Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act
Get your clinic, lab or hospital registered under KPME without portal errors, missing documents or failed inspections.
- Clinics, labs, dental and hospitals
- All districts of Karnataka
- Portal filing, documents and inspection support
KPME registration is the licence every private medical establishment in Karnataka must hold before it treats patients. It is granted under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, 2007 through the online KPME portal. This guide covers who needs it, the categories and government fees, the documents, the step-by-step process, the 2026 rule changes, renewal and penalties. Medasus Healthcare, Bengaluru, handles the whole process for clinics, labs and hospitals across Karnataka.
KPME guide: all topics
- KPME registration in Karnataka (overview)
- Documents required
- Online application, step by step
- Check a KPME number / certificate
- Fees and categories
- Inspection: what is checked
- Renewal
- Penalties and compliance rules
- KPME for clinics
- KPME for dental clinics
- KPME FAQ (all questions)
- Blog: 2026 amendment explained
- Blog: KPME in Bangalore
What is KPME?
KPME stands for Karnataka Private Medical Establishments. The Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, 2007 (Karnataka Act 21 of 2007) requires every private medical establishment in the state to register with the Government of Karnataka and to follow minimum standards for premises, staff, equipment, patient rights, display of charges and grievance redressal. The Act has been amended several times, most recently by Karnataka Act No. 06 of 2026, which took effect from 29 September 2025.
Applications are filed online on the KPME portal run by the Department of Health and Family Welfare. Each district has a Registration and Grievance Redressal Authority, chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, that grants, renews, refuses or cancels registrations and hears patient complaints.
Who needs KPME registration?
Every private medical establishment, new or existing, in every district of Karnataka. The portal classifies establishments into 18 categories:
Consultation only; with diagnostic support; with dispensary; with observation (short stay of up to 8 hours).
Dental lab or clinic; medical diagnostic laboratory; diagnostic imaging centre; health check-up centre.
Level 1A, Level 1B, Level 2, Level 3 (super speciality, non-teaching), Level 4 (teaching), and speciality-specific hospitals.
AYUSH therapy centre; allied health professional centre (physiotherapy, audiology, optometry and more); integrated counselling centre; blood bank.
Not sure which category fits? Our KPME categories and fees page explains each one in plain language, or ask us for a free check.
KPME registration fees
The government fee is fixed by category. These are the amounts shown on the KPME portal’s Rate Details page on 2 November 2026. The portal calculates the final amount when you select your category, and payment is made online only.
| KPME category | Code | Fee shown on the portal |
|---|---|---|
| Clinic / polyclinic, consultation only | COC | Rs 3,100 |
| Clinic / polyclinic with diagnostic support | CDS | Rs 6,300 |
| Clinic / polyclinic with dispensary | CWD | Rs 6,300 |
| Clinic / polyclinic with observation | CWO | Rs 6,300 |
| Dental lab or clinic | DEN | Rs 6,300 |
| Medical diagnostic laboratory | MDL | Rs 6,300 |
| Health check-up centre | HCC | Rs 6,300 |
| AYUSH therapy centre | ATC | Rs 6,300 |
| Allied health professional centre | AHC | Rs 6,300 |
| Integrated counselling centre | ICC | Rs 6,300 |
| Blood bank | BLB | Rs 6,300 |
| Diagnostic imaging centre | DIC | Rs 12,500 |
| Hospital, Level 1A | H1A | Rs 25,000 |
| Hospital, Level 1B | H1B | Rs 37,500 |
| Hospital, Level 2 | HL2 | Rs 50,000 |
| Hospital, Level 3 (non-teaching, super speciality) | HL3 | Rs 1,25,000 |
| Speciality / super-speciality specific hospital | SSH | Rs 1,25,000 |
| Hospital, Level 4 (teaching) | HL4 | Rs 2,50,000 |
These are government fees only. Other licences your facility needs, such as fire safety, pollution control board consent and biomedical waste authorisation, have their own fees.
Documents required for KPME registration
The exact list depends on your category and size. The documents commonly uploaded on the portal are:
- Floor plan of the premises
- Front view photograph of the establishment
- Building documents: occupancy certificate and khata certificate
- Fire safety certificate or NOC, where applicable to your building
- Pollution control board (KSPCB) consent and biomedical waste authorisation, where applicable
- Owner details, recent photograph and Aadhaar-linked mobile number for e-sign
- Details of every doctor and paramedical staff member: qualification, council registration number and certificate
- Schedule of charges: consultation, procedures, treatment, tests and room charges
- Internal grievance redressal contact person, phone and email
Portal limits matter: documents are uploaded as PDF files of up to 500 KB each and the owner’s photo is limited to 25 KB, so scans usually need compressing. See the full KPME documents checklist by facility type.
