This page is not the official NI Planning Portal. NI Planning Permission Ltd is an independent planning consultancy, not a council or government planning department. Planning applications are determined by the relevant council or, in some cases, by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI).
Go to the official service:
- Search, view, track or comment on applications: Northern Ireland Planning Register
- Submit a planning application (account required): Planning Portal submissions
- Mid Ulster applications use a separate Mid Ulster District Council planning service, not the NI Planning Portal
This guide explains how the official portal works, what you can and cannot do on it, and when it may be worth taking professional advice before you apply.
What is the NI Planning Portal?
The NI Planning Portal is the official online service used by DfI and 10 of Northern Ireland’s 11 councils. It went live on 5 December 2022 and replaced the previous Northern Ireland Planning Portal. You can use it to:
- submit a planning application
- search, track or comment on an application
- make an enforcement complaint
- request a Regional Property Certificate
The 10 participating councils are Antrim and Newtownabbey; Ards and North Down; Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon; Belfast; Causeway Coast and Glens; Derry City and Strabane; Fermanagh and Omagh; Lisburn and Castlereagh; Mid and East Antrim; and Newry, Mourne and Down.
Mid Ulster District Council did not join the shared portal and runs its own online planning service. If the site is in Mid Ulster, use the council’s own pages to search, view or comment or to apply online. See also our Mid Ulster planning page.
The portal is a public window onto applications; it is not the full official Planning Register. Official guidance is that only applications where public views are, or have been, sought are published online. Information on the portal is also not a formal notification of a planning decision, and it should not be used as a substitute for a Regional Property Certificate or a full planning history search.
Who decides planning applications?
Responsibility for planning in Northern Ireland is shared between the 11 local councils and DfI.
Councils decide the vast majority of applications (local and major development). They also prepare local development plans and investigate alleged breaches of planning control.
DfI is responsible for regional planning policy and legislation, oversight of the system, and the determination of regionally significant and “called-in” applications.
If you are unsure which office deals with a proposal, use the official list of planning offices in NI. Our NI planning system and planning process pages explain how this works in practice.
How to search for a planning application
You do not need an account to search the Planning Register, view an application, or download available documents.
- Open the official Planning Register.
- Choose a search tool:
- Simple search – keywords, address, postcode or the full application reference
- Advanced search – the same search with filters applied from the outset
- List search – requires mandatory fields before a search will run
- Map search – search by location and radius, then open applications attached to a property
- Enter the full reference if you have it. Council references typically take the form LA00/2026/0123/F, but always use the exact number from the notice or correspondence.
- Filter the results if needed, by date received, area or application details. Results are usually sorted by date received, newest first, and can also be sorted by oldest or by decision date.
- Open the application to view the summary, map, related cases and documents.
An official demo video of how to search and the Planning Register user guide are published by DfI.
If you cannot find an application, or you need a full planning history for a site, contact the relevant council planning office. A fee may be charged for a full history search. Applications in Mid Ulster will not appear on the shared portal.
How to view a decision
Once you have opened an application, check its status and, if it has been decided, the decision date. For many applications made from 2010 onwards, you should also be able to download the decision notice, plans and, where they remain available, consultation responses and public comments.
Treat the portal as a convenient record, not as formal notice of the decision. If you need certainty for a purchase, sale or development, ask the council for confirmation or obtain a Regional Property Certificate through the proper legal search. Regional Property Certificates for the 10 participating councils are requested through the official RPC service and are administered by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. Mid Ulster operates its own property certificate arrangements.
Planning conditions attached to a permission are as important as the decision itself. Read the notice in full before starting work.
How to register and log in
You need a Planning Portal account to:
- submit an application
- comment on an application
- track an application and receive email updates
- save searches
You do not need an account only to search or view applications.
To register, open the submissions portal or the Planning Register and choose the option to register for an account. Official user guidance is that:
- a verification code is emailed to you and expires after 15 minutes; request a new code if it has expired
- you then set a password, complete the required personal details, choose an account type and set a security question
- after that, you log in with your email address and password
If you had an account on the old Public Access system, you will need to create a new one. Those earlier accounts were not transferred when the current portal launched in December 2022.
