Delhi domestic help agencies must now register with the government and obtain a licence within 15 days, or face a penalty of Rs 50,000, cancellation of registration and prosecution, according to a public notice issued by the Labour Department.
The directive applies to private placement agencies that provide domestic workers. Agencies must submit registration applications through the e-District portal and include mandatory police verification of both the domestic worker and the employer, the notice said.
The penalty for non-compliance will be recoverable as arrears of land revenue, according to the official order. The government has also urged agencies to obtain registration and licences immediately and to stop operating without them.
The notice refers to an executive order dated September 25, 2014, which regulates private placement agencies in Delhi. The order, according to a Delhi High Court ruling cited in the report, provides the framework for regulating agencies that connect domestic workers with households.
Employers have also been advised to hire domestic workers only through registered agencies, verify the agency’s registration and licence, and insist on police verification before employing a worker. The requirements place responsibility on both intermediaries and households in a sector where recruitment, documentation and worker safety have often operated through informal arrangements.
The Labour Department has notified the Delhi Private Placement Agencies (Regulation) Order in compliance with directions of the Delhi High Court. A standard operating procedure for implementing the rules was approved in 2020, according to the notice.
The court has directed the Delhi government to take steps to prevent the exploitation of domestic workers employed through private placement agencies in the capital. Under the executive order, a domestic worker is defined as a person aged 18 or above who is engaged in domestic work through a private placement agency.
The latest direction makes the registration and licensing requirements more immediate for agencies operating in Delhi. It also gives employers a specific verification checklist before hiring, while warning agencies that violations can lead to financial penalties, loss of their registration and licence, and prosecution.
