Shop and Establishment Registration in Delhi (2026): Free Online Certificate, the 2026 Amendment and Working Hours

Delhi has one of the simplest shop registrations in India: free, online, no uploads, and the certificate appears the moment you submit. That simplicity hides some traps. The 1954 law behind it still has a 90-day deadline and low but real fines, a 2026 amendment has been published but is not yet in force, and a 2025 notification lets most businesses trade round the clock only if they meet a list of conditions. This guide is for shop owners, office and clinic operators, restaurant founders and accountants in Delhi. It covers who must register, how to do it in ten minutes, what the 2026 amendment will change, working hours and leave, penalties, and a worked example for a Lajpat Nagar boutique.

Quick answer

Every shop and commercial establishment in Delhi must register under the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954 within 90 days of starting work. Registration is on the Labour Department's online site (labourcis.nic.in), with no fee, no documents to upload and a certificate issued in real time. New companies get it automatically through SPICe+ (AGILE-PRO-S).

• No renewal; report changes within 30 days and closure within 15 days

• Hours today: 9 hours a day, 48 a week, overtime at double pay

• 2026 amendment (20-employee line, 10-hour day) awaits a commencement notification

• 24x7 trading and women's night shifts allowed since 7 August 2025, on conditions

What the Delhi Shops Act covers

The Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954 (Delhi Act 7 of 1954) regulates hours, holidays, leave, wages and conditions of work in shops and commercial establishments across the National Capital Territory. "Shop" means premises where goods are sold, retail or wholesale, or where services are provided to customers, with any connected office or godown. "Commercial establishment" covers offices of any trade, business or profession, banks, insurance and broking firms, clinics, hotels, restaurants, eating houses, cinemas, theatres and places of public amusement. IT offices, consultancies, coaching centres and e-commerce warehouses that are not factories all fall in.

The Act applies whatever your headcount. Today a proprietor with no staff is as much an "occupier" with a registration duty as a mall store with 200 employees. That will change when the 2026 amendment starts, as explained below.

Some establishments are exempt from parts of the Act through Schedule I, which the Government has extended many times; the Labour Department publishes the list of exempted establishments on its website. Government offices, the Reserve Bank and establishments covered by factory law are outside the Act.

The authority is the Labour Department of the Government of NCT of Delhi, through the Chief Inspector of Shops and district Shops and Establishments Inspectors. This is separate from the municipal licences: a Delhi trade licence or health trade licence from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi or NDMC is about the premises and trade, while the shop registration is about employment. Many businesses need both.

Who must register and by when

Every shop and establishment, within 90 days. Section 5 requires the occupier to send the Chief Inspector a statement in the prescribed form within 90 days of the date the establishment starts work. The Chief Inspector registers it and issues a registration certificate. Online, the statement is the registration form on labourcis.nic.in and the certificate comes back at once.

One registration per establishment. Each shop, branch office, outlet or separate kitchen at a different address needs its own registration. A business that runs a showroom in Karol Bagh and a warehouse in Narela registers both.

New companies: through SPICe+. The registration site itself notes that first-time registration for companies being incorporated in Delhi must be taken through the AGILE-PRO-S form of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs' SPICe+ incorporation package. If you are incorporating a private limited company or OPC with a Delhi registered office, tick the shops and establishment option in AGILE-PRO-S; the registration is issued with incorporation. Proprietors, partnerships, LLPs and existing companies use labourcis.nic.in directly.

Home offices, co-working seats and online sellers. If business is carried on from a home office, a co-working seat or a small godown, that place is an establishment. Registration costs nothing and banks, payment gateways and marketplaces often ask for it, so there is little reason to skip it.

Who is the occupier. The occupier is the person who has ultimate control over the affairs of the establishment: the proprietor, the partners, or for a company the directors or a nominated manager. Use the same legal name as on the PAN and GST registration so the certificate matches your other documents.

Delhi shop registration at a glance (2026)

₹0

Government fee

per Labour Department FAQ

90 days

Time to register

from starting work

Instant

Certificate

real-time, downloadable

None

Documents to upload

details entered online

How to register online on labourcis.nic.in

The Labour Department's FAQ is short and clear: no documents are required, no fee is payable, and the certificate is granted in real time as soon as you submit the details and press Register. There is no physical copy to send and no status to track.

Shop and establishment registration in Delhi

1. 1

   Open the online registration site

   Go to labourcis.nic.in and choose Online Registration under Shops and Establishment. Companies being incorporated should use AGILE-PRO-S in SPICe+ instead.

   Open the Delhi registration site
2. 2

   Enter establishment details

   Name and full postal address of the establishment, district, category (shop, commercial establishment, restaurant and so on), nature of business and the date work began.

