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The National People's Congress


GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF THE CIVIL LAW OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

(Adopted at the Fourth Session of the Sixth National People's
Congress, promulgated by Order No. 37 of the President of the People's
Republic of China on April 12, 1986, and effective as of January 1, 1987)

Contents
Chapter I Basic Principles
Chapter II Citizen (Natural Person)
Section 1 Capacity for Civil Rights and Capacity for Civil
Conduct
Section 2 Guardianship
Section 3 Declarations of Missing Persons and Death
Section 4 Individual Businesses and Leaseholding Farm
Households
Section 5 Individual Partnership
Chapter III Legal Persons
Section 1 General Stipulations
Section 2 Enterprise as Legal Person
Section 3 Official Organ, Institution and Social
Organization as Legal Persons
Section 4 Economic Association
Chapter IV Civil Juristic Acts and Agency
Section 1 Civil Juristic Acts
Section 2 Agency
Chapter V Civil Rights
Section 1 Property Ownership and Related Property Rights
Section 2 Creditors' Rights
Section 3 Intellectual Property Rights
Section 4 Personal Rights
Chapter VI Civil Liability
Section 1 General Stipulations
Section 2 Civil Liability for Breach of Contract
Section 3 Civil Liability for Infringement of Rights
Section 4 Methods of Bearing Civil Liability
Chapter VII Limitation of Action
Chapter VIII Application of Law in Civil Relations with Foreigners
Chapter IX Supplementary Provisions

Chapter I Basic Principles
Article 1
This Law is formulated in accordance with the Constitution and the actual
situation in our country, drawing upon our practical experience in civil
activities, for the purpose of protecting the lawful civil rights and
interests of citizens and legal persons and correctly adjusting civil
relations, so as to meet the needs of the developing socialist
modernization.
Article 2
The Civil Law of the People's Republic of China shall adjust property
relationships and personal relationships between civil subjects with equal
status, that is, between citizens, between legal persons and between
citizens and legal persons.
Article 3
Parties to a civil activity shall have equal status.
Article 4
In civil activities, the principles of voluntariness, fairness, making
compensation for equal value, honesty and credibility shall be observed.
Article 5
The lawful civil rights and interests of citizens and legal persons shall
be protected by law; no organization or individual may infringe upon them.
Article 6
Civil activities must be in compliance with the law; where there are no
relevant provisions in the law, they shall be in compliance with state
policies.
Article 7
Civil activities shall have respect for social ethics and shall not harm
the public interest, undermine state economic plans or disrupt social
economic order.
Article 8
The law of the People's Republic of China shall apply to civil activities
within the People's Republic of China, except as otherwise stipulated by
law.
The stipulations of this Law as regards citizens shall apply to foreigners
and stateless persons within the People's Republic of China, except as
otherwise stipulated by law.

Chapter II Citizen (Natural Person)
Section 1 Capacity for Civil Rights and Capacity for Civil Conduct.
Article 9
A citizen shall have the capacity for civil rights from birth to death and
shall enjoy civil rights and assume civil obligations in accordance with
the law.
Article 10
All citizens are equal as regards their capacity for civil rights.
Article 11
A citizen aged 18 or over shall be an adult. He shall have full capacity
for civil conduct, may independently engage in civil activities and shall
be called a person with full capacity for civil conduct.
A citizen who has reached the age of 16 but not the age of 18 and whose
main source of income is his own labour shall be regarded as a person with
full capacity for civil conduct.
Article 12
A minor aged 10 or over shall be a person with limited capacity for civil
conduct and may engage in civil activities appropriate to his age and
intellect; in other civil activities, he shall be represented by his agent
ad litem or participate with the consent of his agent ad litem.
A minor under the age of 10 shall be a person having no capacity for civil
conduct and shall be represented in civil activities by his agent ad
litem.
Article 13
A mentally ill person who is unable to account for his own conduct shall
be a person having no capacity for civil conduct and shall be represented
in civil activities by his agent ad litem.
