ABPAS 3.0: How to Apply for Building Permission Online in Madhya Pradesh

ABPAS 3.0 is the Automated Building Plan Approval System that Madhya Pradesh's Urban Administration and Development Department runs for building permission in its cities and towns. It now lives at abpas.mpurban.gov.in. A registered architect or licensed engineer files the case online, software checks the drawing against the rules, and the permission comes back digitally signed. For a house, three things decide how fast that happens: the plot size, whether the layout is approved, and how clean the drawing is.

This guide covers the portal itself. For the land side (diversion, the Development Plan), read our Indore building permission guide. A Bhopal guide is coming soon.

What ABPAS 3.0 is, and who must use it

The Madhya Pradesh Bhumi Vikas Rules, 2012 (BVN) say that where the authority has adopted an online system, the application, plans, documents and fees can only be submitted through that software, and the licence and plan are certified by digital signature (rule 14(1), in the TNCP consolidation of the rules up to 6 March 2025). In Madhya Pradesh's urban local bodies, that system is ABPAS 3.0. The department's own website sends its building permission link there, and the portal's fee schedule describes itself as applicable in all ULBs of the state.

Besides building plan approval, the portal handles completion cum occupancy, colony development permission, approvals in MPIDC and MSME areas, and nine case types from new construction (Erect) to alteration, demolition, boundary walls, revalidation and compounding.

Two things sit outside it. Development permission for land in a planning area (subdivision, change of use, larger projects) comes from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning under rule 2(5)(a). And if your plot is under a gram panchayat rather than a municipal body, ask the panchayat which route applies before you assume ABPAS. Note too that on 28 August 2026, according to TeamLease RegTech, rule 2(5)(c) was amended so a local body can permit construction on plots of up to 500 sq m that conform to the approved Development Plan without a separate development permission. I could not open that gazette text.

Old links no longer work. A notice on the portal says the earlier domain, abpas3.in, was shut down from 1 April 2026 and moved to abpas.mpurban.gov.in. Many guides, and the state's single-window instructions, still point to abpas3.in.

ABPAS 3 login and registration

Who can file, and who signs the drawings

Under rule 18, the architect, structural engineer, engineer, supervisor or town planner prepares and signs every plan with their name, address, qualifications and licence number, and the owner signs too. Rule 26 says an architect registered with the Council of Architecture needs no separate licence from any authority and may submit plans for buildings of any size; structural engineers, engineers and supervisors are licensed by the authority (₹1,500 for an engineer, ₹750 for a supervisor, valid for three years), each within the competence the rule sets. A supervisor, for example, is limited to houses on plots up to 200 sq m and two storeys. You can check an architect's registration on the Council of Architecture register.

Registering as an architect or consultant

The ABPAS 3.0 user manual for consultants sets out the sign-up:

1. Click Sign Up and choose the user type: architect, structural engineer, engineer, supervisor, or group or agency.
2. Upload the degree and final-semester marksheet, ID proof, a photo and, for architects, the COA registration.
3. Submit. UADD verifies the documents and approves the account.
4. Log in with the system-generated user ID.

Registering as an owner

The portal also has a citizen registration, which asks for a Samagra ID. According to the state's ABPAS 3.0 instructions, a case filed from a citizen login does not need the owner's authorisation letter to the consultant. The drawing still needs a qualified professional's signature under rule 18.

ABPAS 3 login problems

The consultant manual's FAQ says a blocked account unlocks after 20 minutes. For a lost user ID or password, the portal's header lists a toll-free helpline, 1800 120 2664, and the email abpas.helpdesk@wisseninfotech.com.

Three routes, by plot size

• Deemed approval, residential plots up to 186 sq m (about 2,000 sq ft). Rule 12-A, with the limit raised to 186 sq m by notification UDH-3/0031/2024/18-5 of 20 June 2024. It applies only to layouts approved by Town and Country Planning with development permission from the local body, and only to an individual plot holder, never to a colonizer selling plots. Submitting the form (Appendix A-2(2)), the affidavit (A-2(3)) and the fees is itself the sanction. There is no inspection when you pay, but if the plan or the construction breaks the rules or the Development Plan, the approval stands cancelled automatically.
• Authorised approval, plots up to 300 sq m (about 3,230 sq ft). Rule 6(3) lets an architect or structural engineer with at least 10 years' experience, authorised with the approval of the Director of Town and Country Planning, issue the permission. Under rule 26-B they must decide within 30 days, only for approved layouts, and never for plans they drew themselves. Rule 28 adds that if they miss the deadline, the permission is not deemed granted.
• Regular approval, any size. The local body's building officer scrutinises the case and the CMO or Commissioner signs it. Rule 27 lets the authority sanction, sanction with conditions, or refuse.

