Delhi has made registration and licensing mandatory for private agencies that place domestic workers in households, with a fine of ₹50,000 for agencies that operate without complying with the rules, according to a Labour Department public notice reported by Live Hindustan.
The notice requires every private domestic-help placement agency to register through the e-District portal and obtain a licence within 15 days. Agencies have also been instructed not to provide domestic workers to households without completing the prescribed registration and standard operating procedures.
The government has advised household employers to check whether an agency is registered and licensed before hiring a domestic worker. It has also said that police verification of both the domestic worker and the employer is mandatory as part of the application process.
The rules cover private individuals and organisations, other than government agencies, that arrange domestic workers for employment in private homes. The notice also states that payments to domestic workers should be made through their bank accounts.
According to the order cited in the notice, failure to comply with the provisions of the executive order dated 25 September 2014 can attract a ₹50,000 penalty. The amount may be recovered in the same manner as arrears of land revenue. In addition to the fine, an agency’s registration and licence may be cancelled, and further legal action may be initiated.
The Labour Department’s notice refers to an executive order issued in 2014 following directions from the Delhi High Court. The order was intended to regulate private placement agencies and address the exploitation of domestic workers placed through them in Delhi households.
The order defines a domestic worker, for the purpose of these provisions, as a person aged 18 years or above who is employed for domestic work through a private placement agency. The notice also gives the Child Welfare Committee and the Delhi Commission for Women authority in matters involving the employment of women and children as domestic helpers.
The compliance requirements place responsibilities on both sides of the placement arrangement. Agencies must secure registration and licensing, while employers are expected to verify the agency’s credentials and ensure that police verification has been completed before hiring. The notice asks all private placement agencies to obtain the required approvals immediately and follow the prescribed procedures.
The Labour Department’s action brings an older regulatory framework back into focus through a direct compliance warning to agencies operating in Delhi. The notice sets the 15-day licensing period and the ₹50,000 penalty as the immediate enforcement provisions reported in the order.