A mentally ill person who is unable to fully account for his own conduct
shall be a person with limited capacity for civil conduct and may engage
in civil activities appropriate to his mental health; in other civil
activities, he shall be represented by his agent ad litem or participate
with the consent of his agent ad litem.
Article 14
The guardian of a person without or with limited capacity for civil
conduct shall be his agent ad litem.
Article 15
The domicile of a citizen shall be the place where his residence is
registered; if his habitual residence is not the same as his domicile, his
habitual residence shall be regarded as his domicile.
Section 2 Guardianship
Article 16
The parents of a minor shall be his guardians.
If the parents of a minor are dead or lack the competence to be his
guardian, a person from the following categories who has the competence to
be a guardian shall act as his guardian:
(1) paternal or maternal grandparent;
(2) elder brother or sister; or
(3) any other closely connected relative or friend willing to bear the
responsibility of guardianship and having approval from the units of the
minor's parents or from the neighbourhood or village committee in the
place of the minor's residence. In case of a dispute over guardianship,
the units of the minor's parents or the neighbourhood or village committee
in the place of his residence shall appoint a guardian from among the
minor's near relatives. If disagreement over the appointment leads to a
lawsuit, the people's court shall make a ruling.
If none of the persons listed in the first two paragraphs of this article
is available to be the guardian, the units of the minor's parents, the
neighbourhood or village committee in the place of the minor's residence
or the civil affairs department shall act as his guardian.
Article 17
A person from the following categories shall act as guardian for a
mentally ill person without or with limited capacity for civil conduct:
(1) spouse;
(2) parent;
(3) adult child;
(4) any other near relative;
(5) any other closely connected relative or friend willing to bear the
responsibility of guardianship and having approval from the unit to which
the mentally ill person belongs or from the neighbourhood or village
committee in the place of his residence. In case of a dispute over
guardianship, the unit to which the mentally ill person belongs or the
neighbourhood or village committee in the place of his residence shall
appoint a guardian from among his near relatives. If disagreement over the
appointment leads to a lawsuit, the people's court shall make a ruling.
If none of the persons listed in the first paragraph of this article is
available to be the guardian, the unit to which the mentally ill person
belongs, the neighbourhood or village committee in the place of his
residence or the civil affairs department shall act as his guardian.
Article 18
A guardian shall fulfil his duty of guardianship and protect the person,
property and other lawful rights and interests of his ward. A guardian
shall not handle the property of his ward unless it is in the ward's
interests.
A guardian's rights to fulfil his guardianship in accordance with the law
shall be protected by law.
If a guardian does not fulfil his duties as guardian or infringes upon the
lawful rights and interests of his ward, he shall be held responsible; if
a guardian causes any property loss for his ward, he shall compensate for
such loss. The people's court may disqualify a guardian based on the
application of a concerned party or unit.
Article 19
A person who shares interests with a mental patient may apply to a
people's court for a declaration that the mental patient is a person
without or with limited capacity for civil conduct.
With the recovery of the health of a person who has been declared by a
people's court to be without or with limited capacity for civil conduct,
and upon his own application or that of an interested person, the people's
court may declare him to be a person with limited or full capacity for
civil conduct.
Section 3 Declarations of Missing Persons and Death
Article 20
If a citizen's whereabouts have been unknown for two years, an interested
person may apply to a people's court for a declaration of the citizen as
missing.
If a person's whereabouts become unknown during a war, the calculation of
the time period in which his whereabouts are unknown shall begin on the
final day of the war.
Article 21
A missing person's property shall be placed in the custody of his spouse,
parents, adult children or other closely connected relatives or friends.
In case of a dispute over custody, if the persons stipulated above are
unavailable or are incapable of taking such custody, the property shall be
placed in the custody of a person appointed by the people's court. Any
taxes, debts and other unpaid expenses owed by a missing person shall
defrayed by the custodian out of the missing person's property.
Article 22
In the event that a person who has been declared missing reappears or his
whereabouts are ascertained, the people's court shall, upon his own
application or that of an interested person, revoke the declaration of his
missing-person status.
