# Is my society approved? Search LDA, RDA and CDA's own lists in one place

URL: https://which.pk/property/tools/society-approval-check/
Author: Ahtisham Imtiaz
Updated: 14 Oct 2026

## Summary

One search box across the approved and illegal lists that LDA (Lahore), RDA (Rawalpindi) and CDA (Islamabad) publish on their own websites, downloaded on 14 October 2026: 1,658 entries in all. Each result shows the authority's own status (final, technical or local-council approval for LDA; layout plan and NOC for CDA), the area and location where given, and a link to the official list. A society missing from every list is not proven legal or illegal: DHA, cantonment and RUDA schemes are approved by other bodies.

## Key facts

- Schemes searched: 1,658
- On an illegal list: 1,091
- Lists checked: LDA, RDA, CDA
- As of: 14 Oct 2026

Type a society's name to check it against the lists that LDA, RDA and CDA publish themselves: approved schemes, LDA's own schemes, and schemes each authority has declared illegal. We downloaded all of them on **14 October 2026**: 1,658 entries. Every result links to the official page so you can confirm it there.

## What the lists hold

| Authority | Area | Approved list | Illegal list |
|---|---|---|---|
| **LDA** | Lahore district | 400 private schemes, plus 19 of LDA's own | 383 |
| **RDA** | Rawalpindi district | 78 | 610 |
| **CDA** | Islamabad Capital Territory | 70 private schemes, 31 of them with an NOC | 98 |

All figures as of 14 October 2026. Across the three authorities, 1,091 entries are on an illegal list and 567 on an approved one. In Rawalpindi the illegal list is nearly eight times longer than the approved one.

## How to check a society is approved: reading the result

Each authority words approval differently. The tool sorts results into four labels, but always read the authority's own words under the label.

- **Approved.** LDA: "finally approved", or "approved" where LDA doesn't give the stage (182 of its 400 entries), or one of LDA's own schemes. RDA: on its approved list with no reservation in its note. CDA: layout plan approved *and* NOC issued (31 of 70).
- **Partly approved.** LDA: technical approval only (final approval pending), or approval by a local council (TMA) that LDA lists. RDA: an approved entry whose note says approval is incomplete, provisional or that an extension is illegal. CDA: layout plan approved but no NOC. CDA's own notice says developers may start work and sell plots only after the NOC.
- **Cancelled.** CDA has cancelled the layout plan or the NOC.
- **Illegal.** On the authority's illegal list.

**Approval is for a place, not a brand:** Big developers have many entries, and they rarely all say the same thing. On LDA's lists, Bahria Town Lahore's Sectors A to D are finally approved, Bahria Orchard Phase I is approved, and its Phases II, IV and V and Sectors G and H are on the illegal list. Capital Smart City is on RDA's approved list; its Phase II and Extension are on RDA's illegal list. Match the **phase, block and mauza** in your file or allotment letter to the entry.

## Not on any list?

A name missing from every list does not prove a society is legal or illegal.

- **DHA** schemes are approved under their own laws, so DHA Lahore and DHA Islamabad are not on these lists. See our [DHA Lahore](/property/lahore/dha-lahore/) and [DHA Islamabad](/property/islamabad/dha-islamabad/) reviews.
- **Cantonment boards and RUDA** (the Ravi riverfront project) approve schemes in their own areas.
- **Schemes elsewhere in Punjab** (Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and others) are approved by their own development authorities, which this tool doesn't cover yet.
- **Different spelling.** Lists use odd spellings and abbreviations ("Ph-II", "Housing Scheme", "CHS"). Search one distinctive word, such as "Orchard" rather than "Bahria Orchard Phase 2".

If a private scheme in Lahore, Rawalpindi district or Islamabad is on none of the lists, ask the developer for the approval letter, then check the letter's number and date with the authority.

## What approval does and doesn't tell you

Approval means the authority has cleared the layout plan for a given area. It doesn't tell you that the developer owns all the land, that possession is near, or that the utilities are connected. Those are the other parts of our [scoring method](/methodology/). For Lahore, our [LDA approved societies guide](/property/guides/lda-approved-societies-list/) explains technical and final approval and the 20% of plots mortgaged to LDA. For Islamabad and Rawalpindi, see the [best housing societies in Islamabad](/property/guides/best-housing-society-islamabad/).

We refresh the lists every month. If an authority has changed an entry since the date shown, the authority's page is right and ours is out of date. Tell us and we'll update it.

## Questions people ask

### How do I check if a society is approved?

Type its name into the search above. It looks through LDA's, RDA's and CDA's own approved and illegal lists at once. Then open the official list from the result and check the phase, block and area, because approval often covers only part of a society.

### Is a society safe if it is on an approved list?

Not by itself. An approved entry covers a set area and set blocks; extensions and new phases often are not covered. Technical approval (LDA) or a layout plan without an NOC (CDA) is not full approval. Check the developer's title to the land and possession too.

### My society is not on any list. Is it illegal?

Not necessarily. DHA schemes are approved under their own Acts, and cantonment boards and RUDA have their own approval. But a private scheme in Lahore, Rawalpindi district or Islamabad that is on no list has no approval we can see, so ask the developer for the approval letter and check it with the authority.

### How many illegal housing societies are there in Rawalpindi?

RDA's illegal list had 610 entries on 14 October 2026, against 78 on its approved list.

### How often is this updated?

We download the lists again every month and show the date at the top of the results. The authorities change their lists between our updates, so check the official page before you pay.

## Sources

- [Approved schemes](https://lda.gop.pk/approved-schemes), Lahore Development Authority (accessed 14 Oct 2026)
- [Illegal schemes](https://lda.gop.pk/illegal-schemes), Lahore Development Authority (accessed 14 Oct 2026)
- [Regular (LDA) schemes](https://lda.gop.pk/regular-schemes), Lahore Development Authority (accessed 14 Oct 2026)
- [Approved and illegal societies (data behind the societies page)](https://rda.gop.pk/societies), Rawalpindi Development Authority (accessed 14 Oct 2026)
- [Private housing schemes](https://www.cda.gov.pk/housing-schemes), Capital Development Authority (accessed 14 Oct 2026)
- [Illegal private housing schemes](https://www.cda.gov.pk/illegal-housing-schemes), Capital Development Authority (accessed 14 Oct 2026)