The official registration and create-an-application user guide and a demo video on starting an application are the best place to follow the on-screen steps in detail.
How to submit a planning application
You can apply yourself, or appoint an agent to apply on your behalf. An application must include the correct fee and a location map of the site, together with the drawings and supporting information the authority needs to understand the proposal.
- Check whether permission is needed. If you are unsure, ask the local planning office, or see our notes on permitted development and pre-application advice.
- Register or log in to the submissions portal.
- Go to Applications > Manage applications > Start new application and give the draft a clear name, usually the site address.
- Work through the on-screen steps, including the site location and site boundary, the application type, and the application questions.
- Upload supporting documents. The portal requires a site location plan, existing and proposed elevations, and floor plans before you can continue. Many proposals also need further reports or assessments. If a file is too large to upload, or you only have a paper copy, the portal allows documents to be sent by post.
- Complete the fee calculation, then Pay and submit. Payment options can vary by authority and may include debit or credit card (via GOV.UK Pay), cheque, bank transfer or telephone payment.
- Keep the reference number and the confirmation emails. One email is generated when you submit and pay; another is sent when the authority’s system has imported the application. Neither email is a formal acceptance of a valid application. The council or DfI will still validate it, and may contact you if anything is missing.
If you submit outside the authority’s working hours, official guidance is that the application will not be treated as received until the next working day.
You can still submit in hard copy. Official advice is that application forms can be downloaded from the Planning Portal. (The forms link currently published on some government pages did not resolve when this draft was prepared, so use the submissions portal itself or ask the planning office if you cannot find the forms.) DfI also publishes explanatory notes on applying for planning permission.
For Mid Ulster, use the council’s own apply online service, not the shared portal.
Plans, maps, drawings, forms and associated documents you submit will appear on the public Planning Register. Official guidance is that personal telephone numbers, personal email addresses and sensitive personal data are not published.
A complete, well-prepared submission is more likely to get through validation without delay. See planning applications, planning drawings and planning fees and timescales. nidirect notes that councils generally aim to decide an application within eight weeks, and that larger or more complex cases can take longer.
How to track an application
To follow an application and receive updates, register or log in, open the application on the Planning Register, and choose Application actions > Track. You should receive a confirmation email. Tracked applications then appear under the Tracked applications tab. Saved searches appear under Saved searches.
Tracking tells you when the record is updated. It does not replace reading new documents, consultation responses or any request for further information.
How to comment on or object to an application
You need an account to comment online. After you have opened the application, a Comment option may appear under Application actions, depending on the status of the case. You can record an objection, a comment or an expression of support. You must be signed in to save it.
Before you write:
- Use the deadline on the planning application notice, neighbour notification letter or newspaper advertisement, and submit as early as you can. nidirect advises that representations should normally reach the council before the application is discussed internally and a preliminary opinion is formed. Some councils will still consider comments received before a decision is made, but do not rely on a late submission.
- Neighbours who occupy buildings on land adjoining the site, and which are also within 90 metres of it, should receive a written invitation to comment. Applications are also advertised in a local newspaper. You do not have to have been notified in order to comment.
- Concentrate on material planning issues, such as design, amenity, access, flooding, heritage or conflict with planning policy. The case officer will take account of the planning issues raised. Include the application reference.
- Your comment, name and postal address will be published on the portal. Your email address will not. Libellous or offensive remarks are not published and are not considered.
You can also write to the local planning office. If you have commented, the council should write to tell you the decision.
We can advise on planning objections where a proposal raises genuine planning issues, or where you need help responding to representations on your own application.
Common problems and limits
These points come from official guidance, not from informal complaints:
- The online register is not complete. Only applications where public views are, or have been, sought are published. The full official Planning Register is not available online.
- Older applications have limited information. nidirect states that you can search back to 1973, but applications that predate the previous IT system in 2010 generally show only basic information, with no plans, forms or decision notices online. Ask the council planning office if you need to see those records; an appointment may be required. Records migrated from older systems can also contain errors.