Whatever the route, the drawing must meet the Bhumi Vikas Rules on setbacks (marginal open spaces), FAR and height. Our explainer on setbacks, FAR and height limits walks through those terms.

How to apply on ABPAS 3.0, step by step

This is the sequence in the consultant manual and the erect-case manual for a new house.

1. New plan submission: choose the local body and validate the property tax number (entered as NA in Bhopal); the owner's details then fill in.
2. Case type and plot: Erect for a new building, then the plot, with the latitude and longitude of every corner, now compulsory.
3. Plot and building information, including land use, roads and the cost estimate. Saving downloads an encrypted file.
4. Pre-check: run that file and the .dxf drawing through the scrutiny engine and fix every error.
5. Upload and pay: upload the .dxf and documents and pay online. A reference number is issued and the file shows Submitted.

Documents for ABPAS 3.0

The state's ABPAS 3.0 instructions list five mandatory documents and a set of conditional ones, and rule 16 of the BVN describes what the drawings must show.

ABPAS reads a colour-coded CAD file: a layer for each floor, and each element (plot boundary, setbacks, rooms, parking) drawn as a line, polyline or text in the colour the Smart DCR user manual specifies. Our guide to the drawing set your architect should hand over explains how a submission set differs from working drawings.

ABPAS fees: what you pay, with a worked example

The portal publishes a standard fee schedule for all ULBs, which follows rule 21 of the BVN. It also says other charges, such as malba (debris), service charge, development fee and similar, are set by each local body according to the site, so your demand note will include those too.

Worked example (illustrative). A 150 sq m plot (about 1,615 sq ft) in an approved colony, with a ground-plus-one house of 180 sq m built-up area (about 1,940 sq ft), and a cost estimate of ₹36 lakh on the form:

• Application fee: 180 × ₹1 = ₹180
• Permission fee, 126 to 200 sq m slab: ₹2,000
• Water harvesting fee, plot 140 to 200 sq m: ₹7,000
• Karmakar fee, 1% of ₹36 lakh: ₹36,000
• Standard fees: ₹45,180, plus whatever development and other charges your local body adds

The karmakar fee is the biggest item and scales with the cost estimate. For a budget for the build, try MOA's home cost calculator. Under rule 21(3)(d), the authority may reject the application if the permission fee is not deposited within 15 days of the intimation to pay.

ABPAS 3 status check and downloading the permission

Anyone can track a file on the portal's Application Tracking page, which covers ABPAS 2.0 and 3.0 files and searches by file number, owner name, applicant or consultant name, and ULB.

Once signed, the architect downloads the sanction letter, drawing PDF, drawing .dxf and scrutiny report from the consultant console. Ask for all four. The consultant manual's FAQ says a building permission is valid for three years, and that an expired one is extended by filing a revalidation case on ABPAS.

How long it takes

• The portal's SLA page sets 15 days in all: 2 days for plot validation, 1 day for the CMO or Commissioner's check, 3 days for document verification, site inspection and drawing scrutiny run in parallel, then 3 days each for the building officer, the demand note and the digital signature.
• The consultant manual's FAQ gives 30 days as the maximum time to provide the permission.
• An authorised architect or structural engineer must decide within 30 days (rule 26-B).

These are targets; returned files and missing NOCs add time.

Why ABPAS files get returned or rejected

• Drawing errors at pre-check: wrong layers or colours, polyline problems, blocks, MText.
• Property tax dues, or a tax number that will not validate. A new plan cannot start without it outside Bhopal. In a 2025 Indore case, the High Court recorded that the corporation's portal would not let the owner file while property tax dues were pending.
• Plot coordinates missing. The portal made latitude and longitude of all corners compulsory.
• Wrong route. Deemed and authorised approval only work in approved layouts and only for individual owners.
• Fees. An application without the application fee is invalid (rule 21(1)), and an unpaid demand note can lead to rejection (rule 21(3)(d)).
• Missing NOCs: airport, nazul, archaeological or others listed in the TNCP layout approval.
• A second round of objections: under rule 30, a resubmitted plan that still has problems may be rejected.

