Dominican Republic Constitutional Court limits municipal land use authority

The Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic has issued ruling TC/1373/25, which fundamentally alters municipal management by redefining the competencies of city councils and mayoral offices.

The ruling establishes that city councils no longer have the authority to grant individual land use permits. This responsibility now rests solely with the mayor's office through its Urban Planning Office. This decision explicitly overturns previous legal interpretations that allowed councils to approve such authorizations.

The case originated from a legal challenge against Resolution 02-2021, passed by the City Council of Higüey, which sought to regulate land use for high-impact urban projects. The Court concluded that the council had assumed administrative powers that did not belong to its legislative function, thereby declaring the resolution unconstitutional.