3. 3

   Enter occupier and manager details

   Names, addresses and contact details of the occupier and of the manager, if different. For firms and companies, list the partners or directors.

   Tip: Spell the name exactly as on your PAN and GST records; the certificate is used as proof by banks and other offices.

4. 4

   Enter employees by category

   Give the number of employees: men, women and young persons, including staff supplied by agencies.

5. 5

   Click Continue, check and Register

   Review the summary page, then click Register. The certificate is generated immediately.

6. 6

   Download and display the certificate

   Download or print the certificate and keep it at the premises. The site's Search and List of Registered Shops options let you look up an existing registration later.

Because the system accepts what you type, accuracy is your responsibility. A wrong address or headcount is a false statement under the Act, and the certificate is only as useful as the details printed on it. If you get something wrong, notify the change rather than creating a duplicate registration.

What to keep ready

• PAN of the proprietor, firm or company and, if registered, the GSTIN
• Full address of the premises with PIN code, and the date business started
• Names and addresses of the occupier, manager, partners or directors
• Headcount split into men, women and young persons, including agency staff
• Email and mobile number for the records

After registration: changes, closure and the certificate

Changes. Section 6 requires you to notify the Chief Inspector of any change in the registered particulars within 30 days of the change. That covers a new manager, a new partner, a change in the nature of business or a significant change in headcount. Moving to a new address is best handled as a closure at the old address and a fresh registration at the new one, because the registration is tied to the premises.

Closure. Section 7 asks the occupier to inform the Chief Inspector in writing within 15 days of closing. The Chief Inspector removes the establishment from the register unless it is likely to restart within six months.

No renewal. The online certificate has no renewal cycle. Old paper registrations from before online registration remain valid records, but if yours does not show your current details, register afresh online.

Registers and notices. Section 33 requires employers to display the close day and keep records of hours worked, rest intervals, leave and overtime. Display the opening and closing hours and close day at the premises. If you use the 24x7 exemption, a copy of the notification must also be displayed at the staff entrance.

The 2026 amendment: passed, but not yet in force

The Delhi Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act No. 03 of 2026) was passed by the Legislative Assembly on 9 January 2026, received the President's assent on 23 February 2026 and was published in the Delhi Gazette on 11 March 2026. Its section 1(2) says it comes into force on a date the Delhi Government appoints by notification. We found no commencement notification as of October 2026, and commentators who have tracked it say the same. Until one appears, the 1954 rules described in this guide continue to apply.

When it starts, the amendment will make these changes:

• A 20-employee line. A new section 1(5) applies the Act to shops and establishments employing 20 or more employees. Smaller establishments would fall outside the Act entirely. The amendment does not say what happens to their existing registrations, and the Labour Department has not yet issued guidance.
• Longer day, quarterly overtime cap. Daily hours rise to 10 hours including rest and lunch, the overtime ceiling becomes 60 hours a week and 144 hours a quarter, continuous work before a break rises from five hours to six, and the spread-over becomes a flat 12 hours.
• Women at night by law. A new section 14 lets women work between 9 pm and 7 am in summer and 8 pm and 8 am in winter with written consent, CCTV, security and transport (including for contractors' staff), at least two women on the shift, a six-week bar after childbirth or miscarriage, and POSH Act compliance.
• Child labour age. The age below which a person is a child rises from 12 to 14, and young persons may not work at night.

What should you do now? Keep registering; it is free and still mandatory. Do not move staff to ten-hour days on the strength of the amendment until the commencement notification is published.

Delhi Shops Act rules today and after the 2026 amendment starts

Rule	In force now (1954 Act)	When Act 3 of 2026 commences
Applies to	Every shop and establishment	20 or more employees
Daily hours	9 hours	10 hours including rest and lunch
Weekly hours	48	48 (overtime ceiling 60)
Overtime ceiling	54 hours a week, and 150 hours of overtime a year	60 hours a week and 144 hours a quarter
Work before a break	5 hours	6 hours
Spread-over	10½ hours (commercial establishments) or 12 hours (shops)	12 hours
Women at night	Only under the 2025 exemption	Allowed by law, with conditions

Applies to

In force now (1954 Act)

Every shop and establishment

When Act 3 of 2026 commences

20 or more employees

Daily hours

In force now (1954 Act)

9 hours

When Act 3 of 2026 commences

10 hours including rest and lunch

Weekly hours

In force now (1954 Act)

48

When Act 3 of 2026 commences

48 (overtime ceiling 60)

Overtime ceiling

In force now (1954 Act)

54 hours a week, and 150 hours of overtime a year

When Act 3 of 2026 commences

60 hours a week and 144 hours a quarter

Work before a break

In force now (1954 Act)

5 hours

When Act 3 of 2026 commences

6 hours

Spread-over

In force now (1954 Act)

10½ hours (commercial establishments) or 12 hours (shops)

When Act 3 of 2026 commences

12 hours

Women at night

In force now (1954 Act)

Only under the 2025 exemption

When Act 3 of 2026 commences

Allowed by law, with conditions

Working hours, overtime, holidays and leave today

Hours. Section 8 limits an adult to 9 hours a day and 48 hours a week. During stock-taking, accounts or other prescribed work, the employer may extend hours to a ceiling of 54 hours a week, and 150 hours of overtime a year, with notice to the Chief Inspector. Overtime is paid at twice the normal rate, calculated by the hour.