Article 23
Under either of the following circumstances, an interested person may
apply to the people's court for a declaration of a citizen's death:
(1) if the citizen's whereabouts have been unknown for four years or
(2) if the citizen's whereabouts have been unknown for two years after the
date of an accident in which he was involved.
If a person's whereabouts become unknown during a war, the calculation of
the time period in which his whereabouts are unknown shall begin on the
final day of the war.
Article 24
In the event that a person who has been declared dead reappears or it is
ascertained that he is alive, the people's court shall, upon his own
application or that of an interested person, revoke the declaration of his
death.
Any civil juristic acts performed by a person with capacity for civil
conduct during the period in which he has been declared dead shall be
valid.
Article 25
A person shall have the right to request the return of his property, if
the declaration of his death has been revoked. Any citizen or organization
that has obtained such property in accordance with the Law of Succession
shall return the original items or make appropriate compensation if the
original items no longer exist.
Section 4 Individual Businesses and Leaseholding Farm Households
Article 26
"Individual businesses" refers to business run by individual citizens who
have been lawfully registered and approved to engage in industrial or
commercial operation within the sphere permitted by law. An individual
business may adopt a shop name.
Article 27
"Leaseholding farm households" refers to members of a rural collective
economic organization who engage in commodity production under a contract
and within the spheres permitted by law.
Article 28
The legitimate rights and interests of individual businesses and
leaseholding farm households shall be protected by law.
Article 29
The debts of an individual business or a leaseholding farm household shall
be secured with the individual's property if the business is operated by
an individual and with the family's property if the business is operated
by a family.
Section 5 Individual Partnership
Article 30
"Individual partnership" refers to two or more citizens associated in a
business and working together, with each providing funds, material
objects, techniques and so on according to an agreement.
Article 31
Partners shall make a written agreement covering the funds each is to
provide, the distribution of profits, the responsibility for debts, the
entering into and withdrawal from partnership, the ending of partnership
and other such matters.
Article 32
The property provided by the partners shall be under their unified
management and use. The property accumulated in a partnership operation
shall belong to all the partners.
Article 33
An individual partnership may adopt a shop name; it shall be approved and
registered in accordance with the law and conduct business operations
within the range as approved and registered.
Article 34
The operational activities of an individual partnership shall be decided
jointly by the partners, who each shall have the right to carry out and
supervise those activities. The partners may elect a responsible person.
All partners shall bear civil liability for the operational activities of
the responsible person and other personnel.
Article 35
A partnership's debts shall be secured with the partners' property in
proportion to their respective contributions to the investment or
according to the agreement made. Partners shall undertake joint liability
for their partnership's debts, except as otherwise stipulated by law. Any
partner who overpays his share of the partnership's debts shall have the
right to claim compensation from the other partners.

Chapter III Legal Persons
Section 1 General Stipulations
Article 36
A legal person shall be an organization that has capacity for civil rights
and capacity for civil conduct and independently enjoys civil rights and
assumes civil obligations in accordance with the law.
A legal person's capacity for civil rights and capacity for civil conduct
shall begin when the legal person is established and shall end when the
legal person terminates.
Article 37
A legal person shall have the following qualifications:
(1) establishment in accordance with the law;
(2) possession of the necessary property or funds;
(3) possession of its own name, organization and premises; and
(4) ability to independently bear civil liability.
Article 38
In accordance with the law or the articles of association of the legal
person, the responsible person who acts on behalf of the legal person in
exercising its functions and powers shall be its legal representative.
Article 39
A legal person's domicile shall be the place where its main administrative
office is located.
Article 40
When a legal person terminates, it shall go into liquidation in accordance
with the law and discontinue all other activities.
Section 2 Enterprise as Legal Person
Article 41
An enterprise owned by the whole people or under collective ownership
shall be qualified as a legal person when it has sufficient funds as
stipulated by the state; has articles of association, an organization and
premises; has the ability to independently bear civil liability; and has
been approved and registered by the competent authority. A Chinese-
foreign equity joint venture, Chinese-foreign contractual joint venture or
foreign-capital enterprise established within the People's Republic of
China shall be qualified as a legal person in China if it has the
qualifications of a legal person and has been approved and registered by
the administrative agency for industry and commerce in according with the
law.
