General trade license procedure

Trade license is a license issued by the municipal corporation which gives a person permission to carry on a particular trade or business for which it is issued. It does not grant ownership of property or permission for any other activity other than for which it is issued.

Trade licenses are issued for type (A) businesses like all eating establishments like hotels, restaurants, refreshments, sale of coffee and tea, lodging houses, bakeries, sweet meat stall, sale of mutton, fish  and chicken and provision stores; type (B) businesses like all trades which use motive power to run industries, factories, workshops, power rooms, flour mills, cyber cafe etc., and type (C) businesses like offensive and dangerous trades like charcoal depot, sale of firewood, timber wood, dry clean shops, dhoobi shops, beauty parlour, barbershop, sale of edible oil, storage of ammunition, breweries, manufacture of camphor and candles etc.

A trade license is a must for every business person for trade within a city to be regulated to ensure that the citizen is not adversely affected by health hazards and nuisance by improper carrying of a trade. The trade license is a means to ensure that the manner in which the business is being carried on is according to the relevant rules, standards and safety guidelines.

Application for a trade license has to be done within a month from the date of opening a shop. The application, along with Rs 100 as fees, should be attached with prescribed documents. Any person carrying on any trade and profession in Guwahati city needs to obtain trade license from Guwahati Municipal Corporation. One may apply for trade license in the prescribed form in one’s respective zol office of Guwahati Municipal Corporation. The applications are sent to the deputy commissioner of the respective zones.

As per section 180 of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation Act 1971, every person who exercises any trade indicated in the fourth schedule shall annually take out a license before the first day of April in each year or within one month of the commencement of the trade, provided the grant of such license shall not be deemed to affect the liability of the licensee to take out a license under any section of the Act.

In case of delay, additiol an amount will be realized from the traders. The trade license is issued after application in prescribed form with required supporting documents and proper spot verification of the business.

Documents required for a trade license:

1.    The agreement with the landlord by the tent in case of rented house.

2. Tax payment receipt (tax payment receipt up-to-date).

3. No-objection certificate for building permission.

4. Partnership deed/memorandum and articles of association - as applicable.

5. House rent receipt.