Shop and Establishment Act
Every State and Union territory has its own Shop and Establishment Act except Tripura. Every State of different provisions as per its requirement related to the applicability, welfare, registration process, fee, etc.
This act is regulated by the labour department but in Maharashtra and Gujarat, It’s regulated by Municipalities also in some areas.
This Act is State specific act and regulates all shops and establishments in that particular State only.
Shop/Gumasta Registration
There is a provision for Shop Registration in every State where Shop and Establishment Act is applicable within the prescribed time. This is mandatory registration and every shop and establishment needs to take this before starting a shop or establishment operation. In maximum states, Shop registration is mandatory to take registration 30 days before starting operation.
In some States, Shop registration is also called Gumasta Registration like Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Shop Registration can also be applied after the prescribed time with the late fee but some states allowed registration without a late fee also.
Documents required for Shop and Establishment Registration
Every State has its list of documents required for Shop/Gumasta Registration but there are some common documents that are required in each State and Union Territory in India-
- Shopkeeper/Employer Aadhaar Card
- Shopkeeper/Employer PAN Card
- List of employees
- Shop or Establishment rent agreement/Ownership proof
- Latest Electricity Bill
But some States have some documents other than above mentioned common documents also as mentioned below-
–Trade Licence in Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur
–Sign Board photo having Firm name with address in Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, Odisha, J&K, Madhya Pradesh, etc.
The maximum States and UT have online applications and approval processes but some States still accept offline applications like Sikkim, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
There is some exemption also for not taking shop registration and it varies from State to State.
There is some States also where Shop and Establishment act is applicable but there are some areas in that State where the act is not applicable.
For example – Shop Registration Act is not applicable in village areas of Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan, etc.