Shops and Establishment Act

S&E registration deadline

Within 30 days — for a new establishment, from “The date on which the establishment commences its work.” (section 4(3), not amended in 2026).

How long the registration lasts

The Act now says two different things, and this desk does not pick one — both are set out below.

“Five years” — section 4(4)

“A registration certificate issued under sub-section (2), shall be valid for five years and shall be renewed before the expiry of the period of registration certificate on payment of such fees and in such manner as may be prescribed.” This provision was not amended by Act 38 of 2026.

“Until closure” — section 4(5), as substituted by Act 38 of 2026

“The registration once issued under section 4 shall be valid until the closure or cessation of business of the establishment.” The sub-section (5) it replaced was a transitional provision about certificates issued or renewed before the 1997 amendment, which required renewal in accordance with sub-section (4).

Which one governs

Section 4(5) as substituted is the later and more specific provision, and section 4(4) does not appear to have been correspondingly updated — it still fixes a five-year cycle and still requires renewal before expiry. This desk states both and does not say which governs.

Also omitted

Act 38 of 2026 also omitted sub-section (6), which had provided for deemed renewal where the Inspector did not refuse within thirty days.

Exemption where the OSH Code already applies

“Establishment employing ten or more workers, if already registered under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (Central Act 37 of 2020)” — section 3(1)(k), inserted by Act 38 of 2026. Provided that, no separate registration shall be required for godowns or storage facilities situated within a distance of one hundred meters from the principal establishment.

Deemed registration

The consolidated Act footnotes section 4(3A) as “inserted by Act 28 of 2005 by notification. The Act is yet to be brought into force.” Act 38 of 2026 substitutes “seven days” for “thirty days” in it. Whether a provision that had not commenced is brought into force by being amended is not resolved here.

Fees and filings

Act 38 of 2026 requires the statement, the certificate, the fees and any notification of change to go through electronic or digital mode (sections 4(1), 4(2), 4(4) and 6).

On the letter

Keep the registration number on every appointment letter.

From the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961 (Karnataka Act 8 of 1962), and Karnataka Act 38 of 2026, the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2026 — assented 3 September 2026, published in Karnataka Gazette Extraordinary No. 893, Part IVA, 4 September 2026, and expressed to come into force at once. Factory licence and contract labour each have their own page now, and their own Act: they are not stated here.

What registration costs

Schedule-I (see rules 3 and 3A), as substituted by the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Rules, 2024 — Notification No. LD 219 LET 2023 of 29 November 2024, printed in the Karnataka Gazette Part 4A, Volume 160, Issue 01, of 1 January 2025.

No employees

₹405

1 to 9 employees

₹810

10 to 19

₹5,400

20 to 49

₹13,500

50 to 99

₹27,000

100 to 250

₹54,000

251 to 500

₹67,500

501 to 1,000

₹94,500

more than 1,000

₹1,01,250

The department's online-services checklist still prints the earlier scale — ₹300 to ₹75,000. Every figure there is exactly the current one divided by 1.35, the same uplift the 2024 rules applied to the contract-labour fees, so the checklist is the schedule this amendment replaced.