Rest and spread-over. No one may work more than five hours at a stretch without a rest and meal interval of at least half an hour. The working day, including intervals, cannot spread over more than 10½ hours (commercial establishments) or 12 hours (shops).

Close day, opening hours and 24x7 trading. The Act requires a weekly close day, opening and closing hours fixed by the Government, and restrictions on women and young persons working at night. A Labour Department notification of 7 August 2025 added entries to Schedule I exempting all establishments except liquor shops from sections 14, 15 and 16, which means they can open round the clock and employ women at night, on conditions:

• no one works more than nine hours a day (including meals and rest), 48 hours a week or five hours at a stretch, and overtime is paid at double rate;
• nobody is forced to work only night shifts, weekly offs are given by rotation, and work on national holidays earns compensatory leave plus double wages;
• the employer provides safety, security and transport for staff working beyond normal hours, installs CCTV, keeps footage for at least a month and gives it to the Chief Inspector on demand;
• women's consent is taken before night shifts, and an Internal Committee under the POSH Act is set up and working;
• wages are paid by cheque or bank transfer, staff receive minimum wages, PF, ESI, bonus and leave, and washrooms and lockers are provided;
• a copy of the notification is displayed at the staff entrance, and the employer sends the Labour Department its registration number, establishment details, headcount and an undertaking to follow the conditions.

The exemption does not override orders of other authorities, including the police.

Delhi shop law milestones

1954

Delhi Shops and Establishments Act in force

7 Aug 2025

Exemption from ss.14–16 for all but liquor shops: 24x7 working and women's night shifts, with conditions

21 Nov 2025

Four Labour Codes in force nationally

3 Dec 2025

Draft Delhi OSH Rules published

11 Mar 2026

Amendment Act 3 of 2026 published; commencement to be notified

Leave. Section 22 gives at least 15 days of privilege leave after every twelve months of continuous employment, which can be accumulated up to three years' entitlement, plus 12 days of sickness or casual leave a year, which cannot be accumulated. An employee with one month's continuous service is entitled to casual leave as it accrues. If an employee is discharged, or quits after being refused leave, the employer pays wages for the leave due.

Notice. Under section 30, an employee with three months' continuous service cannot be dismissed without one month's written notice or wages in lieu, except for misconduct after a chance to explain. Employees who resign owe the same notice.

Worked example: a Lajpat Nagar boutique

Kapoor Fashions opens on 1 November in Lajpat Nagar with six sales staff and one agency guard.

Registration. The owner, a proprietor, registers on labourcis.nic.in on the first day of business. It takes ten minutes and costs nothing; the certificate downloads immediately. The deadline was 90 days from opening, but registering early gives her the certificate her bank and the payment gateway ask for.

Late opening for the festive season. She wants to stay open until 11 pm in October and November with two women on the evening shift. Under the August 2025 exemption she sends the Labour Department her registration number, staff details and an undertaking, displays the notification, installs CCTV, arranges drop-home transport, takes the women's written consent and makes sure her Internal Committee is in place. Each employee still works no more than nine hours a day.

Overtime. A sales assistant on the Delhi unskilled minimum of ₹18,456 a month works 52 hours in a festival week, four over the weekly limit. At 26 days of eight hours, her hourly rate is about ₹89, so overtime at double is about ₹177 an hour, roughly ₹710 for the week, within the 54 hours a week, and 150 hours of overtime a year ceiling.

Other compliance. With ten or more staff the boutique would register for ESIC; it checks pay against the Delhi minimum wages whenever they are revised, and applies for the municipal trade licence if its trade needs one.

Penalties and inspections

Fines under the 1954 Act are small. Section 40(1) sets a fine of ₹25 to ₹250 for most contraventions, and section 40(2) adds ₹5 a day for record-keeping breaches. The 2026 amendment does not raise these.