- Legacy documents may download as a zip folder. Official guidance is that documents transferred from the previous IT system are often only viewable from a downloaded zip folder. Documents uploaded since the portal launched on 5 December 2022 should be unaffected.
- Some information is withheld, for example for confidentiality, data protection or national security.
- A missing application is often a Mid Ulster site, an incomplete reference, or a record that was never published online. Try the other search tools, then contact the planning office. Report a technical problem to one planning office; if the same error appears across several districts, you do not need to report it to every council.
- Portal records are not a substitute for a Regional Property Certificate or for formal confirmation of a decision.
- If you cannot use the online service, contact the local planning office, or email planning@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk to ask about viewing hard copies of documents such as large-scale drawings.
When it is worth getting a planning consultant
The portal is the official way to lodge and follow an application. It does not tell you whether a proposal is likely to be acceptable, or what evidence the council will expect.
It is often worth taking advice before you apply, or if the council then raises queries, where:
- you need a clear site appraisal of policy, constraints and risk
- drawings, a design approach or a supporting planning statement have to be prepared (planning drawings, planning policy in Northern Ireland)
- the proposal is more than a straightforward householder application – for example a house extension in a sensitive location, a change of use, rural planning or retrospective planning
- the application is returned as invalid, further information is requested, or the case is deferred for amendments or consultation
- you want pre-application advice structured properly before a formal submission
Patrick O’Reilly, Senior Planning Consultant at NI Planning Permission Ltd, is a chartered planner and a Full Corporate Member of the Irish Planning Institute (MIPI). We can prepare or review the application, coordinate drawings, draft the planning statement, and help you respond to the planning authority. We cannot guarantee that permission will be granted, and we are not a substitute for the official portal or the decision-maker.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the official NI Planning Portal? No. This is an independent guide from NI Planning Permission Ltd. The official Planning Register is at planningregister.planningsystemni.gov.uk, and applications are submitted at submissions.planningsystemni.gov.uk.
Do I need to log in to search planning applications in Northern Ireland? No. You can search and view applications without an account. You do need to register and log in to submit an application, comment, track a case or save a search.
Does the NI Planning Portal cover Mid Ulster? No. The shared portal covers DfI and 10 councils. Mid Ulster District Council operates its own planning portal. Use the Mid Ulster District Council website for applications in that district.
How do I object to a planning application on the NI Planning Portal? Register or log in, open the application on the Planning Register, and use Application actions > Comment if that option is available. Submit by the deadline on the notice, stick to material planning issues, and include the application reference. Your comment, name and postal address will be published; your email address will not.
Why can I not see the plans or decision notice? Applications from before 2010 usually have no documents online. Some later records transferred from the old system are only available as a zip download. Some applications are never published online, and some documents are withheld. If you still cannot find what you need, contact the council planning office.
How do I register for an NI Planning Portal login? Open the official submissions portal or Planning Register and register for a new account. You will be asked to enter a verification code from your email, set a password and complete your details. Accounts from the old Public Access system were not carried across.
When should I use a planning consultant instead of applying myself? If the proposal needs careful drawings, a policy statement, or help with validation queries and requests for further information, a consultant can prepare the submission and deal with the planning authority. The official portal is still used to lodge and track the application. We will give you a clear view of risk; we do not guarantee an outcome.
Request planning help
If you would like us to review a proposal, prepare an application, or help you use the NI Planning Portal, enquire through our contact form or call 028 9591 6888.
You may also find our free planning guides, planning services and areas we cover useful.
NI Planning Permission Ltd, Scottish Provident Building, 7 Donegall Square West, Belfast BT1 6JH. Email info@niplanningpermission.co.uk.
This page is general information only. It is not official government guidance, a formal determination, or a guarantee of any particular outcome. Always use the official portal and check the current position with the relevant planning authority.
This page gives general information only and is not legal or planning advice for any specific site. Planning policy and council practice change, so please contact us for advice on your own proposal. NI Planning Permission Ltd, registered in Northern Ireland, company number NI648144.