Trade License in Telangana (2026): GHMC and the New Hyderabad Corporations — Fees, Online Steps, Renewal and Penalties

Any shop, office, restaurant, clinic or workshop operating from premises inside a Telangana city or town needs a trade licence from the local body — and in Hyderabad, the local body itself changed in 2026. This guide is for owners and managers setting up or renewing in Telangana: which authority issues your licence after GHMC was split into three corporations, how the fee is worked out from your floor area and road width, the Telangana Green Fund levy, the online steps, the 1 December renewal date and the penalties for being late or unlicensed, plus the separate rules for municipalities elsewhere in the state. Fees and dates were checked against GHMC's own fee schedule and press notes in October 2026.

Quick answer

In Hyderabad, apply on the GHMC trade portal (also used by the new Cyberabad and Malkajgiri corporations). The fee is floor area × ₹3 per sq ft to ₹6 per sq ft depending on road width, plus the Telangana Green Fund levy. Licences run 1 January–31 December; renew by 1 December (30 days before the 31 December expiry).

• Two mandatory documents: identity proof and proof of legal occupation of the premises

• Provisional certificate online; final TIN certificate after field verification

• Late renewal: +25% of the fee up to 60 days, +50% of the fee after

• Trading without a licence: 100% of the fee on detection, then 10% a month

• Other towns: Telangana Municipalities Trade Licenses Rules, 2020 — financial-year licence, renew before 31 March

What a trade licence is in Telangana

A trade licence is a permission from the municipal body to carry on a particular trade or business from particular premises. It isn't a business registration — it doesn't create a legal entity, and it doesn't replace GST, Udyam or Shops and Establishments registration. What it does is let the city check that the use of the premises fits zoning and building rules, sanitation and public safety norms, and that the business pays its share of the cost of regulating trades.

In Hyderabad the licence is issued under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955 and the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Control and Supervision of Premises used for certain purposes Bye-laws, 1973. GHMC groups trades into five categories with different approving officers: eating establishments, medical establishments, veterinary establishments, dangerous and offensive trades, and general establishments or offices. Eating establishments and dangerous trades get closer inspection; general offices and retail shops are the simplest.

Outside Hyderabad, municipalities and municipal corporations issue trade licences under section 158 of the Telangana Municipalities Act, 2019 and the Telangana Municipalities Trade Licenses (Regulation of Issue and Renewal) Rules, 2020. The basic idea is the same, but the licence year, renewal date and penalties differ — covered further down.

Which authority issues your licence after the 2026 reorganisation

Hyderabad's civic map changed twice in a few months. In late 2025 the Telangana government merged 27 surrounding municipalities and municipal corporations — places such as Manikonda, Narsingi, Tellapur, Boduppal, Meerpet, Nizampet and Kompally — into GHMC. Then, on 11 February 2026, it split the enlarged GHMC into three independent corporations:

• Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation — the historic core and south, including Khairatabad, Secunderabad, Charminar, Golconda, Rajendranagar and Shamshabad;
• Cyberabad Municipal Corporation — the western IT corridor, including the Serilingampally, Kukatpally and Quthbullapur zones;
• Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation — the east, including the Malkajgiri, Uppal and L.B. Nagar zones.

For trade licences, the practical effect so far is limited. The Cyberabad and Malkajgiri corporations' websites route "Apply for new Trade Licence", "Trade Licence" payment and corrections to the same GHMC portals (trade.ghmc.gov.in, sa.ghmc.gov.in and onlinepayments.ghmc.gov.in). Existing licences and Trade Licence Identification Numbers (TINs) carry on; what changes is which corporation's circle office does the field verification and approval. If your business was in one of the 27 merged towns, your old municipal licence number may have moved to the GHMC system — search for it on the portal using your TIN or old licence number before you pay anything, and check with the circle office if it doesn't appear.

