Shop and Establishment Registration in West Bengal (2026): SilpaSathi, Fees, Renewal, Hours and Leave

If you are opening a shop, office, restaurant, salon or showroom in Kolkata, Howrah, Siliguri, Durgapur or anywhere else in West Bengal, the shop and establishment registration is usually the first labour document you need. Unlike several States that have recently exempted small businesses, West Bengal still asks every covered shop and establishment to register, even if the owner works alone. The good news is that it is cheap, fully online through SilpaSathi and issued in real time. This guide is for owners, small employers and their accountants. It covers who must register, fees, the online process, renewal, hours, leave, penalties and a Kolkata worked example.

Quick answer

Every shop and establishment covered by the West Bengal Shops and Establishments Act, 1963 must apply for registration within 30 days of starting business, whatever its headcount. Apply online on SilpaSathi, pay a small fee through GRIPS — ₹25 for a shop with no employees up to ₹250 for an establishment with more than twenty — and download the certificate at once.

• Report any change within 7 days and closure within 15 days

• Renewal is due every 3 years, but the renewal fee has been dispensed with and licences are deemed renewed

• Up to 8½ hours a day and 48 a week; overtime at twice the rate, up to 120 hours a year

• Every shop closes one and a half days a week

What the West Bengal Shops and Establishments Act covers

The West Bengal Shops and Establishments Act, 1963 replaced the Bengal Shops and Establishments Act, 1940 and extends to the whole State, applying to the areas and classes of business the State notifies. It was last substantially amended in 2015. The Act distinguishes "shops", where goods are sold or services are offered to customers, from "establishments", which include commercial establishments such as offices, banks other than nationalised ones, insurance companies, restaurants, hotels, cafés, theatres and places of public entertainment.

Section 4 keeps some places out. The Act does not apply to offices of the Central or State Government, the Reserve Bank, railway administrations or local authorities, or to public utilities and transport services run by or for governments and public undertakings. Courts have also held that solicitors' and chartered accountants' firms are neither shops nor establishments, and the Government's own FAQ says State Bank of India and other nationalised banks are outside the Act. Establishments of medical practitioners are covered but exempt from some sections.

The shop registration is a labour-law registration. It is separate from the municipal trade licence issued by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and other bodies, from GST, and from professional tax enrolment. Banks commonly ask for it when you open a current account in the business's name.

Who must register and by when

Every covered shop and establishment. Section 16(1) requires every shopkeeper or employer to apply to the registering authority, in the prescribed form and with the prescribed fee. The State's guidance sets the deadline for a new shop or establishment at 30 days from commencement. There is no minimum number of employees: a shop with no staff still registers, at the lowest fee.

What the application contains. The Act requires the name of the shopkeeper or employer, the postal address, the name of the shop or establishment, and, for a shop, its declared weekly closing day and half day. The online form also asks for the exact location of any storeroom or godown, the police station and post office, the number of male, female, adult and young employees, the manager's name and address, and your contact details.

Changes. Any change in the particulars must be reported within 7 days, with the change fee. The declared weekly closing days cannot be changed more than once a year.

Change of owner. A registration certificate cannot be transferred. If ownership changes, surrender the certificate within 15 days, stating the change, and the new owner applies for a fresh registration.

Closure. Inform the registering authority, and your employees, in writing within 15 days of winding up the business; the authority removes the entry and cancels the certificate.

West Bengal shop registration at a glance (2026)

30 days

Time to register

from starting business

₹25–₹250

Registration fee range

by type and headcount

Real time

Certificate on SilpaSathi

after fee payment

8½ hours

Daily hours limit

48 a week

Shop and establishment registration fees in West Bengal

The State's published fee table separates shops from establishments and sets the fee by the number of employees. The same fee applies to registration and renewal, and a smaller fee applies to recording a change.

Registration fee and change fee (Government of West Bengal table)

Employees	Shop	Establishment	Fee for a change
None	₹25	₹25	₹10
1 to 5	₹30	₹30	₹20
6 to 20	₹40	₹50	₹25
More than 20	₹100	₹250	₹50

None

Shop

₹25

Establishment

₹25

Fee for a change

₹10

1 to 5

Shop

₹30

Establishment

₹30

Fee for a change

₹20

6 to 20

Shop

₹40

Establishment

₹50

Fee for a change

₹25

More than 20

Shop

₹100

Establishment

₹250

Fee for a change

₹50

These are small amounts, and the portal calculates the fee from the employee counts you enter. Online guides that quote ₹500 to ₹2,500 for a West Bengal shop licence are mixing in agents' fees or other States' rates. The renewal fee has been dispensed with, as explained below.

