The grant of trade license in Kerala is in the hand of the concerned department of the Municipal Corporation. Trade license holders are liable to follow stipulated rules and safety guidelines. The said license aims to protect the interest of the citizen and curb illicit trade activities. In this write-up, we shall unveil the legalities around trade license in Kerala in detail.
An Overview on Kerala Municipality Amendment Act, 1996
As per Kerala Municipality Amendment Act, any individual who enters a trade of any kind in the state must secure prior consent from the authority concerned before starting business activities.
Who is mandated to apply for a trade license in Kerala?
- The trade license serves as a mandate for every business entity operating within the limit of any municipal corporation.
- Every person aiming to set up any operational facility or workplace which is intended to run with or without power needs to apply for this license.
- Establishments such as eating houses, hotels, Abkari shops, restaurants, and travel agencies also fall under this license.
Which authority grants the trade license in Kerala?
The health department operates under the Kochi Municipal Corporation and has to authority to confer trade licenses in Kerala. The authority usually takes around 15 days to process and grant the license.
Validity of the trade license
Three years is the max validity of a Trade License in Kerala. The said validity period shall come to effect from the date of the issuance of the license.
Documents required for applying for the trade license
Applicants seeking a trade license in Kerala are required to arrange the following documents;
- Building Owner’s Consent Letter
- Professional Tax Receipt
- Property Tax Receipt
- Permission Letter
- Trading Institution’s MOA
- Trading Institution’s Registration Certificate
Application procedure to obtain a trade license in Kerala
The following is the step-by-step guide for securing a trade license in Kerala;
Note: Depending on the trade type, the applicant is required to secure a Non-creamy layer certificate for the installation of equipment before initiating the trades.
Step 1: The individual who intends to deal with trading activities needs to contact the respective municipal corporation for applying for the trade license in Kerala
Step 2: File the prescribed application and submit it along with standard documents. Applicant must enclose the following details in the application form;
- Applicant Name and Address
- Purpose of securing a trade license
- Building and Ward number
- Nearby Road name
- Number of workers serving the facility
- Detail pertaining to machinery and plant
Step 3: Submit the application and secure the acknowledgment slip
Step 4: The health inspector shall initiate the inspection process and make some legal checks. While on-site inspection, the said official shall lookout for the areas that could be detrimental to public health. The non-compliance could restrain the applicant from securing the trade license.
Step 5: Upon successful on-site vetting, the Health Inspector shall share his/her findings with the Registrar. These findings shall lay the ground for the final approval for the license.
Step 6: If the secretary stamps his/her approval, the applicant has to furnish the applicable fee to the municipal corporation
Step 7: After fee submission, the said authority shall grant the trade license to the applicant concerned.
Online procedure for securing Trade license in Kerala
Step 1: Open the Kerala Sanchaya portal and login into the same
Step 2: Select the citizen login option.
Step 3: Head over to the drop-down menu to select the concerned district and municipality
Step 4: The list of the municipal corporation shall prompt on the screen; select the respective municipality[1] for which the license is required.
Step 5: On the new page select, opt for the option called D&O Licence e-filing (Urban)
Step 6: To avail of web-based certification services, the applicant must register in the Sanchaya portal
Step 7: For registration purposes, tap on the click on the ‘New user registration link
Step 8: fill out the requested details and select the login credentials. Next, provide the case-sensitive characters in the relevant field and then tap on the submit button.
Step 9: Login into Kerala e-district portal
Step 10: Fill out the requested details for the trade license. Once you hit the Save button, the document uploading sections shall appear on the screen.
Step 11: Upload the requested documents in the format suggested by the portal.
Step 12: After uploading documents, the applicant shall redirect to the payment gateway for fee submission. The applicant can submit the application fee via net banking mode. After successful fee submission, the portal shall generate the receipt for future reference.
Conclusion
Obtaining a trade license is a legal obligation for every eligible establishment. Its grant is in the hand of the respective Municipal Corporation. The applicants have an option to apply for this license through the government web portal.
With that being said, there is another viable alternative for securing this license. The applicant can also connect with a trusted licensing firm like Corpbiz.
Corpbiz, a top-tier licensing firm headquartered in Noida, facilitates best-in-class services regarding trade licenses to the client pan India. Feel free to prompt us if you do not want to confront the hassles of addressing license legalities.
Read our Article:Trade license: Thing you needs to know
