | The building matches the sanctioned plan |
| Occupancy certificate | After final inspection | The building is safe and legal to occupy |
Commencement certificate
Start of workNeeded before the superstructure goes up.
- Issued after plan sanction
- Often follows a plinth inspection
- Required for RERA registration
Completion certificate
End of workNeeded before the occupancy certificate.
- Issued after construction ends
- Follows a final site inspection
- Supports utility and loan paperwork
What Should You Do After Getting the Commencement Certificate?
After you get the commencement certificate, build strictly to the sanctioned plan and keep your papers ready for inspection.
- Keep the CC and building licence at the site office.
- Note the licence validity date and renew before it lapses.
- Get written approval before changing floors, setbacks or built-up area.
- Track the built-up area versus carpet area your plan allows.
- Budget each stage with our house construction cost guide for Bangalore.
Bengaluru licences warn of action under Section 243 of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024 for breaking sanction conditions. Deviations can also delay your occupancy certificate.
Got your commencement certificate?
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