Shop Act registration is the certificate a shop, office or other commercial establishment takes under its state's Shops and Establishments Act. In Delhi it is filed online, in real time, under the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954; in Maharashtra it is the Gumasta registration. We file it in any state from ₹749 plus the state fee. A private limited company has a certificate of incorporation. A proprietorship has nothing equivalent, so when you walk into a bank to open a current account, they ask for Shop Act. That is why most people end up on this page — the registration is a labour law requirement, but the trigger is almost always the bank.
There is no national Shop Act. Each state has its own Shops and Establishments Act, its own portal and its own fee schedule, so the first question is always which state your premises sits in. The three we file most often:
| State | Law | Where you file | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954 | Delhi Labour Department portal (labour.delhi.gov.in) | Statement in Form A under Section 5. Real-time online registration with no inspection. New companies can also apply through SPICe+. |
| Maharashtra (Mumbai, Pune, Thane) | Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2017 | Labour Department services on Aaple Sarkar | Known as Gumasta. See our Gumasta licence page for the Maharashtra detail. |
| West Bengal (Kolkata, Howrah) | West Bengal Shops and Establishments Act, 1963 | Labour Directorate, West Bengal, online services (wblabour.gov.in) | Separate from the municipal trade licence. In Kolkata that is the KMC trade licence. |
| Any other state | That state's Shops and Establishments Act | The state labour department portal | We confirm the form, fee, validity and any intimation route before filing. |
Fees, forms and validity are set by each state and change by notification. We quote yours from the state's current schedule before filing. Position as of October 2026.
Delhi still registers shops and commercial establishments under the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954. The occupier files a statement in Form A under Section 5 with the Chief Inspector, and the Delhi Rules allow 90 days for it. The Delhi Labour Department lists the registration as online and real time, with no inspection or physical visit, and its portal is integrated with the MCA's SPICe+ form, so a company being incorporated in Delhi can apply for it as part of incorporation.
Form A asks for the establishment's name and postal address, the names of the occupier and the manager, the category and nature of business, the family members and staff working there (men, women and young persons counted separately) and the date work began. The occupier signs a declaration that the details are correct. Get those details right first time: the certificate is what your bank compares against your PAN and KYC.
A proprietor opens a garment shop in Lajpat Nagar with two staff and wants a current account in the shop's trade name. The bank asks for proof that the business exists in that name. We file Form A with the trade name exactly as it will appear on the account, the shop address as on the rent agreement and the two employees, and the certificate is issued online. The same trade name then goes on the GST registration, if turnover or interstate sales require one, so the documents agree with each other.
| Registration | Law | Issued by | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shop Act | State Shops and Establishments Act | State labour department | Working hours, holidays, leave and wages of staff. The usual business-existence proof for a proprietorship's bank account. |
| Trade licence | Municipal law | Municipal corporation or local body | Permission to carry on a particular trade at a particular premises. See trade licence. |
| GST registration | CGST Act, 2017 and the state GST Act | GST department, through gst.gov.in | Collecting and paying GST. Compulsory above the turnover threshold or for interstate supply of goods. |
| Udyam registration | MSMED Act, 2006 | Ministry of MSME, through the Udyam portal | MSME status for schemes, bank lending and delayed-payment protection. See Udyam registration. |
One does not replace another. A GSTIN does not satisfy the Shop Act, and a Shop Act certificate is not a trade licence. Our Shop Act vs trade licence guide explains when a business needs both.
Pick the speed and depth that matches your need. Same quality, same CA team — only the timeline changes.
Timeline: 3 to 7 working days
Timeline: 3 to 7 working days
Timeline: 3 to 7 working days
Government fee — paid by you at actuals
The government fee is set by each state and usually scales with employee count, so it is paid at actuals and we quote yours before filing. Almost everything else varies by state too: the Act name, the registering authority, the timeline after commencing business (commonly 30 days), whether a simpler intimation applies below a worker threshold, the forms, the validity (one year to permanent) and the renewal cycle.
Every price above is a professional fee, excluding GST and government charges. 50% upfront, 50% on delivery.
All fees and charges listed are indicative only and do not constitute a binding offer. Final amounts may vary depending on the volume of work and the complexity involved.
Scope, thresholds, forms, fee and validity all differ by state, and some states allow an intimation instead of a registration below a worker threshold. We tell you the position before filing.
Submitted on the state labour department portal with the premises and employee details the Act requires.
Delivered to you with the documentation pack the bank will ask for at account opening.
Registers of employment, wages, leave and fines, the certificate displayed at the premises, and the renewal diary — on the Complete plan.
Tell us your requirement, a CA will call you in 30 minutes.
A proprietorship has no incorporation certificate, so Shop Act stands in its place at current account opening and at marketplace seller onboarding.
The Act regulates working hours, rest intervals, weekly holidays, leave, wages, employment of women and young persons, and the records an employer keeps. Those obligations are the substance, and most providers never mention them.
Act name, authority, timeline, forms, fee, validity and renewal cycle all differ. We give you the position for your state rather than a national answer that is wrong for most readers.
Below a worker threshold several states accept a simpler intimation. Maharashtra runs its own well-known variant under the 2017 Act, which people call Gumasta.
Shops, commercial establishments, offices, hotels, restaurants, eating houses, theatres and places of public entertainment fall under this Act. Factories are covered by the Factories Act instead.
Most businesses maintain none of this until an inspection finds it missing. Our Complete plan sets the registers up on day one.
From ₹749 • 3 to 7 days
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From ₹4,499 • 7 to 15 days
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From ₹1,299 • About a week
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From ₹1,299 • 7–15 days
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From ₹899/month • 3–5 days
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From ₹9,999 • 30–60 days
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