Article 42
An enterprise as legal person shall conduct operations within the range
approved and registered.
Article 43
An enterprise as legal person shall bear civil liability for the
operational activities of its legal representatives and other personnel.
Article 44
If an enterprise as legal person is divided or merged or undergoes any
other important change, it shall register the change with the registration
authority and publicly announce it.
When an enterprise as legal person is divided or merged, its rights and
obligations shall be enjoyed and assumed by the new legal person that
results from the change.
Article 45
An enterprise as legal person shall terminate for any of the following
reasons:
(1) if it is dissolved by law;
(2) if it is disbanded;
(3) if it is declared bankrupt in accordance with the law; or
(4) for other reasons.
Article 46
When an enterprise as legal person terminates, it shall cancel its
registration with the registration authority and publicly announce the
termination.
Article 47
When an enterprise as legal person is disbanded, it shall establish a
liquidation organization and go into liquidation. When an enterprise as
legal person is dissolved or is declared bankrupt, the competent authority
or a people's court shall organize the organs and personnel concerned to
establish a liquidation organization to liquidate the enterprise.
Article 48
An enterprise owned by the whole people, as legal person, shall bear civil
liability with the property that the state authorizes it to manage. An
enterprise under collective ownership, as legal person, shall bear civil
liability with the property it owns. A Chinese-foreign equity joint
venture, Chinese-foreign contractual joint venture or foreign-capital
enterprise as legal person shall bear civil liability with the property it
owns, except as stipulated otherwise by law.
Article 49
Under any of the following circumstances, an enterprise as legal person
shall bear liability, its legal representative may additionally be given
administrative sanctions and fined and, if the offence constitutes a
crime, criminal responsibility shall be investigated in accordance with
the law:
(1) conducting illegal operations beyond the range approved and registered
by the registration authority;
(2) concealing facts from the registration and tax authorities and
practising fraud;
(3) secretly withdrawing funds or hiding property to evade repayment of
debts;
(4) disposing of property without authorization after the enterprise is
dissolved, disbanded or declared bankrupt;
(5) failing to apply for registration and make a public announcement
promptly when the enterprise undergoes a change or terminates, thus
causing interested persons to suffer heavy losses;
(6) engaging in other activities prohibited by law, damaging the interests
of the state or the public interest.
Section 3 Official Organ, Institution and Social Organization as Legal
Person
Article 50
An independently funded official organ shall be qualified as a legal
person on the day it is established.
If according to law an institution or social organization having the
qualifications of a legal person needs not go through the procedures for
registering as a legal person, it shall be qualified as a legal person on
the day it is established; if according to law it does need to go through
the registration procedures, it shall be qualified as a legal person after
being approved and registered.
Section 4 Economic Association
Article 51
If a new economic entity is formed by enterprises or an enterprise and an
institution that engage in economic association and it independently bears
civil liability and has the qualifications of a legal person, the new
entity shall be qualified as a legal person after being approved and
registered by the competent authority.
Article 52
If the enterprises or an enterprise and an institution that engage in
economic association conduct joint operation but do not have the
qualifications of a legal person, each party to the association shall, in
proportion to its respective contribution to the investment or according
to the agreement made, bear civil liability with the property each party
owns or manages. If joint liability is specified by law or by agreement,
the parties shall assume joint liability.
Article 53
If the contract for economic association of enterprises or of an
enterprise and an institution specifies that each party shall conduct
operations independently, it shall stipulate the rights and obligations of
each party, and each party shall bear civil liability separately.

Chapter IV Civil Juristic Acts and Agency
Section 1 Civil Juristic Acts
Article 54
A civil juristic act shall be the lawful act of a citizen or legal person
to establish, change or terminate civil rights and obligations.
Article 55
A civil juristic act shall meet the following requirements:
(1) the actor has relevant capacity for civil conduct;
(2) the intention expressed is genuine; and
(3) the act does not violate the law or the public interest.
Article 56
A civil juristic act may be in written, oral or other form. If the law
stipulates that a particular form be adopted, such stipulation shall be
observed.
