Kerala trade license, Gumasta License, or the shop act license as it is called by different names in different parts of India is a document that grants an individual permission to carry out business. It is provided by the State Government and mandated by the Kerala Municipality Amendment Act, 2014 to make sure businesses comply with certain rules and safety guidelines.
There are multiple documents that have to be submitted when applying for a Trade License and these are:
* Building Owner’s Consent Letter
* Property Tax Receipt
* Professional Tax Receipt
* MOA and Registration Certificate of the Trading Institution
Trade licences have to be applied for by people in the region where they are planning on starting their industry, factory or workplace or trade or service. Individuals need to submit the required applications and documents to get their licence sorted out. This application number will be used in future for other interactions with this department. There would be several inspections conducted to make sure everything is correct and matching requirements.
Additionally, there is a fee that has to be cleared and post that the individual can use the same application number to collect their trade licence. There are online platforms that allow users to handle the entire application process making it a lot easier. However, it is recommended that people only use reputed websites since there might be multiple unseen charges through private portals. It should be mentioned that depending on the trade type, i.e., Industry, Workshop, Machinery or Factory, the applicant has to gather a certain NOC for installing the equipment before starting the trades. Furthermore, the pricing also varies based on the above details.
All the information provided should be accurate with the right amount of proof and documentation submitted as and when required. These have to be scanned and added as PDFs and have to be of a specific size. Additional details like selecting the right municipality are also necessary.
There is a separate Sanchaya web portal that applicants have to register to and create accounts if they are planning on improving certain services. All coordination with the municipality or other Government offices, online, has to be done through this portal.
The Kerala trade license provided to applicants under the Kerala Municipal Amendment Act is valid for three years from the date of its issue. All licences have to be renewed thirty days before their expiration according to Kerala law. Additionally, candidates have to begin the renewal process, not more than 90 days before the date of expiration.
The process is quite simple and does not take a lot of time. It involves the filling up of one form, providing the main application number. This application takes about 15 days to be processed before providing the applicant with their new licence.