Notification Record & Forms

Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.

Issued by
Labour Resources and Migrant Workers Welfare Department, Government of Bihar
Notified
Final Notification Published on 30 June 2026 in Bihar Gazette Extraordinary No. 1/OSHC 01/2021 S.no 101
Supersedes
6 earlier Bihar laws: Factories Rules 1950, Building and Other Construction Workers Rules 2005, Contract Labour Rules 1972, Inter State Migrant Workmen Rules 1980, Motor Transport Workers Rules 1962, Beedi and Cigar Workers Rules 1968
Current Status
Final Rules are Published and are in force

The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 is one of India's four new labour codes, and it came into force across the country on 30 June, 2026. Every state now has to frame its own rules under this Code to make it workable on the ground, and Bihar has done exactly that with the Bihar Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2025.

These Rules replace six separate old Bihar laws that used to govern factories, building and construction workers, contract labour, inter state migrant workers, motor transport workers, and beedi and cigar workers. In their place, employers now get one combined rulebook, one online registration process, and a mostly electronic system for filing forms, returns, and registers.

Forms under the State Rules

Form V Rule 6Employer
Annual health examination record for workers
Form VI Rule 8Employer
Notice of accident or dangerous occurrence
Form VII Rule 26Employer
Notice of working hours, displayed at the workplace
Form VIII Rule 27Employer
Register of workers, wages, and overtime
Form IX Rule 29Employer
Annual return, a unified return covering all four labour codes
Form X Rule 30Employer
Register of accidents and dangerous occurrences
Form XI Rule 31(i)Employer
Register of leave with wages
Form XV Rule 52Employer
Experience certificate issued to a contract worker

Due Dates

Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.

ComplianceFormCompliance FrequencyDue Date
Registration of a new or existing establishment Form I Free within 60 days of the Code applying; late fee after that
Change in ownership, management, or particulars Online portal Within 30 days of the change
Notice of commencement or cessation Form IV Within 30 days
Annual health examination, workers aged 45 and aboveForm VWithin 120 days of each calendar year starting
Annual health examination, workers aged 45 and aboveForm VWithin 120 days of each calendar year starting
Appointment letter to employees-At joining; existing staff within 3 months
Notice of a fatal or serious accidentForm VIForthwith, and in any case within 24 hours
Preservation of statutory registers and recordsForm VIII 10 years after the last entry
Annual returnForm IXBy 1 February each year
Contract labour licence renewal applicationForm XIIIUp to 90 days before expiry
Payment of contract labour wages-Within 7 days of each wage period closing
Factory licence application before starting manufactureForm XXIIIAt least 15 days before starting
Factory licence renewalForm XXIIIEvery 10 years; 50 percent late fee after 30 days, 100 percent after 90; lapses after 2 years

Key Provisions

What changed under the Code, and what it means for payroll.

