How to Register a Clinic in India: Which Law Applies in Your State, Fees and Steps

In most of India, a clinic has to be registered with the state before it opens, and that includes a single doctor practising alone, a dental clinic and a physiotherapy clinic. Which law you register under depends on the state the clinic is in. Nineteen states and union territories use the central Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Delhi have their own laws.

This guide covers which law applies where, how registration works under the central Act, what the larger states charge, and the other permissions a small clinic usually needs. Every fact below links to the act, rules or government portal it comes from.

Does a small clinic need to be registered?

Under the central Act, yes. Its definition of a clinical establishment names "a hospital, maternity home, nursing home, dispensary, clinic, sanatorium or an institution by whatever name called that offers services, facilities requiring diagnosis, treatment or care", and the list of owners it covers includes "a single doctor" (Act text, section 2). The application form lists dental clinics and physiotherapy or occupational therapy clinics as categories of their own (MoHFW operational guidelines).

Section 11 bars anyone from operating a clinical establishment that has not been registered under the Act. Section 41 sets the penalties for doing so:

• a first offence: up to Rs 50,000
• a second offence: up to Rs 2 lakh
• any later offence: up to Rs 5 lakh

The Act covers allopathy as well as AYUSH systems: it lists "Allopathy, Yoga, Naturopathy, Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Siddha and Unani".

Which law applies in your state

The list of adopting states is from the central portal. Telangana adopted the central Act by a resolution of its Legislative Assembly on 25 March 2017 (Telangana Bill 15 of 2025).

A few state laws reach small clinics differently, so check these before you apply:

• Kerala covers establishments "with or without beds", including dental care. Provisional registration lasts two years. Permanent registration lasts three (Kerala Act 2 of 2018).
• Andhra Pradesh's 2002 Act covers allopathic establishments only. A 2026 bill proposes bringing AYUSH clinics under the central Act (AP Bill 5 of 2026).
• Delhi's Nursing Home Cell registers "private hospitals / nursing homes functioning round-the-clock and having indoor admission facility (at least 02 beds)" (DGEHS). If your clinic has no beds, ask the Directorate whether any registration applies to you.
• West Bengal's 2017 bill covered "a single doctor establishment or medical clinic", but excluded a place used by a doctor "solely for the purpose of consultation and advice", to be displayed as a "Medical Consultation Clinic" (WB Bill 10 of 2017). Confirm the final wording with the state if your practice is consultation only.
• Maharashtra's 1949 Act is written for nursing homes that admit patients. Ask your municipal corporation whether an outpatient-only clinic needs it.

How registration works under the central Act

Registration has two steps, provisional and then permanent (central FAQ).

1. Provisional registration. You apply with a self-declaration, and the certificate is issued "without any inquiry or inspection". It is valid to the last day of the twelfth month from the date of issue and can be renewed (section 17).
2. Permanent registration. A clinic that opens after the Act came into force in its state must apply for permanent registration within six months of opening (section 14(4)). Permanent registration depends on meeting the minimum standards the state has notified for that type of clinic.
3. Renewal. Apply 30 days before a provisional registration expires. For a permanent registration, apply six months ahead (operational guidelines).

The central Act sets no fee. The guidelines say fees "shall be specified by respective State Government/UT administration", so check your state health department's notification.

What the bigger states charge

Karnataka publishes its fees on the KPME portal:

The Karnataka application asks for ownership details, the administrator's details, staff, uploaded certificates, an internal grievance contact and a schedule of charges, and is signed with an OTP (KPME user manual).

Tamil Nadu charges Rs 5,000 with the application in Form I. A duplicate certificate costs Rs 300. Apply for renewal well before the registration expires; the Rules set the deadline at ninety days (Tamil Nadu Rules 2018). The application asks for the owner's details, the qualification of the person in charge (for a physiotherapy centre, a physiotherapist), the floor area in square metres, staff, and whether pollution control board authorisation has been obtained. A clinic that offers more than one system of medicine applies separately for each (TN guidance).

Other permissions a small clinic needs

Bio-medical waste authorisation. The Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 apply to "hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, dispensaries", and every occupier handling bio-medical waste must apply in Form II "irrespective of the quantity". For a clinic without beds the authorisation is one-time, and it is "deemed to have been granted" if the pollution control board does not object within 90 days (Rules, CPCB). In practice, most small clinics also sign up with the local common bio-medical waste treatment facility, which collects the colour-coded bags.

PCPNDT registration, only with an ultrasound machine. Any clinic with an ultrasound or imaging scanner has to register under the PCPNDT Act. Registration lasts five years, and the application needs the radiologist's or sonologist's council registration certificate (Meghalaya procedure, as an example).

Drug licence, only if you sell medicines. A doctor supplying medicines to their own patients is exempt under Schedule K, item 5 of the Drugs Rules, provided they are not "keeping an open shop" or "selling across the counter" (quoted by the Supreme Court, 15 March 2023). A pharmacy counter open to the public needs a drug licence.

Trade licence, Shops and Establishments registration and fire safety. These are set by each state and city. Ask your municipal corporation or panchayat which apply to a clinic of your size.

A checklist before you open

1. Find your state's law in the table above and open its portal.
2. Apply for registration: provisional under the central Act, or the state's own process.
3. Apply for bio-medical waste authorisation and sign up with the local waste collector.
4. Register for PCPNDT if you will use ultrasound, and get a drug licence if you will sell medicines over the counter.
5. Ask the municipal office about trade licence and fire safety for your premises.
6. Display your registration certificate and your schedule of charges at the clinic, as your state's rules require.

Keeping records from the first day

Registration forms ask what records you keep, and inspections for permanent registration look at them. MyClinicDesk gives every patient an OP number and keeps registration, visits, prescriptions and bills on one record from the first patient onward. If you are setting up a clinic now, our free clinic forms include an OPD register and a prescription pad you can print with your clinic's name.

This guide is a summary of public sources and is not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm the current requirements with your state health department before you apply.