Planning · NSW
What is a CDC (Complying Development Certificate)?
A plain explanation of the Complying Development Certificate pathway in NSW - a combined planning and construction approval for straightforward projects. Draft, pending review.
Last updated 2026-07-12
In short
A Complying Development Certificate (CDC) is a combined planning and construction approval for straightforward development in NSW, determined by a fast-track assessment from a council or an accredited certifier. The project must meet the Codes SEPP 2008 standards, and applications are lodged through the NSW Planning Portal. Knowing a job used a CDC tells you which public records exist for it.
As at
A Complying Development Certificate (CDC) is a combined planning and construction approval for straightforward development that can be determined through a fast-track assessment by a council or an accredited certifier.[1]
What a CDC covers
Where a project meets set standards, a single CDC covers both the planning approval and the construction approval, instead of a separate development application and construction certificate.[1]
The standard it must meet
The development must comply with the standards in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 - the Codes SEPP. A project that does not meet those standards is not complying development and needs the standard development-application pathway.[1]
Who issues it
A CDC is issued by either a council or an accredited certifier, and applications are lodged through the NSW Planning Portal.[2]
Why it matters when you're checking a build
Knowing which approval pathway a project used tells you which public records exist for it. A CDC is a formal certificate, and the certifier and the certificate can be identified from the paperwork for the job. We point you to the record; we do not advise whether a given pathway suits your project - that is a matter for the certifier or your council.
Sources
- A CDC is a combined planning and construction approval for straightforward development, determined by fast-track assessment by a council or an accredited certifier, and the development must comply with the Codes SEPP 2008. NSW Department of Planning - Complying development (retrieved 2026-07-04)
- Complying development certificate applications are lodged through the NSW Planning Portal via Service NSW. Service NSW - Apply for a complying development certificate (retrieved 2026-07-04)
Property Assurance is an independent information service. We are not a government body, insurer or credit provider. This guide explains public records; it is not legal or financial advice.
Common questions
- What is a Complying Development Certificate?
- A CDC is a single approval covering both the planning and construction consent for development that meets set NSW standards, instead of a separate development application and construction certificate.
- Who issues a CDC in NSW?
- Either a council or an accredited certifier issues a CDC, and applications are lodged through the NSW Planning Portal. The certifier and the certificate can be identified from the paperwork for the job.
- When can a project not use a CDC?
- When it does not meet the standards in the Codes SEPP 2008. A project outside those standards is not complying development and needs the standard development-application pathway.
Checking a specific builder? See builders we have checked in New South Wales.
See what the registers say
15,174 total dwellings were approved across Australia in December 2024 (seasonally adjusted).Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Building Approvals, Australia
Reads the public registers directly. Sources named and dated.