Shop or establishment: which column applies to you?

The two columns differ only once you have six or more employees, so the classification matters for growing businesses. A shop is premises where goods are sold, retail or wholesale, or where services are offered to customers, such as a grocery, a pharmacy counter, a salon or a mobile repair stall. An establishment covers commercial establishments such as offices, agencies, insurance and finance businesses, together with hotels, restaurants, eating houses, cafés, theatres and other places of public amusement. A restaurant with fifteen staff therefore pays ₹50, while a garment shop of the same size pays ₹40.

Count employees as the form asks: adult and young, male and female, and include people who work in the shop or establishment even if a contractor pays them. If a seasonal hiring spree takes you from five to eight people, that moves you into the next band; report it as a change within seven days and pay the change fee rather than waiting for the next renewal date. Getting the band wrong is a common reason a certificate does not match an Inspector's head count.

How to apply online on SilpaSathi

Registration is a service on SilpaSathi, the State's single-window portal. The Labour Department's user manual says it is a real-time service under the West Bengal Right to Public Services Act: once the fee is paid, the certificate is issued and you can download it, with no visit to an office.

Shop and establishment registration on SilpaSathi

1. 1

   Register on SilpaSathi

   Create an account with your mobile number and email; both are verified by OTP. Log in again after verification.

   Open SilpaSathi
2. 2

   Choose the Shops and Establishments service

   Apply for Registration under the Shops and Establishments Act, 1963 (Labour Department).

3. 3

   Fill the application form

   Establishment name and address, corporation or municipality and ward, godown location, police station and post office, employee counts by sex and age, manager details, weekly full and half closing days, and your Aadhaar or voter ID number.

4. 4

   Upload documents

   Proof of identity (Aadhaar, voter ID, passport or PAN) and proof of occupancy of the premises, such as a lease or rent agreement.

5. 5

   Pay through GRIPS

   The portal shows the fee and redirects you to GRIPS, the State's payment gateway, to pay by net banking, card or other modes.

6. 6

   Download the certificate

   The certificate is generated in real time after payment. Download it from your login and display it in a conspicuous place, as section 16(3) requires.

   Tip: The certificate can be checked by third parties through the portal's verification option.

Documents to keep ready

• Aadhaar, voter ID, passport or PAN of the proprietor, partners or directors
• Rent or lease agreement, or ownership deed, for the premises
• Trade licence copy, where you already hold one
• Memorandum of association and list of directors for a company; partnership deed for a firm
• RBI certificate for a non-banking financial company, or IRDAI certificate for an insurance business
• Employee list with sex and age, so you can declare young persons separately

West Bengal accepts self-certification by the owner under the Shops and Establishments Act, and the Labour Department has said that self-certification is sufficient compliance and dispenses with enquiry and verification.

Renewal: every three years, but deemed and free

Section 16(6) still says that a registration certificate is to be renewed, with the prescribed form and fee, within thirty days after the expiry of three years from its issue or last renewal. However, by notification Labr/175/IT&EoDB, the State, in consultation with the Finance Department, dispensed with the renewal fee and adopted "deemed renewal" of licences after expiry, to cut the compliance burden on businesses.

In practice, that means a certificate does not lapse simply because three years have passed, and you should not pay anyone for a "renewal". What you must still do is keep the registration accurate: report a change in address, name, manager, employee band or weekly closing day within seven days, and pay the small change fee.

Working hours, weekly closure, leave and overtime

Opening hours. A shop may not open before 8 am or close after 10 pm, unless the State changes those limits for an area or class of shop; staff working until 10 pm must be given transport. Hotels, restaurants, eating houses and cafés must close by 11 pm.

Hours of work. No person may work more than 8½ hours in a day or 48 hours in a week, or after closing time. Overtime is allowed in establishments, and in shops on stock-taking and accounts days, but the day including overtime cannot exceed ten hours and overtime cannot exceed 120 hours in a year. A rest interval of at least one hour is due before anyone works more than five and a half hours, and the working day cannot spread over more than 10½ hours.