KPME registration process, step by step
- Sign up on the KPME portal. Create an establishment account with name, address, category, district, taluk and contact details.
- Fill in the application. The form has sections for the establishment, specialities, ownership, administrator or manager, staff, documents, internal grievance redressal and fees.
- Add staff and upload documents. Every doctor and paramedical staff member is added with their council registration (for example KMC, KSDC, KAUP, KBHSM, KSNC or KSPC) and certificate.
- e-Sign. The application is e-signed with an OTP and Aadhaar-based authentication.
- Pay the fee online. Payment goes through the Karnataka Khajane-II gateway by net banking, card or UPI.
- Provisional registration. Under the 2026 amendment, a provisional certificate is due within 10 days of a complete application. It is valid for six months.
- Inspection. An inspection team checks your premises, staff, equipment and records against a checklist. Accredited facilities can skip this step (see below).
- Permanent registration. The authority grants or rejects the application within 90 days. Registration is valid for five years.
For screenshots and field-by-field help, read our step-by-step guide to the KPME online application and what the KPME inspection checks.
What changed in 2026
The Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2025 was published as Karnataka Act No. 06 of 2026 and applies from 29 September 2025. The main changes:
- Provisional registration is issued within 10 days of application and is valid for six months, renewable.
- Permanent registration needs a valid provisional registration and is decided within 90 days, after inspection by an inspection committee.
- Fast track for accredited facilities: with an NABH, NABL, NQAS or QAI accreditation certificate, or a Quality Council of India third-party inspection certificate, registration or renewal is to be granted within 10 days without inspection. This makes NABH accreditation worth considering.
- New pre-requisites include registration on the e-DAR portal (road accident data reporting), along with suitable premises, qualified staff and adequate buildings and equipment.
- Five-year validity with renewal applied for 90 days before expiry.
- Existing registered establishments are treated as provisionally registered until their current certificate expires.
- New penalty: employing an unqualified medical officer or paramedical staff can lead to imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.
- Mental health establishments are now included in the definition of private medical establishment.
KPME renewal
Registration is valid for five years. Apply for renewal 90 days before the expiry date on the certificate. The portal has a renewal and auto-renewal option where you update staff, upload current documents and pay the fee. Districts are actively fining establishments that run on expired certificates: in October 2026 the Dakshina Kannada authority fined two hospitals Rs 1 lakh each for operating without renewal.
Read the full KPME renewal guide, including what to do if your certificate has already expired.
Penalties for not registering
Running a private medical establishment without KPME registration is an offence under section 19 of the Act and can lead to fines, prosecution and closure orders. Establishments must also display their KPME registration number, the establishment name and owner’s name on a board at the entrance (blue background for allopathy, green for AYUSH), under a June 2024 Health Department circular.
How Medasus helps with KPME
Medasus Healthcare is a Bengaluru healthcare set-up and licensing company. For KPME we:
- Confirm the correct category for your facility, since a wrong category means a wrong fee and a rejected file
- Prepare your document checklist and check every document before upload
- Set up the portal account and fill in the application, staff and schedule of charges with you
- Check your premises against the inspection checklist and tell you what to fix before the inspection
- Coordinate the other licences KPME depends on: fire NOC, KSPCB consent, biomedical waste, drug licence, AERB for X-ray
- Track renewal dates and file renewals on time
Starting a new facility? Our complete hospital set-up service covers planning, licences and equipment, and you can buy equipment online at our medical equipment store.
Get a free KPME check
Tell us your facility type and city. We will tell you which KPME category applies, what documents you need and what else your facility must have (fire, pollution, drug licence and so on).
KPME registration: frequently asked questions
What is KPME registration?
What is the full form of KPME?
Who needs KPME registration?
How much does KPME registration cost?
How long is a KPME registration valid?
How long does KPME registration take?
When should I apply for KPME renewal?
How can I check a KPME registration number online?
Can a clinic run while the KPME application is pending?
Does Medasus guarantee KPME approval?
See all KPME questions and answers
Need help with KPME?
Talk to the Medasus licensing team in Bengaluru. We handle the portal filing, documents and inspection preparation.
Last reviewed on 2 November 2026 against: KPME portal, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka; KPME category and fee table (Rate Details); Karnataka Act No. 06 of 2026 (KPME Amendment Act, 2025); Mangalore Today, 14 Oct 2026: hospitals fined for failing to renew KPME registration; New Indian Express, 9 Jun 2024: KPME registration number display circular. Medasus Healthcare Pvt Ltd is a private consultancy that helps establishments prepare and file applications. Registrations are granted only by the Government of Karnataka through the district Registration and Grievance Redressal Authority; Medasus cannot guarantee approval or timelines. Rules and fees change, so always check the official portal before applying.
