Documents required for Shop & Establishment registration — 2026

• Application form (S&E Act) — State-specific
• Aadhaar of proprietor / authorised signatory — Identity
• PAN of business / individual — Tax ID
• Address proof of establishment — Property tax receipt / Rent agreement / Electricity bill
• Photograph of establishment — Inside + outside view
• Photograph of applicant — Recent, passport-size
• List of employees — Names + designations + addresses + Aadhaar (if any)
• Bank account passbook — For business correspondence
• Self-declaration of compliance — Working hours, weekly off, leave policy as per Act

• Trade licence — Mandatory in some states (Maharashtra, Karnataka)
• Partnership deed / MoA-AoA — For respective entity types
• GST registration — For tax compliance cross-reference
• Professional Tax certificate — For states with professional tax (Maharashtra, Karnataka, WB)
• NOC from premises owner — For rented commercial space
• Building OC/CC — For occupancy compliance

• Mandatory for ALL shops/offices/restaurants — even single-person businesses.
• Validity: 5 years (most states); 1 year in some.
• Renewal before expiry mandatory; late renewal: penalty.
• Display of S&E registration at premises mandatorily.
• Penalties: Rs. 100-Rs. 50,000 + criminal prosecution under State S&E Acts.
• Working hours, weekly off, leave — must be displayed; non-compliance attracts inspection.
• Code on Wages 2019 + Code on Social Security 2020 — newer central frameworks; states still implementing.

State Labour Department portal (e.g., labour.gov.in for central; state-specific portals).

→ Official source: https://services.india.gov.in/service/detail/registration-under-the-shops-and-establishment-act-1

If S&E registration is delayed beyond SLA, file RTI to State Labour Commissioner for application status + inspector verification + projected issuance.

→ Use our 🪄 AI RTI Drafter to generate a free §6(1) application asking for the rejection reason in 60 seconds.

• Q: Need S&E for online-only business? — Yes if you have a registered office address. No physical shop needed but business address is.
• Q: Renewal — every year? — Most states 5-year validity. Maharashtra 1 year. Renewal mandatory before expiry.
• Q: Penalties for operating without? — Rs. 100-Rs. 50,000 + sealing of establishment.
• Q: Multiple branches — separate registrations? — Yes — each shop/office address requires separate S&E.
• Q: Code on Wages — does it replace S&E? — Code on Wages is wages-side; S&E covers working conditions. Both apply.

1. Gather mandatory documents above before applying — saves a re-visit
2. Apply via official portal (link above) — no agent needed
3. Track status: see our status-check guides
4. If rejected for “documents inadequate”: request specific deficiency under §4(1)(d) RTI Act
5. For state-specific guidance: see state portals directory

• 🪄 AI RTI Drafter — type problem, get §6 application
• 🎤 AwaazRTI — voice-to-RTI in 11 Indian languages
• 🔮 Outcome Predictor — score draft win-likelihood
• ⚖️ First Appeal Generator — §19(1) draft on Day 31
• 📅 Timeline Calculator — track 30-day window

• If rejected, file RTI: Full RTI guide
• Citizen RTI playbook: All 100+ scenarios
• All documents checklists: All 30 checklists

• Statutory references: as cited in Specifications above
• Official portal: linked in “Where to apply” above
• RTI Act 2005 §§4, 6, 7, 19

Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.