Overtime pay. Section 13 sets overtime wages at twice the ordinary rate, or any higher rate agreed by contract or custom. Work on a day the State has declared a national holiday counts as overtime.

Weekly closure. Every shop and commercial establishment must close for one and a half days each week, and every employee gets those as paid holidays, even if employed on a no-work-no-pay basis. You declare the day and half day in a displayed notice and on your registration, and can change them only once a year.

Leave. Section 11 entitles each employee to 14 days of privilege leave on full pay for every completed year of service, which can accumulate to 28 days; 14 days of sick leave on half pay each year on a medical certificate, accumulating to 56 days; 10 days of casual leave on full pay, which cannot be carried forward; and maternity leave under the rules. On termination, unused privilege leave must be paid.

Young persons and women. A young person may work no more than seven hours a day and 40 a week. Section 10 bars young persons from working after 8 pm, and bars women from working after 8 pm in a shop or commercial establishment and after 6 pm in places of entertainment other than cinemas and theatres. Exemptions from this restriction are granted by the State; take advice before rostering women into late evenings.

Working-time limits under the West Bengal Act

Rule	Adults	Young persons
Daily hours	8½ hours	7 hours
Weekly hours	48	40
Day including overtime	10 hours	—
Overtime cap	120 hours a year	—
Rest interval	1 hour after 5½ hours	1 hour after 4 hours
Spread-over	10½ hours	—
Latest finishing time	Shop closing time (10 pm)	8 pm

Daily hours

Adults

8½ hours

Young persons

7 hours

Weekly hours

Adults

48

Young persons

40

Day including overtime

Adults

10 hours

Young persons

—

Overtime cap

Adults

120 hours a year

Young persons

—

Rest interval

Adults

1 hour after 5½ hours

Young persons

1 hour after 4 hours

Spread-over

Adults

10½ hours

Young persons

—

Latest finishing time

Adults

Shop closing time (10 pm)

Young persons

8 pm

Worked example: a Kolkata garment shop

Basu Garments opens on Gariahat Road, Kolkata on 1 September with seven sales staff and a cashier. It is a shop with eight employees.

Registration and fee. The owner applies on SilpaSathi by 1 October, within 30 days, declares Sunday as the full closing day and Thursday afternoon as the half day, and pays ₹40 for the six-to-twenty band. The certificate downloads straight away.

A change. In November she moves the godown to a new address and hires a manager. She reports both within seven days and pays the ₹25 change fee for her band.

Overtime. Kolkata is in Zone A for West Bengal minimum wages, where the unskilled rate for July to December 2026 is ₹10,558 a month. Over 26 working days that is about ₹406 a day; dividing by the 8½-hour day gives about ₹48 an hour, so overtime at twice the rate is about ₹96 an hour. During the Puja rush a salesman works five extra hours in a week, never more than ten hours in a day, and is owed about ₹480. Use actual wages if you pay more, and check the half-yearly revisions on our West Bengal minimum wages page.

Other compliance. Salaries above ₹20,000 a month attract West Bengal professional tax. With ten or more employees she would also look at ESIC.

Records, appointment letters and penalties

Records. The State's guidance lists the registers a shopkeeper or employer keeps: hours of work and rest intervals (Form I), leave (Form J), pay (Form M), overtime (Form U) and employees (Form W), plus a visit book. Display the registration certificate and the notices of weekly closure and weekly holidays. Section 18 requires an appointment letter for every person employed.

Penalties. After the 2015 amendment, section 21(1) punishes any contravention of the Act with a fine of ₹100 to ₹2,000 for a first offence. Any contravention after the first offence attracts up to ₹5,000 or six months' imprisonment, or both. False entries in registers or notices are separately punishable with up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to ₹5,000, or both. Only an Inspector can file a complaint, and cases are tried by a magistrate of the first class.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Thinking small shops are exempt. That is true in some States, not in West Bengal. Even a shop with no employees registers, at ₹25.

Paying for renewal. The renewal fee has been dispensed with and licences are deemed renewed. An agent's "renewal charge" is a service fee.

