Map Review Approval Number

What Is a Map Review Approval Number?

A map review approval number is a unique number granted after a map has passed technical review and administrative approval by the competent natural resources authority responsible for surveying, mapping, and geographic information before public release. It usually consists of a province abbreviation or national marker, review category code, year, and sequence number, such as Yue GS (2025) No. 001. Obtaining the approval number means the map complies with the requirements of the Regulations on Map Management, the Measures for Map Review Management, and other regulations regarding content correctness, scale accuracy, and handling of confidential information.

Reference: Measures for Map Review Management

Public notice of map review administrative approvals from January to March 2025

When Do You Need to Apply for a Map Review Approval Number?

According to Article 15 of the Regulations on Map Management, maps released to the public must be submitted to the surveying and mapping geographic information administrative authority with review authority. If an approved map is edited, including enlargement, reduction, cropping, or adding annotations, and then released publicly, it should also be submitted for review again.

Reference: Nine types of questions about map submission for review - Chinese Society for Geodesy Photogrammetry and Cartography

Publicly released?	Map type (examples)	Review required?
Yes	Printed publications such as textbooks, paper illustrations, magazines, brochures, exhibition boards, and public reports	Required
Yes	Internet map services such as websites, apps, WebGIS, downloadable data packages, vehicle navigation, and visualization dashboards	Required
Yes	Existing standard maps that are cropped, scaled, or annotated before public release	Must be submitted again
No	Internal enterprise/research use, teaching sketches, and personal study notes	Review may be exempted, but they must not be publicly distributed without authorization

How to Apply

Determine the competent authority

• National, cross-provincial or cross-regional maps, or maps involving foreign affairs: apply to the Ministry of Natural Resources at the national level.
• Provincial and smaller-scope maps: apply to the natural resources department or bureau of the relevant province, autonomous region, or municipality.

Prepare materials (submitted online or at a service window)

Material	Description
Public-version map review application form	Fill in the official template online, including contact information for the handler
Sample map or service link for review	Two paper sample maps plus electronic files; internet services must provide a test account or access URL
Data and technical description	Data sources, scale, projection, accuracy, and handling of confidential information
Qualification documents	Business license, surveying and mapping qualification certificate, entrusted contract, or similar documents

Review process and timeline

• Acceptance: the service window issues a Map Technical Review Notice within one working day. Government of the People's Republic of China
• Technical review: the map technical review center checks coordinates, national boundaries, confidential content, and related items.
• Decision: regular public-version maps are decided within 20 working days; simpler cases such as maps referencing standard maps may take 7 working days or immediate review.
• Collect approval document and approval number: after approval, collect the Map Review Opinion Letter and obtain the map review approval number.

Marking and follow-up obligations

• Printed/electronic publications: mark the approval number on the copyright page or in a prominent position.
• Internet maps: continuously display the approval number in the lower-left corner of the page without blocking it.
• Validity period: approval numbers for internet maps are valid for 2 years and must be resubmitted after expiration. Newly added annotation content must be filed every 6 months.

Preparation Before Applying

For maps involving national boundaries, the map content must comply with the Specifications for Content Representation on Public Maps.

The standard sample maps referenced in map review specify the following:

1. Standard depiction maps for China's national boundary line

2. The Standard Sample Map for Drawing China's National Boundary Line at 1:1,000,000, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Administration of Surveying and Mapping in 2001, applies to the review of national boundary lines on maps with scales equal to or smaller than 1:1,000,000 and larger than 1:4,000,000.

3. The 1:4,000,000 Topographic Map of the People's Republic of China applies to the review of national boundary lines on maps with scales smaller than 1:4,000,000.

4. Standard depiction maps for provincial administrative boundaries in China

5. The Atlas of Standard Depiction Maps for Provincial Administrative Boundaries of the People's Republic of China at 1:1,000,000 and the Standard Depiction Map for Provincial Administrative Boundaries of the People's Republic of China at 1:4,000,000, issued by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National Administration of Surveying and Mapping in 2004, are the standards for depicting provincial administrative boundaries on all types of maps.

6. The Atlas of Standard Depiction Maps for Provincial Administrative Boundaries of the People's Republic of China at 1:1,000,000 applies to maps with scales equal to or smaller than 1:1,000,000 and larger than 1:4,000,000. The Standard Depiction Map for Provincial Administrative Boundaries of the People's Republic of China at 1:4,000,000 applies to maps with scales equal to or smaller than 1:4,000,000.

7. Standard maps for depicting national boundaries of countries around the world

The Sample Map for Drawing National Boundaries of Countries Around the World, issued by the National Administration of Surveying and Mapping in 2007, applies to the review of national boundaries, regional boundaries, military demarcation lines, ceasefire lines, and other boundaries around the world.

Original link: Map Technical Review Center, Ministry of Natural Resources

You can first use the Standard Map Service System to check whether national boundaries and sensitive annotations are correct, reducing the number of revision rounds from the source.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question	Answer
1. Do I need to submit a map for review if I directly use a standard map provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources website?	No duplicate review is required, but you must keep the original map intact and mark the map's existing approval number in a prominent position. (csgpc.org)
2. Do I need an approval number for a small-scale schematic map in a paper?	If the paper will be published through a public channel, it is considered public release and requires a map review approval number. (csgpc.org)
3. Is there a fee for review?	At present, map review itself does not charge an administrative approval fee, but the applicant bears costs such as sample-map printing and delivery.
4. Can an approval number become invalid because national boundaries change?	After national boundaries or administrative divisions change, the map content corresponding to the original approval number becomes invalid and must be resubmitted for review with a new number.
5. What are the consequences of publicly releasing a map without an approval number?	The natural resources authority may order corrections, impose fines, or remove the product from circulation. In serious cases, criminal liability may be pursued under the Surveying and Mapping Law and the Regulations on Map Management.
6. Can I entrust a third party to handle the application?	Yes. You need to provide a power of attorney and ensure the agent has the corresponding surveying and mapping qualification or has signed a contract with a qualified organization.

For more questions, see Map use and map review: the questions you care about are all here - Chinese Society for Geodesy Photogrammetry and Cartography