💡Key Provisions19 tracked
Registration and feesRule 3
All establishments covered by the Code must register online in Form I. It is free within 60 days of the Code applying, and late fees apply after that, based on the number of workers and the delay.
Existing establishmentsRule 3(3)
All establishments already registered under any other central labour law must update their registration details on the Online Portal within six months of the Code coming into force.
Annual health examination Rule 6
Factories and building or construction sites must give workers aged 45 or above a free medical check-up every year. It must be done within the first 120 days of the year and recorded in Form V.
Appointment letter and identity card Rule 7
All establishments must give every worker an appointment letter at joining. They must also issue an identity card to every worker except daily wage workers.
Notice of accidents Rule 8
Factories and building or construction sites must report a death at once, and no later than 24 hours. They must report an injury that keeps a worker off work for 48 hours within 24 hours of that mark, and a dangerous occurrence within 24 hours.
Safety Committee Rules 20 and 21
Establishments with 500 or more workers must set up a Safety Committee. It serves a 3-year term and meets every quarter, and the employer must act on its advice within 15 days.
Working hours and overtime Rule 23
All establishments must keep the working week within 48 hours and give a half-hour break after 6 hours of work. Overtime needs the worker's written consent and is capped at 144 hours a quarter (125 in special cases).
Registers and records Rule 27
All establishments must keep one register of workers, wages and overtime in Form VIII. It must be kept in English and Hindi for 10 years, and shown to inspectors on demand.
Annual return Rule 29
All establishments must file an annual return in Form IX with the Inspector-cum-Facilitator by 1 February each year.
Employment of women Rules 40 and 41
Establishments employing women before 6 am or after 7 pm need the woman's written consent. They must also provide safe transport, good lighting and at least two women on duty together. Rule 41 allows extra safeguards for hazardous processes.
Contract labour licensing Rules 42 to 45
Contractors and principal employers using contract labour must apply for a licence online in Form XIII. A renewal must be applied for before expiry, and a late renewal costs 25% extra.
Contract labour licence feesRule 44
Contractors need no licence for up to 49 contract workers. Above that, the licence fee rises with headcount, from Rs. 1,000 for 50 to 100 workers to Rs. 40,000 for over 20,000 workers.
Security depositRules 44 and 46
Contractors must furnish a security deposit of Rs. 1,000 per contract worker before a licence is issued. It is refunded when the licence ends if there is no breach, normally within 30 days of the application
Work order intimationRule 48
Every contractor and principal employer must report each new contract work order on the Online Portal within 15 days of receiving it. Failure can lead to suspension or cancellation of the licence.
Payment of wages to contract labourRule 50
Contractors must pay contract workers by bank transfer or electronic mode before the seventh day after the wage period ends. The wage period cannot exceed one month.
Journey allowanceRule 54
Employers of inter-State migrant workers must pay a lump sum for the to-and-fro fare to the worker's home state once every 12 months. The worker must have worked at least 180 days in the preceding 12 months.
Factory registration and licensingRule 64
Factories must get plan approval first, then apply in Form XXIII at least 15 days before starting manufacturing. Any change in name, horse power or maximum workers must be reported within 15 days.
Factory licence validityRule 64
Every factory licence is valid for 10 years and can then be renewed for up to 10 years at a time. A late renewal costs 50% extra after 30 days and 100% extra after 90 days, and the licence is cancelled after two years.
Compounding of offencesRule 86
Any establishment that receives a settlement notice must pay the amount within 15 days. The certificate is then issued within 10 days of payment.

Old Law vs. New Law

What employers followed before, against what applies now — point matched against point.

On this pointBefore — earlier lawNow — the new Code
Registration of establishments Separate paper based registration under the Factories Rules 1950, the BOCW Rules 2005, the Contract Labour State Rules 1972 and the Inter State Migrant Workmen State Rules 1980, each with its own form and authority A single electronic registration under Form I for every covered establishment, auto approved if the Registering Officer does not act within 7 days
Annual and periodic returns Separate returns filed under the Factories Act, the Contract Labour Act and the Inter State Migrant Workmen Act to different authorities One unified annual return in Form IX filed electronically to the Inspector cum Facilitator, copied to the Labour Bureau and DGFASLI
Factory licence validity Annual licence under the Bihar Factories Rules, 1950, renewed every year Licence valid for up to 10 years with auto renewal, subject to safety compliance
Appointment letters Not uniformly mandated across the erstwhile Factories, BOCW and Contract Labour Rules Mandatory appointment letter in a prescribed format for every employee at the time of joining, under Rule 7
Safety Committee and Safety Officer thresholds Thresholds varied across the Factories Act and allied rules depending on the process and state practice Uniform thresholds under Rule 20 to 22: Safety Committee for 500 or more workers, and a Safety Officer for factories with 500 or more workers generally, or 250 or more for hazardous processes and building or construction work
Contract labour licensing threshold Licence generally required once 20 or more contract workers were engaged, under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 No licence required up to 49 contract labourers under Rule 44; fee slabs begin only from 50 workers upward
Regulation of Beedi and Cigar establishments A separate statute, the Bihar Beedi and Cigar Workers (Condition of Employment) Rule, 1968 Folded into Chapter XI of the unified Rules, covering licensing, home worker log books and outside work permissions
Inter State Migrant Workmen regulation A standalone registration and contractor licensing regime under the 1980 State Rules Merged into the single establishment registration, with a dedicated journey allowance rule and a toll free helpline under Rule 55
Employment of women at night Restricted employment between 7 pm and 6 am under the Factories Act, 1948, generally requiring state exemption Permitted under Rule 40 subject to safeguards such as written consent, CCTV covered transport, adequate lighting, and at least two women on duty at a time
Regulatory and inspection authority Separate Factory Inspectors, Labour Inspectors and Licensing Officers operating under different statutes A single Inspector cum Facilitator regime across all establishment types, supported by an online portal for applications, licences and inspections
Weekly working hours structure 48 hours a week under the Factories Act, 1948, generally computed on a 6 day working pattern Rule 23 permits 4, 5 or 6 day working weeks with correspondingly adjusted daily hour thresholds, while retaining the 48 hour weekly cap and the 12 hour daily spread over limit

Applicability

Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.