Article 57
A civil juristic act shall be legally binding once it is instituted. The
actor shall not alter or rescind his act except in accordance with the law
or with the other party's consent.
Article 58
Civil acts in the following categories shall be null and void:
(1) those performed by a person without capacity for civil conduct;
(2) those that according to law may not be independently performed by a
person with limited capacity for civil conduct;
(3) those performed by a person against his true intentions as a result of
cheating, coercion or exploitation of his unfavourable position by the
other party;
(4) those that performed through malicious collusion are detrimental to
the interest of the state, a collective or a third party;
(5) those that violate the law or the public interest;
(6) economic contracts that violate the state's mandatory plans; and
(7) those that performed under the guise of legitimate acts conceal
illegitimate purposes. Civil acts that are null and void shall not be
legally binding from the very beginning.
Article 59
A party shall have the right to request a people's court or an arbitration
agency to alter or rescind the following civil acts:
(1) those performed by an actor who seriously misunderstood the contents
of the acts;
(2) those that are obviously unfair.
Rescinded civil acts shall be null and void from the very beginning.
Article 60
If part of a civil act is null and void, it shall not affect the validity
of other parts.
Article 61
After a civil act has been determined to be null and void or has been
rescinded, the party who acquired property as a result of the act shall
return it to the party who suffered a loss. The erring party shall
compensate the other party for the losses it suffered as a result of the
act; if both sides are in error, they shall each bear their proper share
of the responsibility.
If the two sides have conspired maliciously and performed a civil act that
is detrimental to the interests of the state, a collective or a third
party, the property that they thus obtained shall be recovered and turned
over to the state or the collective, or returned to the third party.
Article 62
A civil juristic act may have conditions attached to it. Conditional civil
juristic acts shall take effect when the relevant conditions are met.
Section 2 Agency
Article 63
Citizens and legal persons may perform civil juristic acts through agents
An agent shall perform civil juristic acts in the principal's name within
the scope of the power of agency. The principal shall bear civil liability
for the agent's acts of agency. Civil juristic acts that should be
performed by the principal himself, pursuant to legal provisions or the
agreement between the two parties, shall not be entrusted to an agent.
Article 64
Agency shall include entrusted agency, statutory agency and appointed
agency. An entrusted agent shall exercise the power of agency as
entrusted by the principal; a statutory agent shall exercise the power of
agency as prescribed by law; and an appointed agent shall exercise the
power of agency as designated by a people's court or the appointing unit.
Article 65
A civil juristic act may be entrusted to an agent in writing or orally. If
legal provisions require the entrustment to be written, it shall be
effected in writing. Where the entrustment of agency is in writing, the
power of attorney shall clearly state the agent's name, the entrusted
tasks and the scope and duration of the power of agency, and it shall be
signed or sealed by the principal.
If the power of attorney is not clear as to the authority conferred, the
principal shall bear civil liability towards the third party, and the
agent shall be held jointly liable.
Article 66
The principal shall bear civil liability for an act performed by an actor
with no power of agency, beyond the scope of his power of agency or after
his power of agency has expired, only if he recognizes the act
retroactively. If the act is not so recognized, the performer shall bear
civil liability for it. If a principal is aware that a civil act is being
executed in his name but fails to repudiate it, his consent shall be
deemed to have been given.
An agent shall bear civil liability if he fails to perform his duties and
thus causes damage to the principal.
If an agent and a third party in collusion harm the principal's interests,
the agent and the third party shall be held jointly liable.
If a third party is aware that an actor has no power of agency, is
overstepping his power of agency, or his power of agency has expired and
yet joins him in a civil act and thus brings damage to other people, the
third party and the actor shall be held jointly liable.
Article 67
If an agent is aware that the matters entrusted are illegal but still
carries them out, or if a principal is aware that his agent's acts are
illegal but fails to object to them, the principal and the agent shall be
held jointly liable.
