How to Apply for Registration Certificate for Shops

What is an Establishment?

Includes a shop, commercial establishment, residential hotel, restaurant, eating house, theater, or other place of public amusement or entertainment to which this Act applies and includes such other establishment as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare to be an establishment for the purposes of this Act.

What is a Shop?

Shop means any premises:

• where goods are sold, either by retail, wholesale, or
• Where services are rendered to customers.
• It includes an office a store-room, godown, warehouse or work place, whether in the same premises or otherwise, used in connection with such trade/ business

A shop does not include a factory, a commercial establishment, residential hotel, restaurant, eating house, theater or other place of public amusement or entertainment;

Registration of Shops & Establishments: As a business owner of a shop or establishment, you are compulsorily required to get the same registered under the Shops and Establishment Act. Here are the specific rules:

• Submit an application in the prescribed form to the Inspector of the area within 30 days of starting any work in your shop/establishment. The application is to be submitted along with the prescribed fees and should contain the following information:

o Your name as the employer and the name of a manager, if any;
o The postal address of your establishment;
o The name of your establishment;
o Such other particulars as may be prescribed.

• Upon receiving the application for registration and the fees, the Inspector shall verify the accuracy and correctness of the application. Once suitably satisfied, he shall enter the details in the Register of Establishments and issue a registration certificate of your establishment to you. This certificate will be valid for 5 years and has to be renewed thereafter.

• Remember, the registration certificate has to be prominently displayed at your establishment.

Communication of Change to the Inspector: In case of any change in respect of any information given during the application for registration, the same has to be notified to the Inspector’s office within 15 days after the change has taken place.

Once again the Inspector will verify the correctness of the details furnished, make the related change in the Register of Establishments, amend the registration certificate or issue a fresh registration certificate, as he may deem fit.

Closing of Establishment to be Communicated to Inspector: In case you are planning to close down your establishment, within 15 days of closing the establishment, notify to the Inspector in writing the date of such closure and return the registration certificate. After due verification, the Inspector shall remove the name of your establishment from the Register of Establishments and cancel your registration certificate.