How-to · Bihar · Shop & Establishment
How to Get a Shop and Establishment Licence in Bihar
A shop, commercial establishment, hotel, restaurant or similar workplace in Bihar must register under the Bihar Shops and Establishments Act 1953, which is administered by the state Labour Resources Department. The registration records the name of the establishment, the employer, the number of workers and the working hours, and it is often the first licence a new business is asked for when opening a bank account or applying for other approvals. Separately, the Act sets rules on working hours, weekly off, leave and conditions of work, and the labour authority (the Inspector or the Chief Inspector) can inspect and issue a notice if the rules are breached. This page explains which establishments must register in Bihar, the documents and the online route, renewal and the records you must keep, and what to do when the labour authority sends a notice, up to the appeal and the labour court. Bihar runs these services through its RTPS and Labour Resources Department channels, which change from time to time, so confirm the current link before you start. Last verified October 2026.
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01Who must register
The Act covers most commercial workplaces in Bihar:
- Shops, whether or not they employ workers in some cases, and commercial establishments such as offices, trading and service businesses.
- Hotels, restaurants, eating houses, theatres and other places of public entertainment.
- Any establishment where people are employed to carry on a trade or business.
Register soon after you start, because registration is commonly required to open a current account and to apply for other licences, and running an unregistered establishment can attract penalties on inspection.
02Documents you need
The usual set is simple:
- Identity and address proof of the employer or proprietor (Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID).
- Proof of the establishment's address (rent agreement, utility bill or ownership proof).
- Name and nature of the business and the date of commencement.
- Number of employees, male and female.
- Constitution proof for a firm or company (partnership deed, incorporation certificate) and a photograph of the establishment, where asked.
03How to register in Bihar
Bihar handles these services through the Labour Resources Department, with the state RTPS/ServicePlus portal as a common entry point.
- Go to the Bihar RTPS/ServicePlus portal at serviceonline.bihar.gov.in or the Labour Resources Department page and find the Shops and Establishments registration service.
- Fill the application with the establishment and employer details and the number of workers, and upload the documents.
- Pay the fee, which is usually based on the number of employees.
- Submit and track the application. On approval, a registration certificate is issued, which you display at the establishment.
Confirm the current Bihar online channel and fee slabs on the Labour Resources Department site, because the state has moved these services between portals over time.
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04Working conditions the Act sets
Registration also means you accept the Act's conditions of work, which an inspection will check:
- Working hours and overtime limits, and a weekly holiday.
- Leave and conditions for women and young persons.
- Wages and records of employment, attendance and leave.
India's four labour codes came into force on 21 November 2025 and are reshaping these areas nationally. The Code on Wages 2019 governs wages and full-and-final settlement timing, and the Industrial Relations Code 2020 governs industrial disputes. State Shops and Establishments rules continue to apply alongside, so check both the Bihar Act and the new codes for the current position.
05Renewal, display and records
Keep the registration valid and the paperwork clean:
- Renew before expiry, as required under the Bihar rules, and update the authority on a change in employer, address or number of workers.
- Display the registration certificate at the establishment.
- Maintain registers of employment, wages, attendance and leave, which an inspector can ask to see.
06Handling a labour notice and appeal
If an inspection finds a breach, the authority can issue a notice or initiate a penalty. Handle it in order:
- Read the notice for the exact breach and the time to respond, and fix the problem with proof.
- Appeal within the authority. An order of the Inspector or registering authority can usually be appealed to a senior labour authority within the period stated in the rules.
- Labour court and beyond. A dispute about employment, wages, termination or conditions can go to the labour court or industrial tribunal, and a point of law can reach the High Court. A wrongful termination or a wage dispute under the new codes is dealt with through these forums.
For businesses dealing with distributors, dealers and staff across locations, a quick litigation check on a distributor or dealer is a related safeguard.
07Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
Getting the Shops and Establishments registration is a portal task. A labour dispute is litigation. If a notice, a penalty or an employee dispute moves to the senior labour authority, the labour court, the industrial tribunal or the High Court, it becomes a matter with hearings and orders to follow. You can create a FREE Claw account to track that matter on the forum that hears it. Claw covers 9,102 courts, benches and forums, including labour courts and industrial tribunals across Bihar, so there is a real tracking home for a labour case; its judgment search spans 30 crore+ judgments, with Supreme Court decisions from 1950 and High Court decisions from 1990, so you can see how similar shop, wage and termination disputes were decided, including under the four labour codes in force from 21 November 2025. Results return in under 5 seconds, and Claw does not train its AI models on your documents. This is general information, not legal advice on your establishment or any notice.
08Sources and further reading
- Bihar RTPS / ServicePlus: serviceonline.bihar.gov.in
- Government of Bihar (Labour Resources Department): state.bihar.gov.in
- Ministry of Labour and Employment (labour codes): labour.gov.in
- eCourts (labour and civil case status): ecourts.gov.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
This page is general information for an Indian audience, not legal advice. Confirm the current Bihar portal, fee slabs and renewal rules on the Labour Resources Department site.
09Frequently asked questions
Who needs a Shop and Establishment registration in Bihar?
Most commercial workplaces, including shops, offices, trading and service businesses, hotels and restaurants, and any establishment employing people to run a trade or business. It is commonly required to open a current account and to apply for other licences.
How do I register in Bihar?
Apply through the Bihar RTPS/ServicePlus portal at serviceonline.bihar.gov.in or the Labour Resources Department, filling the establishment and employer details and the number of workers, uploading identity and address proof, and paying the fee, which is usually based on employee count.
What is the fee?
The fee is set by the state and generally scales with the number of employees. Confirm the current slabs on the Labour Resources Department site, as Bihar revises these from time to time.
Do I have to renew it?
Yes, as required under the Bihar rules. Renew before expiry, display the certificate at the establishment, and update the authority if the employer, address or number of workers changes.
What happens on an inspection or notice?
The inspector checks registration, working hours, weekly off, leave and records. If there is a breach, you get a notice or a penalty. Fix the issue with proof, and if you disagree with an order, appeal to the senior labour authority within the time allowed.
How do the new labour codes affect this?
India's four labour codes came into force on 21 November 2025. The Code on Wages 2019 governs wages and full-and-final settlement timing, and the Industrial Relations Code 2020 governs industrial disputes. State Shops and Establishments rules apply alongside, so check both for the current position.