Article 68
If in the principal's interests an entrusted agent needs to transfer the

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王克先 浙江新时代律师事务所
[内容提要] 强制拆除违法建筑关系到稳步推进城镇一体化建设，保护当事人合法权益和经济社会协调健康发展的大事。违法建筑是指未领取建设工程规划许可证、临时建设工程规划许可证或乡村建设规划许可证，擅自建设或不按规划建设且未能补办合法手续的建筑物、构筑物和其他设施及超过批准期限不拆除的临时建筑。许多违法建筑的形成有其历史原因和过程，有的甚至历史悠久，认定是否违法建筑必须正确把握法律界限。行政机关强制拆除违法建筑是一种典型的行政强制执行行为，除了依照《城乡规划法》规定程序，还应当遵守《行政强制法》规定的行政强制执行一般程序，并应遵守《行政强制法》规定的强制拆除违法建筑特殊程序。
[关键词]违法建筑 强制拆除 我见

强制拆除违法建筑物、构筑物、设施等（下统称违法建筑）事关推进城镇一体化建设中的社会稳定、人民群众（下称当事人）的切身权益和经济社会协调健康发展。建筑物、构筑物、设施等是当事人的重要财产，价值大，与日常生活、生产密切相关，涉及当事人重大利益。强制拆除违法建筑涉及范围广、影响大、社会关注度高。如不严格遵守强制拆除违法建筑的法律规定，进行野蛮强制拆除、暴力强制拆除，将会酿成悲剧性事件，严重影响社会稳定。
一、违法建筑概述
（一）违法建筑法律称谓的演变
何谓违法建筑并无法律定义。而且，起先没有违法建筑的概念，而是称为违章建筑。
违章建筑首先出现在1980年4月15日国务院《批准中央气象局关于保护气象台站观测环境的通知》中。
1984年1月5日起施行的《城市规划条例》也使用了违章建筑的概念。
1990年4月1日起施行的《城市规划法》第一次出现了违法建筑的概念。
1991年6月1日起施行的《城市房屋拆迁管理条例》仍然称为违章建筑。
1993年11月1日起施行《村庄和集镇规划建设管理条例》使用了违法建筑一词。
2001年11月1日起施行的《城市房屋拆迁管理条例》沿用了违章建筑的概念。
2008年1月1日起施行《城乡规划法》中没有违法建筑或违章建筑用语，而是规定：未取得建设工程规划许可证或者未按照建设工程规划许可证的规定进行建设的，责令停止建设，限期改正，限期拆除，罚款、没收等。在乡、村庄规划区内未依法取得乡村建设规划许可证或者未按照乡村建设规划许可证的规定进行建设的，责令停止建设、限期改正；逾期不改正的，可以拆除。未经批准进行临时建设、未按照批准内容进行临时建设、临时建筑超过批准期限不拆除的，由所在地城市、县人民政府城乡规划主管部门责令限期拆除，可以并处罚款。
2011年1月21日起施行《国有土地上房屋征收与补偿条例》则使用了违法建筑这一概念。
综观法律法规规章，对违反规划的建筑有的称之为违章建筑，有的称之为违法建筑，但随着时间的推移，相关法律法规规章称为违法建筑的明显多于违章建筑。仔细审阅法律法规规章具体内容，可以得出，违法建筑、违章建筑并无本质差异，如果说硬要区分，违法是指违反法律，违章是指违反规章，但法律本身就有广义与狭义之分，广义的法律包括规章在内，可以说以前的违章建筑就是现在的违法建筑。正如交通违章行为自《道路交通安全法》施行后叫作交通违法行为是同一个道理。2012年1月1日起实施的《行政强制法》专门对违法建筑强制拆除问题作出了规定，起到了定论，今后将不再有违章建筑的概念。
（二）违法建筑的概念
违法建筑是指未领取建设工程规划许可证、临时建设工程规划许可证或乡村建设规划许可证，擅自建设或不按规划建设且未能补办合法手续的建筑物、构筑物和其他设施及超过批准期限不拆除的临时建筑。