But other consequences are not. An unregistered business may struggle to open a current account or get a payment gateway. An inspection that finds no registration usually also looks at minimum wages, overtime, leave records and ESIC and PF, where the penalties are much larger. A business that uses the 24x7 exemption without meeting its conditions loses its protection, and its late-night working becomes a breach of sections 14 to 16.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Paying an agent a "registration fee". The Labour Department charges nothing and asks for no documents. Pay an agent only if you want their time, and know that what you are buying is ten minutes of data entry.

Missing the SPICe+ option. Founders who incorporate a Delhi company and skip the shops option in AGILE-PRO-S end up registering separately later. Tick it during incorporation.

One registration for several branches. Each establishment registers separately.

Not updating after a move. Banks reject certificates with old addresses. Close the old registration and register the new premises.

Treating the 2026 amendment as live. Ten-hour days and the 20-employee exemption depend on a commencement notification that had not appeared as of October 2026. Until it does, follow the 1954 limits.

Ignoring the Labour Codes. The four Labour Codes came into force on 21 November 2025. Delhi published draft rules under the OSH Code on 3 December 2025, and the Code has its own registration for establishments with 10 or more workers. Watch our Labour Codes guide for when Delhi's final rules arrive.

Official links

• Online Shops and Establishment RegistrationRegister, search, list of registered shops
• FAQ on Shops and Establishment registration (PDF)No fee, no documents, real-time certificate
• Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954Full text of the Act
• Exemption notification, 7 August 2025 (PDF)24x7 working and women's night shifts, with conditions
• Labour Department, Government of NCT of DelhiNotifications, minimum wages, exempted establishments

What to do next

Register every Delhi establishment on labourcis.nic.in, or through SPICe+ if you are incorporating a company. It is free and instant. Then put a weekly-off roster, attendance and overtime records and leave records in place, and check pay against the Delhi minimum wages. Our salary slip generator shows overtime and deductions clearly, and the hourly rate calculator helps you price overtime hours. Next on the list for most businesses: GST registration and, for food or eating businesses, the municipal licence.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

Is shop and establishment registration mandatory in Delhi?

Yes. Section 5 of the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954 requires the occupier of every shop and commercial establishment to register within 90 days of starting work. A 2026 amendment will limit the Act to establishments with 20 or more employees, but it comes into force only on a date the Delhi Government notifies, and we found no such notification as of October 2026.

What is the fee for shop and establishment registration in Delhi?

There is no fee. The Labour Department's FAQ says no fee is payable for the registration certificate, no documents have to be uploaded and the certificate is issued in real time once you submit the online form. Anyone charging a 'government fee' for it is charging their own service fee.

How do I download my Delhi shop registration certificate?

Registration is done on the Labour Department's online registration site, labourcis.nic.in. When you click Register, the certificate is generated at once and you can download or print it. The same site has a search option to look up an existing registration by establishment details, which you can use if you have lost your copy.

Does a Delhi shop registration need renewal?

No renewal cycle is prescribed for the online certificate. You must, however, notify any change in the registered particulars within 30 days and tell the Chief Inspector within 15 days of closing the establishment. A new address generally means a fresh registration.

What are the working hours under the Delhi Shops Act?

Today an adult may work up to 9 hours a day and 48 hours a week, with a half-hour break after five hours. Overtime is paid at twice the normal rate within a ceiling of 54 hours a week, and 150 hours of overtime a year. When the 2026 amendment starts, the day becomes 10 hours including rest and lunch and overtime moves to 60 hours a week and 144 hours a quarter.

Can shops in Delhi stay open 24 hours and employ women at night?

Yes, under conditions. A Labour Department notification of 7 August 2025 exempts all establishments except liquor shops from the opening-hours, closing-day and women's night-work restrictions, provided they keep 9-hour days and 48-hour weeks, rotate weekly offs, install CCTV, provide transport and safety, take women's consent and send their details to the department.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 12 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.FAQ for registration under the Shops and Establishment Act — Labour Department, Government of NCT of Delhi · accessed 12 October 2026
2. 2.Online Shops and Establishment Registration — Labour Department, Government of NCT of Delhi · accessed 12 October 2026
3. 3.Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954 — Labour Department, Government of NCT of Delhi · accessed 12 October 2026
4. 4.Delhi Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act No. 03 of 2026) — Delhi Gazette Extraordinary No. 80, 11 March 2026 — Department of Law, Justice and Legislative Affairs, GNCTD (gazette copy via Simpliance) · accessed 12 October 2026
5. 5.Notification adding entries 301 and 302 to Schedule I (exemption from sections 14, 15 and 16) — Labour Department, Government of NCT of Delhi · accessed 12 October 2026
6. 6.Delhi Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2026 — overview of key amendments — ELP · accessed 12 October 2026
7. 7.Delhi Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2026 notified — Lexplosion · accessed 12 October 2026
8. 8.Draft Delhi Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2025 — TeamLease RegTech · accessed 12 October 2026