Completion Certificate (CC)
The local authority's certificate that a building matches its sanctioned plan — the step before the Occupancy Certificate.
Definition
A Completion Certificate (CC) is issued by the local municipal or development authority once construction is finished, certifying that the building has been built in accordance with the approved building plan, layout and specifications, and complies with applicable norms such as setbacks, height limits and safety requirements.
The CC matters because it is the authority's confirmation that what was built matches what was sanctioned. It comes before the Occupancy Certificate in the approval sequence: sanctioned plan → construction → CC (construction verified against plan) → utilities and fire-safety sign-offs → OC (fit for occupation). Under RERA, promoters are required to complete the project and obtain the completion/occupancy certificate before handing over possession, and a project's completion status feeds into RERA compliance.
The developer applies to the sanctioning authority (municipal corporation, development authority or local planning body, depending on the state and location) with the approved plans and inspection reports; the authority inspects the construction and issues the CC if it conforms. Some authorities issue provisional or partial completion certificates for phased projects, with the final CC following full completion — buyers should look for the final CC.
Pitfalls: the CC is often confused with the OC, but they certify different things — the CC says 'built as approved'; the OC says 'safe and lawful to occupy'. A building can have a CC but no OC yet, in which case occupation is still not authorized. Deviations from the sanctioned plan are the classic reason a CC (and therefore an OC) is withheld, which is why buyers of under-construction property should track both certificates rather than relying on the builder's word.
Example
The builder obtained the Completion Certificate confirming the tower matched the sanctioned plan, and only after the fire and utility inspections did the corporation issue the Occupancy Certificate allowing families to move in.
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Sources
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