违法建筑一般包括：
1、未取得建设工程规划许可证或者未按照建设工程规划许可证的规定进行建设的，无法采取改正措施消除影响的建筑；
2、在乡、村庄规划区内未依法取得乡村建设规划许可证或者未按照乡村建设规划许可证的规定进行建设的建筑；
3、未经批准进行建设的临时建筑、未按照批准内容建设的临时建筑、超过批准期限不拆除的临时建筑。
4、违反法律、法规规定的其他建筑。
二、违法建筑的法律认定
如何认定违法建筑，事关重大，必须正确把握法律界限。应把握以下几点：
（一）城乡规划法与其他部门法的关系
目前，拆除违法建筑可以依据的法律、法规主要有：《城乡规划法》、《土地管理法》、《消防法》、《水法》、《防洪法》、《环境保护法》、《公路法》、《铁路法》、《民用航空法》、《港口法》、《电力法》、《文物保护法》、《城市道路管理条例》、《城市绿化条例》、《城市市容和环境卫生管理条例》，等等。
《城乡规划法》规定，在城市、镇规划区内进行建筑物、构筑物、道路、管线和其他工程建设的，建设单位或者个人应当向城市、县人民政府城乡城乡规划主管部门或者省、自治区、直辖市人民政府确定的镇人民政府申请办理建设工程规划许可证。在乡、村庄规划区内进行乡镇企业、乡村公共设施和公益事业建设的，建设单位或者个人应当向乡、镇人民政府提出申请，由乡、镇人民政府报城市、县人民政府城乡城乡规划主管部门核发乡村建设规划许可证。在乡、村庄规划区内进行乡镇企业、乡村公共设施和公益事业建设以及农村村民住宅建设，确需占用农用地的，办理农用地转用审批手续后，由城市、县人民政府城乡规划主管部门核发乡村建设规划许可证。在城市、镇规划区内进行临时建设的，应当经城市、县人民政府城乡规划主管部门批准。
为了使建设工程不致出现违反有关法律规定的情形，建设部于1990年2月23日下发《关于统一实行建设用地规划许可证和建设工程规划许可证的通知》（建规字第66号），实施统一的建设用地规划许可证和建设工程规划许可证制度。
城乡规划主管部门依据城乡规划及城乡规划方面的法律、法规、规章，根据建设工程具体情况，综合其他部门法的要求，对建设工程的性质、位置、规模、开发强度、设计方案等内容进行审核，通过引导、控制、协调、监督，使建设行为符合城乡规划及相关法律、法规及规章的要求。也就是说，城乡规划主管部门在确保工程建设的合法性方面，取到了综合引领的作用。
建设工程规划许可证(或乡村建设规划许可证，下同)是城乡规划主管部门（或省级政府确定的镇人民政府）依法核发的，确认有关建设工程符合城市规划要求的法律凭证，是建设单位进行工程建设的法定依据。而从核发建设工程规划许可证程序看，核发了建设工程规划许可证可以认为有关建设工程不仅符合《城乡规划法》的规定同时符合相关法律的规定。也就是说，是否具有建设工程规划许可证，是认定相关建设工程是否违法的依据。
违法建筑不是由城乡规划主管部门统一认定，而是要根据违法建筑的性质分别由法律法规规定的相应行政主管部门在各自的权限范围内认定，依照法律法规明确的执法主体行使强制执行职责。
可以这样界定，无需规划的建设工程或规划许可需要前置许可的建设工程未经前置许可进行建设的，由相应的前置许可行政主管部门在权限范围内认定是否违法建筑，属于违法建筑的按该法律法规规定程序强制拆除，已经过前置许可而未经规划许可建设的，由城乡规划主管部门认定是否属于违法建筑，按《城乡规划法》规定程序强制拆除。
（二）法律溯及力问题