Covered

  • Factories, building and other construction works, motor transport undertakings, newspaper establishments, audio visual production establishments, plantations, Beedi and Cigar establishments, and establishments engaging contract labour or inter state migrant workers, wherever the State Government of Bihar is the appropriate Government under the Code

Exempted / special treatment

  • Mines and dock work, which fall under separate Central rules and a different appropriate Government; offices of the Central and State Government; establishments below the worker thresholds set for specific obligations such as the Safety Committee (500 or more workers) and dedicated Safety Officer (250 or more for hazardous processes); and any class of establishment the State Government exempts by notification

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.

What are the Bihar Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2025, in simple terms?

They are Bihar's state level rule book that puts the central Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 into practice. Instead of six separate rule books for factories, construction sites, contract labour, migrant workers, motor transport and Beedi and Cigar establishments, Bihar now runs on one consolidated set of Rules.

Are these Rules final, or still open for objections?

The gazette text carries the standard pre publication format used under Section 133 of the Code, with a 45 day objection window addressed to the Labour Commissioner, Bihar, or lcbihar@bihar.gov.in, dated 18 December 2025. Several 2026 industry trackers already list Bihar among the states running on finalised OSH Code rules, and the state's mid 2026 repeal of its separate Shops and Establishments Act treats these Rules as the operative framework. Employers should still confirm the current text on egazette.bihar.gov.in before relying on any specific clause.

Which older Bihar rules do these Rules replace?

Six state rule books: the Bihar Building and Other Construction Workers Rules, 2005, the Bihar Factories Rules, 1950, the Contract Labour State Rules, 1972, the Bihar Inter State Migrant Workmen State Rules, 1980, the Bihar Motor Transport Workers Rule, 1962, and the Bihar Beedi and Cigar Workers Rule, 1968.

Which establishments does this apply to?

Factories, building and other construction works, motor transport undertakings, newspaper establishments, audio visual production establishments, plantations, Beedi and Cigar establishments, and any establishment engaging contract labour or inter state migrant workers, wherever Bihar is the appropriate State Government under the Code. Mines and dock work are handled under separate Central rules.

Do I need to register my establishment again if I already had a licence under the old Factories Rules?

If your establishment was already registered under another central labour law, you need to update your registration particulars on the online portal within 6 months of the Code coming into force, rather than starting a fresh registration from scratch.

How long does registration take, and is there a fee?

Registration is filed electronically in Form I. The certificate in Form II is meant to issue within 7 days, and if it does not, the establishment is deemed registered automatically. There is no fee if you apply within 60 days of the Code becoming applicable to you; late fees then rise in slabs based on your worker count and the length of the delay.

Is a factory licence still renewed every year?

No. Under Rule 64, a factory licence is now valid for up to 10 years with auto renewal, provided the factory meets applicable safety guidelines, a significant change from the annual renewal cycle under the old Bihar Factories Rules, 1950.

When do I need a Safety Committee or a dedicated Safety Officer?

A Safety Committee is mandatory once an establishment employs 500 or more workers. A dedicated Safety Officer is required at the same 500 worker threshold generally, or at 250 or more workers for factories carrying on a hazardous process and for building or construction work.

Do I need a licence to engage a small number of contract workers?

No. Rule 44 sets no licence requirement up to 49 contract labourers. Fee slabs only begin once you cross 50 contract workers, which is a meaningfully higher threshold than the 20 worker trigger under the erstwhile Contract Labour Act regime.

Sources

Where every fact on this page comes from.

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For informational purposes only — not legal advice. State rules referenced here are subject to change on final notification. Verify current status with our compliance team before acting.