Not reporting a change within seven days. A new address, owner, manager or employee band needs an update. A change of owner needs a fresh registration, not an amendment.

Ignoring the one-and-a-half-day closure. Many shops open seven days a week without an exemption. The Act requires closure for one and a half days, and every employee is entitled to that paid time off.

Assuming the Labour Codes replaced the State Act. The four Labour Codes came into force on 21 November 2025, but the State's Shops and Establishments Act still applies alongside them. See our Labour Codes guide.

Official links

• SilpaSathi — apply onlineRegistration under the Shops and Establishments Act
• SilpaSathi user manual for shop registration (PDF)Steps, documents, payment
• West Bengal Shops and Establishments Act — fees and FAQ (PDF)Government of West Bengal
• Labour Department, West BengalNotices and notifications

What to do next

If you have opened or are about to open a shop or office in West Bengal, register on SilpaSathi within 30 days; it costs between ₹25 and ₹250 and the certificate is instant. Declare a realistic weekly closing day and half day, set up the attendance, leave and overtime registers, and issue appointment letters. Check pay against the West Bengal minimum wages each January and July, and enrol for professional tax if salaries cross the limit. Our salary slip generator shows overtime and deductions clearly, and the hourly rate calculator helps you price overtime. You will also need a trade licence from your municipality.

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 West Bengal?

Yes, for every shop and establishment covered by the West Bengal Shops and Establishments Act, 1963, whatever the number of employees. Apply within 30 days of starting business. Government offices, the Reserve Bank, public utilities and some professions, such as solicitors' and chartered accountants' firms, are outside the Act.

What is the shop registration fee in West Bengal?

The State's fee table charges a shop ₹25 with no employees, ₹30 with one to five, ₹40 with six to twenty and ₹100 above twenty. Establishments pay ₹50 for six to twenty and ₹250 above twenty. Fees are paid online through GRIPS when you apply on SilpaSathi.

How do I renew a shop licence in West Bengal?

Section 16(6) says a registration is renewed after every 3 years. The Labour Department has dispensed with the renewal fee and moved to deemed renewal of licences after expiry, by notification Labr/175/IT&EoDB. Keep your details current on the portal; if the portal still asks you to renew, follow its instructions, which carry no fee.

How long does West Bengal take to issue a shop registration certificate?

The Labour Department's SilpaSathi user manual says registration under the Shops and Establishments Act is a real-time service under the West Bengal Right to Public Services Act: the certificate is issued as soon as the fee is paid, and you download it from your SilpaSathi login.

What are the working hours under the West Bengal Shops Act?

No one may work more than 8½ hours a day or 48 hours a week. Including overtime, the day cannot exceed ten hours, and overtime is capped at 120 hours a year, paid at twice the ordinary rate. A one-hour rest is due after five and a half hours, and the spread-over cannot exceed 10½ hours.

What is the penalty for not registering a shop in West Bengal?

Section 21 punishes any contravention of the Act with a fine of ₹100 to ₹2,000 for a first offence. For any later contravention the punishment is up to ₹5,000 or six months' imprisonment, or both. Prosecution needs a complaint by an Inspector.

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.The West Bengal Shops and Establishments Act — registration process, fees and FAQ — Government of West Bengal · accessed 12 October 2026
2. 2.Registration under The Shops and Establishment Act, 1963 — SilpaSathi user manual — Labour Department, Government of West Bengal (NIC) · accessed 12 October 2026
3. 3.The West Bengal Shops and Establishments Act, 1963 (as amended up to 2015) — bare act — Simpliance (reproduction of the Act) · accessed 12 October 2026
4. 4.West Bengal exempts shops and commercial establishments from payment of fees for renewal of licences (Labr/175/IT&EoDB) — TeamLease RegTech · accessed 12 October 2026
5. 5.Labour Commissionerate, West Bengal — Circular No. 30/Stat/14/RW/24/2023/LCS/JLC dated 22 June 2026 (minimum wages, July–December 2026) — Labour Commissionerate, West Bengal (signed copy via SGCMS) · accessed 12 October 2026
6. 6.Notification 1407-F.T. / 1607-F.T. — West Bengal professional tax exemption limit — Finance Department (Revenue), Government of West Bengal · accessed 12 October 2026