违法建筑违反了相关法律才成为违法建筑，这就首先涉及到法律适用问题。“违法”建筑的形成有其历史原因和过程，“违法”建筑历史往往远远早于法律规范的历史，尤其在当时规划无法可依，由于法律溯力的问题，不能一律对“违法”建筑依照现行法律的要求处理。关于新旧法律规范的适用规则，最高人民法院的司法解释性文件有过比较全面的阐述。最高人民法院《关于审理行政案件适用法律规范问题的座谈会纪要》（法[2004]96号）三、关于新旧法律规范的适用规则中规定，行政相对人的行为发生在新法施行以前，具体行政行为作出在新法施行以后，人民法院审查具体行政行为的合法性时，实体问题适用旧法规定，程序问题适用新法规定，但下列情形除外：(一)法律、法规或规章另有规定的；(二)适用新法对保护行政相对人的合法权益更为有利的；(三)按照具体行政行为的性质应当适用新法的实体规定的。司法解释虽然不直接调整行政机关的行政执法活动，但当事人一旦把行政机关告上法庭，有关司法解释就将作为裁判行政执法活动是否合法的标准，因此，司法解释应得到行政机关的尊重。
法律溯及力问题也引起建设部的高度重视，比如1990年《城市规划法》正式实施后，《城市规划条例》同时废止。一些地方的城乡规划主管部门向建设部询问在《城市规划法》实施前发生的违法行为，在《城市规划法》实施后发现并需作出处理的，应当适用于《城市规划法》还是适用被废止的《城市规划条例》。为此，建设部于1990年11月8日就该法的法律溯及力问题以（90）建法字第577号文向全国人大常委会请示，提出“按照法律一般不溯及既往的原则，在该法实施后处理该法实施前发生的违法案件，还是应当适用于《城市规划条例》，而不应适用《城市规划法》”。1990年12月11日全国人大常委会办公厅以常办〔1990〕秘字第093号函复：“关于城市规划法的法律溯及力问题，同意你部的意见”。
所以旧法的废止不是指旧法一律不能适用，而是指对新法生效后发生的行为不能适用，对新法生效后，但发生在此之前的行为，仍然可以适用旧法。
（三）法律规范的适用规则
2004年7月1日起施行的《行政许可法》规定， 法律可以设定行政许可。尚未制定法律的，行政法规可以设定行政许可。尚未制定法律、行政法规的，地方性法规可以设定行政许可；尚未制定法律、行政法规和地方性法规的，省、自治区、直辖市人民政府规章可以设定临时性的行政许可。
行政法规可以在法律设定的行政许可事项范围内，对实施该行政许可作出具体规定。地方性法规可以在法律、行政法规设定的行政许可事项范围内，对实施该行政许可作出具体规定。规章可以在上位法设定的行政许可事项范围内，对实施该行政许可作出具体规定。法规、规章对实施上位法设定的行政许可作出的具体规定，不得增设行政许可；对行政许可条件作出的具体规定，不得增设违反上位法的其他条件。
而关于规划，《城乡规划法》已设定了行政许可，故行政法规、地方法规及规章只能就实施行政许可作出细化的规定。如果当事人的建设行为不违反法律和行政法规的规定，而只是违反了地方法规及规章的，就不应当认定为违法建筑。
（四）违法建筑的补正
违法建筑的违法可分为程序性违法及实质性违法两种，程序性违法是指建筑并未影响城乡规划，可以按一定程序办妥建设工程规划许可而变为合法建筑；实质性违法，则指无法办妥建设工程规划许可使其变为合法建筑。
依照《城乡规划法》规定，未取得建设工程规划许可证或者未按照建设工程规划许可证的规定进行建设的建筑，其中可采取改正措施消除对规划实施影响的，限期改正，并处罚款。《城市规划条例》与《城市规划法》也有类似的规定。这就意味着，违反了法律的建筑，并不必然被认定为违法建筑，有可能符合相应条件而获批准，从违法建筑成为合法建筑。
（五）是否超过追究时效。
强制拆除违法建筑虽是行政强制执行行为，但违法建筑的认定本身应当是行政处罚，这就关系到行政处罚的追究时效。
1、行政处罚的追究时效
　　行政处罚的追究时效是指，行政机关对当事人违反行政管理秩序的行为给予行政处罚的有效期限。
　　《行政处罚法》第二十九条第一款规定，违法行为在二年内未被发现的，不再给予行政处罚。法律另有规定的除外。第二款规定，前款规定的期限，从违法行为发生之日起计算；违法行为有连续或者继续状态的，从行为终了之日起计算。