{"id":91040,"date":"2026-11-12T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/?p=91040"},"modified":"2026-11-12T15:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T10:00:00","slug":"drug-licence-west-bengal-pharmacy-retail-wholesale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/drug-licence-west-bengal-pharmacy-retail-wholesale\/","title":{"rendered":"Drug Licence in West Bengal (2026): Retail and Wholesale Pharmacy Licence, Pharmacist, Area and Fees"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>To open a medicine shop or a pharma distribution business in Kolkata, you need a drug licence from the West Bengal Directorate of Drugs Control under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. A retail chemist takes licences in Form 20 and 21; a wholesaler or distributor takes Form 20B and 21B. The key conditions are a registered pharmacist for retail (or a qualified competent person for wholesale), at least 10 square metres of premises (15 square metres for retail and wholesale together), and a refrigerator for drugs that need cold storage.<\/strong> Licences no longer need renewal; they remain valid as long as the retention fee is paid every five years.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which licence do you need?<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Business<\/th>\n<th>Licences<\/th>\n<th>Key person<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Retail chemist<\/td>\n<td>Form 20 (general drugs) and Form 21 (Schedule C and C1 drugs)<\/td>\n<td>Registered pharmacist, working full time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Wholesaler or distributor<\/td>\n<td>Form 20B and Form 21B<\/td>\n<td>Competent person: a pharmacist, or a graduate with one year of experience in drug dealing, or a matriculate with four years of experience<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Both from the same premises<\/td>\n<td>Retail and wholesale licences<\/td>\n<td>Both conditions met<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Narcotic and psychotropic drugs, and Schedule X drugs, need additional licences and strict record-keeping.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Premises conditions<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Area:<\/strong> at least 10 square metres for retail or wholesale, and 15 square metres for both.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Storage:<\/strong> clean, dry premises with racks; a refrigerator for vaccines, insulin and other cold-chain drugs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Location proof:<\/strong> ownership papers or a rent agreement, plus a site plan and the owner&#8217;s consent.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Signboard:<\/strong> the shop name and licence numbers must be displayed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Documents<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Application with the prescribed fee.<\/li>\n<li>Proof of constitution: proprietor ID, partnership deed, or company and LLP papers.<\/li>\n<li>Premises documents, site plan and key plan.<\/li>\n<li>Pharmacist&#8217;s registration certificate with the West Bengal Pharmacy Council, appointment letter and affidavit; or the competent person&#8217;s qualification and experience certificates.<\/li>\n<li>Affidavit of non-conviction under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.<\/li>\n<li>Invoice for the refrigerator, where needed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fees and validity<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The government fee is \u20b93,000 for each licence. Since the 2017 amendment to the Rules, a licence remains valid perpetually if the retention fee is paid every five years. Missing the retention fee can lead to suspension, so put the date in your compliance calendar.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Process and inspection<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Apply online on the state&#8217;s drug licensing system and pay the fee.<\/li>\n<li>A Drug Inspector inspects the premises, checks the area, storage, refrigerator and the pharmacist&#8217;s presence.<\/li>\n<li>The licensing authority grants the licence after a satisfactory inspection.<\/li>\n<li>After grant, keep purchase and sale records, prescription records for Schedule H and H1 drugs, and the pharmacist on site during opening hours.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tax registrations you also need<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>GST:<\/strong> most medicines are taxed at 5% after the 2025 rate rationalisation, with some life-saving drugs exempt. See our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com\/learn\/gst-registration-kolkata-biometric-gst-suvidha-kendra\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GST registration in Kolkata<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>KMC trade licence:<\/strong> see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com\/learn\/kmc-trade-licence-kolkata-fees-validity-late-fine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KMC trade licence fees and validity<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shop registration<\/strong> under the West Bengal Shops and Establishments Act.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQs<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can a non-pharmacist open a medical shop in Kolkata?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, if a registered pharmacist is employed full time and is present during working hours.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the minimum area for a drug licence?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">10 square metres for retail or wholesale, and 15 square metres for both from the same premises.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do drug licences need renewal?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. They remain valid if the retention fee is paid every five years.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the fee for a drug licence?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u20b93,000 for each licence form, such as 20 and 21.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TAXAJ helps pharmacies and distributors in Kolkata with drug licence paperwork, GST and accounts. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com\/drugs-license\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">drug licence service<\/a> or talk to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com\/ca-in-kolkata\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kolkata team<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/918802912345?text=I%20need%20a%20drug%20licence%20in%20West%20Bengal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WhatsApp our Kolkata team<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-outline\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"tel:+918802812345\">Call 88028 12345<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Last updated 11 November 2026. Sources: Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940; Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, rules 59 to 66 and the 2017 amendment on retention fees. Fees and procedures can change; check with the Directorate of Drugs Control, West Bengal before applying. General information only.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to get a retail or wholesale drug licence in West Bengal and Kolkata: licences in Form 20, 21, 20B and 21B, the registered pharmacist and competent person rules, minimum area, refrigerator, fees, retention instead of renewal, and inspection tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-licenses-registration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91040"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91697,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91040\/revisions\/91697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}