Countries › Colombia › Guide › 11. Real estate and land › Zoning and building licenses in Colombia: the urban license, curadores urbanos, 45 business day decision with positive silence, license terms of 24 to 48 months, the 2026 earthquake extension and Police Code sanctions

Zoning and building licenses in Colombia: the urban license, curadores urbanos, 45 business day decision with positive silence, license terms of 24 to 48 months, the 2026 earthquake extension and Police Code sanctions

Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Status: Stable

Any building, extension, demolition, subdivision or urbanization of land needs a prior urban license from a curador urbano or the municipality, which must decide within 45 business days or the request is deemed approved within the rules. Licenses last 12 to 48 months depending on type, extendable once by 12 months. Licenses valid on 10 August 2026 in 16 departments were extended automatically by 12 months in September 2026. Building without a license leads to immediate suspension, fines and a 60 day window to seek legalization.

USD figures use the TRM of COP 3,157.94 per US dollar valid on 27 October 2026, certified by the Superintendencia Financiera and published on the national open data portal (datos.gov.co). UVT amounts use the 2026 UVT of COP 52,374 (DIAN Resolución 000238 de 2025) and minimum wage amounts use the 2026 monthly minimum wage of COP 1,750,905 (Decreto 1469 de 2025). Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Maximum time to decide an urban license application (positive silence after)	45 business daysDecreto 1077 de 2015 art. 2.2.6.1.2.3.1, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Term of a new build construction license (plus one 12 month extension)	36 monthsDecreto 1077 de 2015 art. 2.2.6.1.2.4.1, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Term when urbanization and new build licenses are granted together (plus 12)	48 monthsDecreto 1077 de 2015 art. 2.2.6.1.2.4.1, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Term of other construction licenses (plus 12)	24 monthsDecreto 1077 de 2015 art. 2.2.6.1.2.4.1, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Days to seek legalization after building without a license on suitable land	60 daysLey 1801 de 2016 art. 135 par. 2, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. A prior urban license is required to build, extend, modify, adapt, reinforce, restore, rebuild, fence or demolish buildings, and to urbanize, parcel, lot or subdivide land in urban, urban expansion and rural areas, and to occupy or intervene public space. The license is issued by the curador urbano or the competent municipal authority, and gives building and development rights on the terms stated in it.Decreto 1077 de 2015 (single regulatory decree of the housing sector), as amended by Decreto 1783 de 2021, Art. 2.2.6.1.1.1, 2015-05-26 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Curadores urbanos and municipal licensing authorities have at most 45 business days from complete filing to decide on a license or a change to a valid license, extendable once by half that term for large or complex projects. If they do not decide in time, positive administrative silence applies on the terms requested, but never against urban and building rules. Revalidation requests are decided within 30 days.Decreto 1077 de 2015, as amended by Decreto 1203 de 2017, Art. 2.2.6.1.2.3.1, 2015-05-26 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. License terms: urbanization (development and redevelopment), parcelling and new build construction licenses last 36 months; other construction licenses and public space licenses last 24 months; each can be extended once by 12 months. When urbanization or parcelling and new build construction are granted in one act, the term is 48 months plus 12. Sanitation licenses last 12 months and subdivision licenses 12 months, neither extendable. An extension must be filed at least 30 business days before expiry with a sworn statement that work has started.Decreto 1077 de 2015, as amended by Decreto 1783 de 2021, Art. 2.2.6.1.2.4.1, 2021-12-20 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Decreto 1783 de 2021 (Diario Oficial 20 December 2021) lengthened new build and urbanization licenses from 24 to 36 months and the combined term from 36 to 48 months.

4. Urban licenses, their extensions and revalidations that were valid on 10 August 2026 in Antioquia, Bolívar, Caldas, Caquetá, Cauca, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Huila, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Sucre, Tolima and Valle del Cauca are extended automatically by 12 months, with no filing needed, without preventing the ordinary extensions.Decreto 1077 de 2015, parágrafo 8 transitorio added by Decreto 1448 de 2026, Art. 2.2.6.1.2.4.1 par. 8 transitorio, 2026-09-28 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Decreto 1448 de 28 September 2026 added the automatic 12 month extension.

5. Building, urbanizing, parcelling or demolishing without a license, after it expires, against its terms, on public space or in protected areas, and using a property for a use other than the one licensed, are behaviours contrary to urban integrity. For construction without a license, the police immediately suspend the works and ask utilities to cut services if no one lives there. Where the land was suitable, besides the fine and suspension the owner has 60 days to seek legalization (reconocimiento); if not, works cannot resume and the fine doubles. Minor repairs (reparaciones locativas) need no license, except on heritage buildings.
Cost to do it: Fines under the Police Code plus the cost of legalization, or demolition.Ley 1801 de 2016 (National Police and Coexistence Code), as corrected by Decreto 555 de 2017, Art. 135 lit. A to C and par. 1 to 3, 2016-07-29 official text · verified 2026-10-27

6. Each municipality adopts a territorial plan (POT, PBOT or EOT) that sets land classes, uses and building rules. Land use decisions and extra building rights can trigger plusvalía (see the plusvalía page).Ley 388 de 1997, Art. 74, 1997-07-18 official text · verified 2026-10-27

License	Term	Extension
Urbanization (development, redevelopment), parcelling, new build construction	36 months	Once, 12 months
Other construction modalities, public space	24 months	Once, 12 months
Urbanization plus parcelling plus new build in one act	48 months	12 months
Urbanization or parcelling for sanitation	12 months	None
Subdivision	12 months	None
Licenses valid 10 Aug 2026 in 16 listed departments	Automatic extra 12 months (Decreto 1448 de 2026)	Ordinary extensions still available

Urban license terms (Decreto 1077 de 2015 art. 2.2.6.1.2.4.1)

Worked example

A developer obtains a new build license in Cali (Valle del Cauca) that became final on 1 March 2025, valid 36 months to 1 March 2028. Because it was valid on 10 August 2026 in a listed department, it is extended automatically to 1 March 2029 (Decreto 1448 de 2026). The developer can still request the ordinary 12 month extension, filing at least 30 business days before expiry with a sworn statement that works started (Decreto 1077 de 2015 art. 2.2.6.1.2.4.1).

Step by step

1. Check the municipal territorial plan for the lot's land class, uses and building indices (Ley 388 de 1997).
2. File the license application with a curador urbano or the municipal office with complete documents; the 45 business day clock starts only then (Decreto 1077 de 2015 art. 2.2.6.1.2.3.1).
3. Pay any assessed plusvalía before the license is issued (Ley 388 de 1997 art. 83).
4. Diary the license expiry and file any extension 30 business days ahead (art. 2.2.6.1.2.4.1).
5. Do not start works or change use before the license is final (Ley 1801 de 2016 art. 135).

Common traps

Starting works before the license: immediate suspension, fines, and a doubled fine if not legalized in 60 days (Ley 1801 de 2016 art. 135 par. 1 and 2).
Using a building for a use not in the license, for example offices in a residential license: a separate Police Code infraction (art. 135 lit. C).
Filing the extension late: the deadline is 30 business days before expiry, not calendar days (Decreto 1077 de 2015 art. 2.2.6.1.2.4.1).
Assuming positive silence lets you break the rules: it never applies against urban and building norms (art. 2.2.6.1.2.3.1).

Sources

← Plusvalía in Colombia: the municipal share of 30 to 50 percent of land value created by rezoning, extra building rights or rural to urban conversion, when it is charged and how it blocks licenses and salesCondominiums (propiedad horizontal) in Colombia: how the regime is created, owners' obligations, common charges and late interest, assembly majorities, the administrator and fines →