Apply for a certificate of lawfulness

Certificates of lawfulness are a way of deciding whether a use or piece of building work is legal or not. Certificates can be given for completed developments or proposed developments.

Applications for certificates of lawfulness are not advertised and there is no requirement to notify neighbours. Any public comments on certificates of lawfulness will only be taken into account if they relate to the legality of the use or development under planning legislation.

Apply for a certificate of lawfulness 

To ensure you complete the forms correctly and pay the correct fee, please read our validation guidance and fees charter.

If you need to make a payment after you have applied, or if you need to make an additional payment use the form below.

Pay for your certificate after you have applied or make an additional payment

Please note, we no longer accept cheques or phone payments for certificates of lawfulness.