After the sanction: plinth and occupancy

Rule 31 makes the owner responsible for building to the sanctioned plan. On ABPAS the architect files four intimations: commencement, plinth, service level and completion cum occupancy; the inspector fills a checklist, the CMO approves, and each certificate downloads from the portal, as its occupancy flow chart shows. Rule 31(2)(h) says that if the authority neither issues the occupancy certificate nor asks for changes within 30 days of your request, it is deemed issued. Our stage-by-stage construction timeline shows where these fall in a typical build.

Deviations matter. Rule 24 rules out any deviation from the sanctioned plan that affects the front setback, parking, the road line or a water body, or that exceeds 30% of the permissible FAR. Building without or beyond permission means compounding: for a house, the portal's fee schedule sets five times the permission fee for work within the permissible limits and 5% of the value of the extra built-up area for up to 10% over, and anything beyond that has to be removed before it can be compounded.

Official ABPAS 3.0 links

• ABPAS 3.0 portal: sign in, sign up, online payment
• Download page: the ABPAS 3 user manual PDFs, appendix forms, standard fees and the BVN rule book
• Application Tracking: status check by file number or name
• List of Consultants: registered architects and engineers
• SLA Timeline: the published service levels
• Directorate of Town and Country Planning: the Act, the Bhumi Vikas Rules and amendments

Frequently asked questions

What is the new ABPAS 3.0 login link?

abpas.mpurban.gov.in. The portal says the old abpas3.in domain was shut from 1 April 2026. Sign in with the system-generated user ID issued after your registration was approved.

Can I apply for building permission in MP myself?

You can register as a citizen with a Samagra ID and track files, and the state's instructions allow a case through a citizen login. But the drawing must be a colour-coded CAD file prepared and signed by a COA-registered architect or a licensed engineer or supervisor, so in practice your architect or engineer files it from their own login.

Where is the ABPAS 3 user manual PDF?

On the portal's Download page: a consultant manual, a manual for each case type (erect, alteration, revalidation and others) and the Smart DCR manual on how to draw for the scrutiny engine.

How much is the building permission fee for a house in MP?

The permission fee itself is ₹750 to ₹4,000 for most houses, by built-up area, plus ₹1 per sq m as application fee. Water harvesting (plots of 140 sq m or more) and the 1% karmakar fee usually cost more, and local bodies add their own charges.

How long is an ABPAS building permission valid?

Three years, according to the consultant manual. After that, file a revalidation case on the portal; the fee is 10% of the original permission fee.

An architect who has filed on ABPAS recently already knows its drawing format and document list. Find a COA-verified architect on MOA and choose your city in the city filter.

Sources

• Urban Administration and Development Department, Madhya Pradesh: ABPAS 3.0 portal, home page notices (domain move from 1 April 2026, compulsory plot coordinates, password policy), helpline and services (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• ABPAS 3.0: SLA for Building Permission (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• Directorate UADD, Madhya Pradesh: User Manual for Consultants, ABPAS 3.0 (registration, login, new plan submission, case types, reports, FAQ) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• ABPAS 3.0: User Manual for Erect Case Submission (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• ABPAS 3.0: Smart DCR User Manual (drawing format for the scrutiny engine) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• ABPAS 3.0: Standard Fees for all ULBs (application, permission, water harvesting, karmakar and compounding fees) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• ABPAS 3.0: Steps to get complete occupancy certificates (flow chart) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• Directorate of Town and Country Planning, Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh Bhumi Vikas Rules, 2012, updated up to 6 March 2025, rules 2, 6, 12-A, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23 to 31 (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• Government of Madhya Pradesh, Invest MP single window: Instruction for Applying Building Plan Approval through ABPAS 3.0 (mandatory and conditional documents) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• Urban Development and Housing Department, Madhya Pradesh: homepage link to ABPAS (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Indore: W.P. No. 6351 of 2025, order of 1 May 2025 (property tax validation on the portal) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• TeamLease RegTech: Government of Madhya Pradesh Amendment to Land Development Rules (rule 2(5)(c), 28 August 2026) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)