Trade licence fees in Hyderabad

GHMC charges the trade licence fee per square foot of the premises, with the rate fixed by the width of the road the premises fronts. The rates come from G.O.Rt.No.459 of 29 July 2017; in November 2019 the corporation's Resolution 173 removed the earlier maximum ceiling, so large premises now pay the full area-based amount.

On top of the licence fee, every new licence and every renewal pays a levy for the Telangana Green Fund: 10% of the fee (rounded up to the next ₹50) where the licence fee is up to ₹5,000, and a flat ₹1,000 where the fee is more than ₹5,000.

What counts as area. The fee is charged on the floor area used for the trade — the shop, office or workshop space, including storage and kitchens that form part of the business. Common areas of a building that you don't occupy aren't counted. Inspectors compare the area you declare with the premises during field verification; under-declaring is the most common reason for a revised demand.

Which road. Use the road the main entrance opens onto. A shop in a lane off a main road pays the lane rate, not the main road rate. If the portal's road-type field doesn't match what the inspector sees, the fee is revised.

Worked fee examples in ₹

Example 1 — a kirana shop in the Old City. Salma runs a 250 sq ft grocery shop on a 20-ft lane in the Charminar zone (Greater Hyderabad). Fee: 250 × ₹3 = ₹750. Green Fund: 10% of ₹750 is ₹75, rounded up to the next fifty = ₹100. Total for the year: ₹850.

Example 2 — a garment shop in Kukatpally, renewed late. Ravi's 400 sq ft shop is on a 30-ft road in the Kukatpally zone, now part of Cyberabad. Fee: 400 × ₹4 = ₹1,600. Green Fund: 10% is ₹160, rounded up to ₹200. He misses the 1 December renewal date and pays on 25 January — within 60 days — so a 25% late fee of ₹400 is added. Total: ₹2,200 instead of ₹1,800.

Example 3 — a restaurant in Madhapur, found unlicensed. A 2,500 sq ft restaurant on a 100-ft road pays 2,500 × ₹6 = ₹15,000 a year, plus a Green Fund levy of ₹1,000 because the fee exceeds ₹5,000 — ₹16,000 in all. If an inspection finds it trading without any licence, Resolution 146 adds a penalty of 100% of the fee (₹15,000) on detection and a further 10% (₹1,500) for every month until it gets the licence. Three months of delay would mean ₹15,000 + ₹4,500 of penalties on top of the ₹16,000.

How to apply online for a new trade licence

Getting a new trade licence in Hyderabad

1. 1

   Open the trade licence portal

   Go to ghmc.gov.in (or the Cyberabad or Malkajgiri corporation's site) → Online Services → Trade License → Apply for New Trade Licence. Both new corporations link to trade.ghmc.gov.in.

   GHMC trade licence page
2. 2

   Register with your mobile number

   Log in with the one-time password sent to your mobile. Use a number you'll keep — renewal reminders and the TIN are linked to it.

3. 3

   Fill in the trade and premises details

   Choose the trade category, enter the business name, owner details, premises address, locality, road type and floor area.

   Tip: Measure the floor area yourself; the fee and the inspection both depend on it.

4. 4

   Pay the fee online

   Pay the licence fee and Green Fund levy by net banking, debit or credit card. An online receipt is generated immediately.

5. 5

   Upload the two mandatory documents

   Upload identity proof and proof of legal occupation of the premises. A provisional certificate is issued once both are uploaded.

6. 6

   Field verification and final certificate

   A field officer inspects and recommends; the Zonal Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner or Chief Veterinary Officer approves. Download the digitally signed certificate with your TIN from your login.

If you'd rather not apply yourself, Mee Seva centres and the citizen service centres in each circle office and at GHMC head office accept applications and renewals. Track your application with the "Know Your Trade Applications Status" link on the portal.

Industrial units setting up through the state's single-window system apply for the municipal trade licence along with other approvals on TG-iPASS (formerly TS-iPASS). GHMC's trade licence page lists the TS-iPASS self-certification rules among the government orders that apply. Check on the TG-iPASS application whether the municipal licence is included for your unit before applying separately.

