Government Services · Maharashtra · Labour and Business
How to Get a Shop and Establishment Licence in Maharashtra
A shop and establishment registration is the basic licence that says your shop, office, hotel, restaurant or commercial establishment is on the government record. In Maharashtra the law changed in 2017. Under the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act 2017, an establishment that employs ten or more workers must register and get a certificate, and an establishment with fewer than ten workers only has to file a simple intimation in Form F. Banks, payment gateways and GST registration often ask for this proof, so most small businesses still complete it. This page explains who needs full registration and who only needs the Form F intimation, the online process on the Maharashtra Labour Department portal, the documents, the fee, the renewal rule, the display and record duties, and what to do if the authority refuses registration or issues a penalty you dispute. Last verified October 2026.
- Where: the Maharashtra Labour Department portal at mahakamgar.maharashtra.gov.in.
- Law: Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act 2017.
- Who: ten or more workers must register; fewer than ten only file a Form F intimation.
- Need: PAN, Aadhaar, premises proof, photo and the worker count.
- If refused or penalised: appeal to the notified appellate officer, then the Bombay High Court; Claw can track it.
01Who needs it and the 2017 change
The 2017 Act replaced the old Bombay Shops and Establishments Act 1948 and made the system lighter for small businesses.
- Ten or more workers. You must apply for registration and get a certificate within the time the Act allows from starting work.
- Fewer than ten workers. You do not register. You only file an intimation in Form F online, and that is enough compliance.
Count all workers, including part time and contract staff. The certificate or the Form F acknowledgement is what you show to a bank, a payment gateway or a landlord as proof that your establishment exists on the government record.
02Documents you need
Keep clear scans ready before you start. The usual set is:
| Document | Why it is asked |
|---|---|
| PAN of the business or proprietor | Identity of the establishment |
| Aadhaar of the employer / proprietor | Identity of the applicant |
| Address proof of the premises (rent agreement, electricity bill or tax receipt) | To fix the location and jurisdiction |
| Photo of the establishment with the name board | To confirm the premises |
| List of workers with numbers | To decide registration or Form F |
| Partnership deed, company incorporation or society proof, if any | Constitution of the business |
Use the exact legal name of the business and the same address as your other registrations, because a mismatch with GST or the rent agreement is a common cause of query.
03Step by step online
Maharashtra runs the process online through the Labour Department. You create a login, then apply or file Form F.
- 1. Open the Labour portal. Go to mahakamgar.maharashtra.gov.in, the Maharashtra Labour Department portal, and register for the Shops and Establishments service. Some applications are also routed through Aaple Sarkar.
- 2. Pick the right form. Choose full registration if you have ten or more workers, or the Form F intimation if you have fewer than ten.
- 3. Fill the details. Enter the establishment name, address, nature of business, employer details and worker numbers.
- 4. Upload documents. Attach PAN, Aadhaar, premises proof and the photo.
- 5. Pay and submit. Pay the fee that applies to your worker slab and submit. Note the application number.
For full registration the Facilitator or Inspector may verify before the certificate issues. For Form F the acknowledgement is generated online.
04Fee, renewal and duties
The registration fee depends on the number of workers, so a larger establishment pays more than a small one. The Form F intimation carries a small or nil charge.
The 2017 registration is granted for a period and then renewed before it expires, and you must inform the authority of any change in the business, like a new address, a change of employer or closure. The Act also sets duties on working hours, weekly off, leave, wages and records, and you must keep the required registers and display the certificate at the premises.
Note also that the four new labour codes came into force on 21 November 2025, and over time shop and establishment compliance will align with them. Treat the state registration as current and watch for notified changes.
05Download and display the certificate
Log back in to the Labour portal and open your application status with the application number. When it shows granted, download the certificate.
- Print and display the certificate or the Form F acknowledgement at the establishment.
- Keep the soft copy for bank, GST and payment gateway onboarding.
- Diarise the renewal date so the registration never lapses.
06Common reasons it is refused or penalised
Most problems are fixable. The usual grounds are:
- Business name or address does not match the rent agreement, PAN or GST record.
- Wrong form chosen, for example registration filed when only Form F was needed, or the reverse.
- Operating without registration beyond the allowed time, which invites a penalty.
- Not keeping the registers, not displaying the certificate, or breaching working hour and leave rules.
If the issue is paperwork, correct it and re-file. If the authority refuses registration on a disputed ground or imposes a penalty you believe is wrong, the appeal route below applies.
07If the authority refuses or penalises you
A refusal of registration or a penalty under the Shops and Establishments Act is an order of a labour authority. The 2017 Act gives an appeal to the appellate officer the state has notified, within the time the Act allows, and a further challenge can go by writ petition to the Bombay High Court. If the dispute is really about workers, wages or termination, it can also become an industrial dispute before the labour court or industrial tribunal, especially now that the four labour codes are in force from 21 November 2025, so confirm the forum for your facts.
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.
If your registration refusal or penalty turns into an appeal or litigation, you can create a FREE Claw account and track that matter across the forum that hears it. Claw covers 9,102 courts, benches and forums in India, so whether your case sits before an appellate labour officer, a labour court or the High Court, there is a real tracking home for the orders and next dates. Judgment search spans 30 crore+ judgments, with Supreme Court decisions from 1950 and High Court decisions from 1990, and results return in under 5 seconds, which helps if you or your lawyer want to see how similar matters were decided. Claw does not train its AI models on your documents. This is general information and not legal advice, and a contested labour matter needs a lawyer.
To see what is already filed, you can run a case search in the labour courts and industrial tribunals by party name. For how worker disputes work under the new regime, see the four labour codes and industrial dispute tracking.
08Sources and further reading
- Maharashtra Labour Department: mahakamgar.maharashtra.gov.in
- Aaple Sarkar: aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in
- eCourts (case status): ecourts.gov.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
This page is general information for readers in India, not legal advice. Fees, slabs and steps can change, so confirm the current details on the official Maharashtra Labour portal before you apply.
09Frequently asked questions
Do I need a shop and establishment registration in Maharashtra?
If you employ ten or more workers you must register under the 2017 Act. If you have fewer than ten workers you only file a Form F intimation online, which is enough compliance, though banks and payment gateways often still ask for the proof.
Which portal do I use?
The Maharashtra Labour Department portal at mahakamgar.maharashtra.gov.in, where you register and either apply for the certificate or file Form F. Some applications are also routed through Aaple Sarkar.
How much is the fee?
The registration fee depends on the number of workers, so larger establishments pay more. The Form F intimation carries a small or nil charge. Confirm the current slabs on the Labour portal.
Does the registration need renewal?
Yes. A full registration is granted for a period and must be renewed before it expires, and you must report changes like a new address, a change of employer or closure.
What if registration is refused or I am penalised?
Fix any paperwork and re-file. If the refusal or penalty is on a disputed ground, you can appeal to the notified appellate officer within time, and then move the Bombay High Court by writ. A worker dispute may instead go to the labour court or industrial tribunal. Claw can track that matter.