State by state: where you register
Every state runs its own Act, its own portal and its own fee.
| State | Act | Where you file | Position on fees and renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bengal | West Bengal Shops and Establishments Act, 1963 | wbshopsonline.gov.in, Labour Commissionerate | Registration fee applies on a slab by number of employees. Renewal fees were dispensed with by the State from 7 January 2019, and renewal is deemed |
| Delhi | Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954 | Labour Department portal | Filed online. We confirm the current fee and coverage position with the Department before filing |
| Karnataka | Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961 | e-Karmika | Fee on a slab by number of employees. Since the 2026 amendment, registration stays valid until the business closes, with no renewal |
| Maharashtra, fewer than 10 workers | Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2017 | Aaple Sarkar | One-time intimation in Form F within 60 days of starting business. No fee and no certificate |
| Maharashtra, 10 or more workers | Same Act | Aaple Sarkar | Registration in Form A, with a fee on a slab by number of workers |
| Other states | The state's own Shops and Establishments Act | The state labour department portal | Confirmed before filing |
We do not publish the state fee slabs. Not one of the four state fee schedules could be read from a government source when this page was verified, and a wrong figure in a quote is worse than no figure. We obtain the exact amount for your headcount and confirm it in writing before filing.
Karnataka: what changed in September 2026
Karnataka amended its Act with effect from September 2026, and three changes matter before you file.
Registration no longer expires. A registration under section 4 stays valid until the business closes or ceases, so the annual renewal cycle is gone.
Some establishments leave the Act. An establishment employing ten or more workers that is already registered under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 does not need a separate registration under the state Act.
Storage nearby is covered by the main registration. A godown or storage facility within 100 metres of the principal establishment does not need its own registration.
The amendment also puts registration, certificates and related compliance on electronic processing, with a shorter disposal timeline. If you registered in Karnataka before September 2026, you do not need to do anything new, but do not pay for a renewal you no longer owe.
Fees
Professional fee: ₹999 for one establishment, covering the coverage check for your state, the document set, the filing and the certificate.
Government fee: set by your state, usually on a slab by number of employees. Two positions we can state now: in Maharashtra an establishment with fewer than ten workers files a free intimation in Form F and pays nothing, and in West Bengal renewal is free because the State dispensed with the renewal fee from 7 January 2019. Every other amount is confirmed with the department before filing.
Professional fees exclude GST at 18%. Government fees, where they apply, are paid at actuals to the department and are shown separately. Fees verified on 22 September 2026.
Documents you will need
Identity and address proof of the employer, PAN of the employer or entity, address proof of the premises with the landlord's consent where rented, the constitution document such as the certificate of incorporation or partnership deed, details of employees with categories, a photograph of the premises showing the signage, and a recent electricity bill.
What the registration commits you to
The certificate is the easy part. The Act behind it sets continuing obligations, and inspectors ask about these rather than about the certificate.
- Hours of work, rest intervals and the spread-over limit for the day.
- A weekly holiday, and the pay treatment for it.
- Leave with wages, casual leave and holidays, on the state's own scale.
- Payment of wages within the period the law allows, through bank transfer where required.
- Conditions for employing women and young persons, including the rules for night shifts where the state permits them.
- Registers and records of employment, wages, leave and overtime, and display of the notice or certificate at the premises.
- Notice of closure to the authority when the establishment shuts down.
We set out the list that applies to your state when the certificate is handed over, so the records start on day one rather than after the first inspection. For the payroll side, see payroll services. If you engage workers through a contractor, see contract labour licence, and for the wider set of employer obligations, labour law compliance.
Why the bank asks for it
Because a proprietorship has no certificate of incorporation.
A private limited company or an LLP can prove it exists with a certificate from the MCA. A proprietorship cannot, so banks fall back on a registration that names the business and its address: the shop and establishment certificate, and often GST registration or Udyam registration alongside it. Marketplaces and commercial landlords ask for the same document for the same reason.
If you are opening a current account for a proprietorship, ask the branch which combination it accepts before you file. Some accept Udyam plus GST, some insist on the state registration, and the answer differs by bank and by state. See sole proprietorship registration for the full set.
Shop registration, trade licence and Gumasta
They overlap in conversation, not in law.
| Registration | Law | Authority | What it governs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shop and establishment registration | The state Shops and Establishments Act | State labour department | Conditions of employment at the establishment |
| Trade licence or Certificate of Enlistment | State municipal law | Municipal corporation, municipality or panchayat | Permission to carry on a trade at a specified address |
| Gumasta | Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act, 2017 | Aaple Sarkar, labour department | The Maharashtra name for shop registration, with the free intimation route below ten workers |
A shop in Kolkata usually needs both the West Bengal shop registration and the KMC Certificate of Enlistment. A shop in Mumbai with six workers needs the Form F intimation, and a municipal licence only if its trade is a licensed one. Some trades need their own licence alongside shop registration: a chemist or medical store, for example, needs a drug licence.