Documents required

Documents for a Telangana trade licence

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• Identity proof — Aadhaar for an individual; PAN or certificate of incorporation for a firm or company
• Proof of legal occupation — sale deed, registered lease, or rent agreement with the owner's consent
• Recent photograph of the premises showing the signboard and frontage
• Property tax receipt or assessment number of the building (helps the inspector match the premises)
• Trade-specific approvals where relevant — FSSAI licence for food, fire NOC for larger or hazardous premises, pollution consent for some workshops

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For a business run from a residential building, check the zoning before you apply: the inspector looks at whether the use is allowed in that location, and dangerous and offensive trades get the closest scrutiny. Food businesses should have their FSSAI registration or licence in hand, and larger premises or those storing hazardous materials may need a fire NOC first.

Renewal, validity and late fees

GHMC trade licences run for the calendar year, 1 January to 31 December. Under the 1973 bye-laws, the renewal application must be made at least 30 days before the old licence expires — that is, by 1 December (30 days before the 31 December expiry) for the following year. GHMC usually issues a press note each November setting out the schedule; for the 2026 licence, it deferred the date to 20 December 2025 because a bypoll model code of conduct was in force until mid-November.

GHMC renewal schedule — how the late fee grows

By 1 December (30 days before the 31 December expiry)

Renew for next year with no late fee (watch for a GHMC press note in November that may adjust the date)

Up to 60 days after the due date

Additional fee of 25% of the fee — bye-law 4(i)

More than 60 days late

Additional fee of 50% of the fee — bye-law 4(ii)

Found trading with no licence

100% of the fee on detection, then 10% a month — Resolution 146 of 2017

Renewal is simpler than a new application: search for your TIN on the online payments portal, check the demand (fee, Green Fund levy and any late fee), pay, and download the renewed certificate. If your area or road type has changed, apply for a correction first, or the inspector will raise a revised demand later. If you've closed the business or moved, apply to close or transfer the licence; otherwise the demand keeps accruing against the TIN.

Special cases: food, clinics, temporary stalls and changes

Restaurants, bakeries and other eating establishments. These fall in GHMC's eating-establishments category, where the inspection focuses on hygiene, kitchen ventilation, waste disposal and water source. The food safety licence is a separate central requirement; an inspector will usually ask to see it, so get your FSSAI registration or licence before the visit rather than after. Cloud kitchens operating from a commercial unit are treated the same way as dine-in outlets for the trade licence.

Clinics, diagnostic centres and pharmacies. Medical establishments are a separate category with their own approving officer. Health-sector registrations — under the clinical establishments rules for clinics, or a drug licence for a pharmacy — are separate from the trade licence, and the municipal licence doesn't substitute for them. Veterinary establishments and pet shops go to the Chief Veterinary Officer.

Temporary trades. Seasonal sellers, such as cracker stalls around Diwali, apply for a temporary trade licence through a dedicated link on the portal. Under the 2020 Rules for other municipalities, temporary trades can only be carried on at places the municipality has notified for that purpose, with the fee fixed by the council according to trade, location, size and duration.

Changing name, owner or address. The portal's "Trade License Corrections" option handles changes in the owner's name, the trade title and the address details. A change of premises is not a correction: a business that moves needs a licence for the new location, because the fee and the inspection depend on the premises. When a business is sold as a going concern, apply for the transfer promptly, as the new owner otherwise trades without a licence in their own name.

Who approves your Hyderabad trade licence

Step 1

Online application

fee + 2 documents

Step 2

Provisional certificate

instant

Step 3

Field officer visit

circle office

Step 4

ZC / DC / CVO approval

by category

Step 5

Final certificate

digitally signed, with TIN

Several trades in one place. If you carry on different kinds of business from the same premises — say, a retail counter and a small manufacturing unit — expect the inspector to ask for the trade with the stricter category to be licensed, and declare the full area used by both.

