Retail Drug Licence — chemist / medical store (Maharashtra FDA)
Also known as: drug licence Maharashtra, medical store licence, chemist shop licence Maharashtra, Form 20 21 drug licence, pharmacy licence FDA Maharashtra, retail chemist licence
The licence a retail chemist / medical store needs to sell medicines in Maharashtra, granted by the Food & Drugs Administration (FDA) under the central Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945. The one requirement that gates everything else: a retail drug licence is granted ONLY where a registered pharmacist is in place — no pharmacist, no licence. It also fixes a minimum premises size, a mandatory refrigerator, and a Drugs Inspector's premises inspection before grant.
- Issued by
- Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), Maharashtra — Medical Education & Drugs Department
- Official portal
- FDA Maharashtra online licensing (XLN)
- You get
- Retail Drug Sale Licence (Form 20 & 21) — Maharashtra — Renewable
- Offline options
- Jurisdictional FDA divisional / Drugs Inspector office
Who can apply
- You have the services of a REGISTERED PHARMACIST for the store. This is the hard gate: the FDA states a retail medical-store licence 'cannot be granted unless' a registered pharmacist is provided, and sales must then happen under the pharmacist's active supervision
- The premises has a minimum 10 sq.m carpet area (15 sq.m if you want retail AND wholesale combined), legally possessed by you, with a separate and exclusive entrance
- A refrigerator is in place — it is mandatory for a retail licence (many drugs require cold storage), alongside cupboards and racks for drug storage
- Know which licence you need: Form 20 covers drugs other than those in Schedule C/C1, Form 21 covers Schedule C and C1 drugs — a normal chemist needs BOTH, applied for together on Form 19. Homeopathy (Form 20C) and Schedule X drugs (Form 20F) are separate applications, never combined with Form 20/21
What it costs
| Retail drug sale licence fee (Form 20 + Form 21)The FDA guideline states a combined fresh/renewal retail licence fee of ₹3,250 for Form 20 & 21 (Allopathic) with Form 20C (Homeopathy). The fee chart lists Form 20 and Form 21 at ₹1,500 each. A late fee of ₹1,500/month applies for up to six months, and a duplicate copy is ₹500. Confirm the exact total for your combination on the FDA fee chart before paying via GRAS. | ₹3250 |
How long it takes
Typically 15–45 days.
No statutory processing clock is asserted from the guideline. The FDA process is: application allocated to a Drugs Inspector → premises inspection → report → Licensing Authority's final order; the licence can be printed within 3 days of grant. VERIFY whether the retail drug licence is notified under the Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act and its stipulated days.
The full step-by-step guide
What's inside for this procedure:
- 6 steps in exact order, with the official link at each one
- 8 documents — accepted alternatives
- 6 common reasons applications get rejected, and how to avoid each
- A 2-question intake that prunes the checklist to your situation
- The nearest office and authorised centre to file it, for your PIN code
- Progress tracking with your deadlines, notes, and application numbers
Common questions
Do I need a pharmacist to get a drug licence?
Yes — it is the hard requirement. The FDA does not grant a retail medical-store licence unless a registered pharmacist is provided, and sales must run under the pharmacist's active supervision. Arrange the pharmacist before anything else.
Which forms do I apply for?
A normal chemist applies on Form 19 for a retail licence in Form 20 (drugs other than Schedule C/C1) and Form 21 (Schedule C and C1) together. Homeopathy (Form 20C) and Schedule X drugs (Form 20F) are separate applications.
How big must the shop be?
Minimum 10 sq.m carpet area with a separate and exclusive entrance (15 sq.m for retail and wholesale combined), plus a mandatory refrigerator and storage racks.
What does it cost?
The FDA guideline states a combined retail licence fee of ₹3,250 (Form 20 & 21 with Form 20C); the fee chart lists Form 20 and Form 21 at ₹1,500 each. Pay via GRAS after filling Form 19. Confirm the exact total for your combination on the FDA fee chart.
Does the licence expire?
Under the 2019 amendment to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, drug-sale licences became perpetual subject to a retention fee every five years rather than full renewal — the FDA fee chart's 'Renewal/Retention' column reflects this. Confirm the retention amount and cycle for your licence.
I'm buying an existing medical store — can I use its licence?
No. The FDA treats a change of proprietor (other than on the proprietor's death) as needing a fresh licence, not an amendment. Plan a fresh application.
Part of a bigger goal
- Start a clinic or nursing home — Maharashtra— Maharashtra
Would you rather have someone do this for you?
The guide above covers the full procedure. If you would prefer professional help, let us know — assisted filing is on the way, and this helps us decide which services and cities come first.
We record the service, the state and the first 3 digits of your pincode — enough to see which areas need help, not enough to identify you. No name, no phone number.
Where this comes from
This guide is put together from the official government sources listed below. We last reviewed it on 20 July 2026. Government rules and fees change often, and official websites are sometimes incomplete or unclear, so we cannot promise every detail is current. We make every effort to keep this updated, but there is no guarantee. Always check the official source linked below before you act or pay.
Recent changes
- 20 July 2026 — Re-voiced steps to the action-first step-writing standard (docs/STEP-WRITING-STANDARD.md): second-person imperative, action first, who-you-need surfaced; all facts, citations, fees and references preserved.
- 16 July 2026 — Initial authoring — the first WAVE G (regulated professional) atom, taken once Waves A–C proved the source-checking machinery. Chosen as the safest, best-documented Wave G item: the Maharashtra FDA's own 2017 'Steps for Grant of Retail/Wholesale Licence' guideline supplies the whole picture from a single authoritative source — the registered-pharmacist gate, the 10/15 sq.m carpet-area and refrigerator requirements, Form 19 → Form 20/21, the ₹3,250 retail fee (Form 20/21 at ₹1,500 each), GRAS payment + e-send, the Drugs Inspector inspection, and change-of-proprietor = fresh licence. Legal basis is the central Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945 (the guideline itself says its provisions prevail). Sources-pending density is deliberately low, well under the Wave G ~20% park-threshold: only three items are flagged — whether it is RTS-notified (no statutory clock asserted), actual turnaround, and the exact retention amount/five-year cycle under the 2019 Rules amendment (the fee chart's 'Renewal/Retention' column evidences the regime but not the figure). MH atom → couples to a Marathi translation.
Official sources for this guide
- Food & Drugs Administration, Maharashtra — 'Steps for Grant of Retail/Wholesale Licence' / Drug Sale Licence Standard Documents and Application Guidelines (Version 3, 2017): registered-pharmacist requirement, 10 sq.m (retail) / 15 sq.m (retail+wholesale) carpet area with separate exclusive entrance, mandatory refrigerator, Form 19 → Form 20/21, retail fee ₹3,250 (Form 20/21 ₹1,500 each), GRAS payment + e-send, Drugs Inspector premises inspection, print licence within 3 days of grant, change-of-proprietor = fresh licence
- FDA Maharashtra online licensing (XLN) — paperless application system (user ID/password, upload, e-send)
- Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), Maharashtra — Medical Education & Drugs Department official page
- The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945 — the central statute the FDA licenses under (the FDA guideline states its provisions prevail over the guidelines)
KaamKar is an independent guide, not a government website. Apply only on the official portal linked above. Content prepared to published requirements — no outcomes are guaranteed.