From August 25, 2026, constructions in Romania are no longer authorized under Law 50/1991. The Land Use, Urban Planning and Construction Code (CATUC) has entered into force - Law No. 169/2026, published in the Official Gazette No. 661 of August 10, 2026.
The code applies directly, even though the implementing regulations have not yet been published. If you manage a building, prepare a reception or have to carry out installation work, here's what's changing for you.
CATUC in brief
- Replaces in full Law 50/1991 on construction authorization and Law 350/2001 on urban planning.
- Partially take over Law 10/1995 on quality in construction: fundamental requirements, the factors involved and their responsibilities.
- It collects over 20 normative acts in a single code, with over 580 items.
- Move procedures online: integrated permits, digital one-stop shop and national construction register, introduced in stages over the next 5 years.
What installation works no longer require a building permit?
Article 299 of CATUC lists the works that can be done without any formality to existing buildings, outside protected areas and monument protection areas. For installations, the most important are:
- Repairs and replacements to interior installations, including repairs to connections within the property boundary.
- Local heating and hot water systems, individual air conditioning units and utility metering.
- Fire prevention and extinguishing installations required to obtain a fire safety permit. For administrators who have to bring the building into compliance, this greatly shortens the road.
- Photovoltaic panels for prosumers — without authorization, but with prior notice to the city hall.
Without a building permit does not mean without rules. The works must comply with technical regulations and specific legislation, acceptance is mandatory and recorded in the technical book and the National Register of Constructions, and the beneficiary, the designer and the contractor are jointly and severally liable for non-conformities.
In projects that require authorization, the installation part is signed by installation engineers, regardless of the class of consequences of the construction.
Fire safety under CATUC
Fire safety remains one of the fundamental requirements of any construction (art. 389 and art. 391). What the code brings new:
- The requirements apply regardless of owner, destination, consequence class, or funding source.
- The owner or manager must maintain them throughout the life of the building. — not just at the reception.
- When renovating existing buildings, if a provision cannot be technically complied with, the designer must propose alternative protective measures.
- The fire safety permit and authorization are still issued by the ISU, according to Law 307/2006 (art. 467).
- ISU is part of the reception committees of constructions and installations and verifies compliance with the operating authorization.
The ISU deadlines were shortened separately, through amendments to Law 307/2006 of March 2026: maximum 15 calendar days for approval and 30 working days for authorization, with exclusively electronic submission. I have detailed the context in the article about GEO 17/2026 and non-functional installations.
The technical book goes digital
The technical construction book brings together the design, execution, acceptance, operation, maintenance and intervention documentation, throughout the life of the building (art. 530).
- The owner keeps it up to date and completes it. In a block of flats, the obligation lies with the administrator of the owners' association.
- The operating provisions in the technical manual are mandatory. for the beneficiary, administrator and user.
- Upon sale, the technical manual is handed over to the new owner., both in physical and digital format.
- The digital version is registered in the National Register of Constructions, managed by the relevant ministry.
For installations, this means that every intervention, reception and periodic inspection must leave written traces. I wrote about minutes and their role separately, in the article about C56, RTE minutes and construction book.
Faster approvals, with tacit approval
- Single Agreement Commission, organized mandatorily in counties, municipalities and sectors of the Capital, centralizes approvals for construction authorization and works online.
- Tacit approval becomes the rule: if an institution does not respond and does not refuse with justification within the deadline, the opinion is considered granted.
- Officials who are unreasonably late may be fined — a first in the field.
The articles analyzed do not explicitly state whether the fire safety permit goes through the single approval commission or is obtained separately, directly from the ISU. Until the regulations clarify this, ask the city hall and the county ISU before submitting, so as not to waste time with a wrongly submitted file.
What are you doing now, step by step?
- Check the files in progress. Procedures started before August 25, 2026 continue under the old law, and urban planning certificates and permits already issued remain valid.
- Update the technical manual, including the installation part: as-built projects, acceptance reports, maintenance reports. It will have to be digitized anyway.
- For work exempt from authorization, maintain discipline: technical documentation, qualified contractor, recorded receipt. The exemption eliminates the authorization, not the liability.
- If the building does not have an ISU permit, take advantage of the fact that the necessary fire safety installations can be executed without a building permit. The design and execution are still done by authorized companies.
- If you have any unauthorized extensions or works, analyze them now. There is a regularization window until August 25, 2027, with much higher than usual fees.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need a building permit to install a fire detection system?
For an existing building, outside protected areas, usually not. CATUC allows the execution of fire prevention and extinguishing installations required for fire safety authorization without formalities. Design and execution remain subject to fire safety legislation, and acceptance is mandatory.
Does the ISU approval or authorization disappear?
No. CATUC explicitly stipulates that the ISU continues to issue fire safety permits and authorizations, according to Law 307/2006, participates in the reception and checks the buildings in operation.
What happens to a file submitted before August 25, 2026?
Procedures started before the entry into force continue according to the old legislation. Urban planning certificates and obtained permits remain valid. However, it is worth checking each file, because missing permits can be directed to the new commission.
Who keeps the technical book for a block of flats?
The administrator of the homeowners' association. He keeps it up to date and completes it, including work on common facilities.
How can we help you?
We design, execute and maintain fire safety installations — detection and alarm, FIGHTING, smoke exhaust — and we prepare the documentation for approval and authorization. If you don't know what else applies to your file, see also the guide on ISU authorization in Constanta.
Do you have a project, reception or compliance work in progress? Call us at 0341 100 777 or MAIL and we tell you what applies to you.
Informative article, published on October 24, 2026, based on the text of Law no. 169/2026 (Official Gazette no. 661 of August 10, 2026) and analyses published by specialists. The implementing rules have not yet appeared. It does not constitute legal advice; for the specific situation, check the official text and request an assessment.