How long it takes. For a simple general shop or office with clean documents, the provisional certificate comes as soon as the fee is paid and the two documents are uploaded. The final certificate depends on how quickly the circle's field officer visits; trades in the eating, medical or dangerous categories take longer because more officers are involved.

Municipalities outside Hyderabad

For towns and cities elsewhere in Telangana — Warangal, Karimnagar, Khammam, Nizamabad, Siddipet and the many smaller municipalities — the Telangana Municipalities Trade Licenses (Regulation of Issue and Renewal) Rules, 2020 apply. The main differences from Hyderabad:

Hyderabad corporations vs other Telangana municipalities

	GHMC / Cyberabad / Malkajgiri	Other municipalities (Rules 2020)
Law	GHMC Act 1955 and 1973 bye-laws	Telangana Municipalities Act 2019, s.158; Rules 2020
Licence year	1 January – 31 December	Financial year, ending 31 March
Renewal due	1 December (30 days before the 31 December expiry)	At least one week before 31 March
Fee	₹3 / ₹4 / ₹6 per sq ft by road width	Council-fixed; at least ₹3–₹5 per sq ft by road width (₹6 for star hotels/corporate hospitals)
Late renewal	+25% up to 60 days, +50% after	25% of the fee (till June), 50% from 1 July
Issue	Provisional online, final after inspection	Instant on self-certification

Law

GHMC / Cyberabad / Malkajgiri

GHMC Act 1955 and 1973 bye-laws

Other municipalities (Rules 2020)

Telangana Municipalities Act 2019, s.158; Rules 2020

Licence year

GHMC / Cyberabad / Malkajgiri

1 January – 31 December

Other municipalities (Rules 2020)

Financial year, ending 31 March

Renewal due

GHMC / Cyberabad / Malkajgiri

1 December (30 days before the 31 December expiry)

Other municipalities (Rules 2020)

At least one week before 31 March

Fee

GHMC / Cyberabad / Malkajgiri

₹3 / ₹4 / ₹6 per sq ft by road width

Other municipalities (Rules 2020)

Council-fixed; at least ₹3–₹5 per sq ft by road width (₹6 for star hotels/corporate hospitals)

Late renewal

GHMC / Cyberabad / Malkajgiri

+25% up to 60 days, +50% after

Other municipalities (Rules 2020)

25% of the fee (till June), 50% from 1 July

Issue

GHMC / Cyberabad / Malkajgiri

Provisional online, final after inspection

Other municipalities (Rules 2020)

Instant on self-certification

Under the 2020 Rules, you apply online with a self-certification that the trade follows government norms and municipal conditions, plus any departmental certificates the trade needs, and the licence is issued instantly with a unique number. Apply at least a week before starting a general trade, and a month before starting a dangerous and offensive or industrial trade. A business found trading without a licence pays 25% of the fee as penalty for the first three months and 50% after that. If you disagree with a decision, you can file a revision petition with the municipal commissioner within 30 days, and appeal to the District Collector within 30 days of the commissioner's order.

Rates differ by municipality because each council fixes its own within the rules' minimums and must revise them every three years, so check the local schedule before you budget. In villages, the gram panchayat issues trade permissions under the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018; ask the panchayat secretary for its fee and form.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Paying for the wrong corporation or an old licence number. After the 2025 merger and 2026 split, some traders pay against an old municipal licence or the wrong circle. Search your TIN first; if the portal shows nothing, visit the circle office with your last receipt.

Declaring a lower area or a narrower road. This lowers the fee on day one but triggers a revised demand after inspection and can delay the final certificate. Declare accurately.

Missing the November press note. GHMC's renewal date is 1 December by default, but the corporation sometimes shifts it. Put 1 December in your calendar and watch for the notice.

Assuming the trade licence covers everything. It doesn't replace Shops and Establishments registration, professional tax enrolment, FSSAI, fire or pollution approvals. See our Telangana labour licence guide and Telangana professional tax guide for the employer-side registrations.

Not closing the licence when you shut or move. Demands continue against the TIN until you apply for closure.

Official links

• GHMC — Trade LicenseProcedure, documents and G.O.s
• Apply for a new trade licenceUsed by GHMC, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri
• Trade licence renewal paymentSearch by TIN and pay
• GHMC trade licence fee rates₹ per sq ft by road width
• Cyberabad Municipal CorporationWestern Hyderabad
• Malkajgiri Municipal CorporationEastern Hyderabad

What to do next

Measure your premises, note the road width, and work out the fee and Green Fund levy before you open the portal. If you already have a licence, set a reminder for 1 December (30 days before the 31 December expiry) and check that your TIN shows under the right corporation. Then line up the other Telangana registrations — Shops and Establishments and labour licences, professional tax, minimum wages and GST registration — and use our startup cost calculator to budget the year's fees.

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

Frequently asked questions

How is the GHMC trade licence fee calculated?

The fee is the floor area of your premises in square feet multiplied by a rate that depends on the width of the road it faces: ₹3 per sq ft on a single-lane road up to 20 ft, ₹4 per sq ft on a 30-ft double-lane road and ₹6 per sq ft on wider roads. GHMC removed the old maximum ceiling in 2019. A Telangana Green Fund levy is added on top.

What is the last date for GHMC trade licence renewal?

GHMC licences run for the calendar year, 1 January to 31 December, and the bye-laws require the renewal application 30 days before expiry — 1 December (30 days before the 31 December expiry). Late renewal costs an extra 25% of the fee for a delay of up to 60 days and 50% of the fee after that. For the 2026 licence, GHMC deferred the date to 20 December 2025.

Is the GHMC trade licence still valid after GHMC was split into three corporations?

Yes. Since 11 February 2026, Hyderabad has three corporations — Greater Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri — but all three link to the same GHMC trade licence portals for new applications, renewals and payments, and existing licences continue. Your premises' location decides which corporation's circle office verifies and approves it.

What is the penalty for running a business without a trade licence in Hyderabad?

Under GHMC Resolution 146 of 2017, a trade found running without a licence is charged 100% of the fee on detection, then 10% a month until a licence is taken, on top of the fee itself.

Which documents are needed for a trade licence in Telangana?

Two documents are mandatory online: identity proof (Aadhaar for an individual, or PAN or certificate of incorporation for a business) and proof of legal occupation of the premises (sale deed, lease or rent agreement). Keep a photo of the premises and any trade-specific approvals — FSSAI for food businesses, fire NOC where required — ready for the field inspection.

How do I get a trade licence outside Hyderabad in Telangana?

Municipalities and municipal corporations such as Warangal, Karimnagar or Nizamabad issue trade licences under the Telangana Municipalities Act, 2019 and the Trade Licenses Rules, 2020. You apply online with a self-certification, get the licence instantly, and renew it every financial year before 31 March. Councils set rates of at least ₹3–₹5 per sq ft by road width (₹6 for star hotels/corporate hospitals).

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 9 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.GHMC — Trade License (procedure, documents, related G.O.s) — Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation · accessed 9 October 2026
2. 2.GHMC — Trade License Fee Rates — Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation · accessed 9 October 2026
3. 3.GHMC — Online Procedure for New Trade License — Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation · accessed 9 October 2026
4. 4.GHMC Press Note No. 122/TL/GHMC/2025 — trade licence renewal for 1.1.2026 to 31.12.2026 — Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation · accessed 9 October 2026
5. 5.Cyberabad Municipal Corporation — online services — Cyberabad Municipal Corporation · accessed 9 October 2026
6. 6.Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation — online services — Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation · accessed 9 October 2026
7. 7.Hyderabad gets three municipal corporations as Telangana govt reorganises GHMC — Sakshi Post · accessed 9 October 2026
8. 8.Telangana Municipalities Trade Licenses (Regulation of Issue and Renewal) Rules, 2020 — LegitQuest (rules text) · accessed 9 October 2026
9. 9.GHMC announces deadlines for trade licence renewal — Telangana Today · accessed 9 October 2026