Company Setup · Business & Trade

How to register a partnership firm in Punjab

Register a partnership firm with Punjab's Registrar of Firms online via the Business Registration Portal. Rs 100 Form 1 fee, deed and CNICs, about 2 days.

By Ahtisham Imtiaz · Updated · 3 min read

Register with
Registrar of Firms
Fee on Form 1
Rs 100
Online time
About 2 days
Then
FBR NTN (AOP)
Summarize it for me

AI Summary

In Punjab you register a partnership firm with the Registrar of Firms, part of the Industries, Commerce and Investment Department, either online through the Punjab Business Registration Portal or on paper with Form 1. Online, you create an account with your CNIC, enter firm and partner details, pay the challan and upload the partnership deed. Form 1 shows a Rs 100 fee, and PITB says online registration takes about 2 days. Registration isn't compulsory, but an unregistered firm can't sue to enforce its contracts.

In Punjab you register a partnership firm with the Registrar of Firms (Industries, Commerce and Investment Department), online through the Punjab Business Registration Portal or on paper with Form 1. You need the partnership deed and all partners’ CNICs. Form 1 shows a Rs 100 fee, and PITB says online registration takes about 2 days. Then you register the firm with FBR for its NTN.

Do I have to register?

The Partnership Act text we could read says registration “may be effected at any time”, so it isn’t compulsory. But it matters: under section 69, an unregistered firm can’t sue anyone to enforce a contract, and a partner can’t sue the firm or the other partners. That’s the main reason to register.

How do I register online, step by step?

  1. Create an account on the Punjab Business Registration Portal (register.business.punjab.gov.pk) with your CNIC, mobile number and email.
  2. Choose Register a New Partnership Firm (AOP).
  3. Enter the firm’s details: business category, address, type of property, district and tehsil, date of establishment and duration.
  4. Add each partner: name, CNIC number and dates, date of joining, share (%), and scans of both sides of the CNIC. Foreign partners upload passport and visa; a company partner uploads its incorporation certificate, memorandum and articles, Form 29 and a board resolution.
  5. Pay the challan (Form 32-A) the system generates, by ATM or internet banking.
  6. Upload the partnership deed, the witness document and the paid challan, accept the declaration and submit. Track the status on your dashboard.

You can also register with the Labour Department (shops and establishments) and PESSI in the same application. The portal is linked with NADRA and SECP.

What does it cost?

  • Filing fee: Rs 100, as printed on Form 1, paid on Challan Form 32-A to “The Registrar of Firm, Lahore”.
  • Deed: Punjab’s Directorate of Industries lists the partnership deed on Rs 1,000 stamp paper and a Rs 100 challan.

Both pages are undated, so check the current amounts on the portal before paying.

What does the form ask for?

Form 1 (the paper route) asks for the firm’s name and principal place of business, other places of business, each partner’s full name, permanent address and date of joining, and the firm’s duration. All partners sign in front of a witness who must be a gazetted officer, advocate or similar.

Some names are banned without government consent, such as words implying official backing (“Government”, “Federal”, “Quaid-e-Azam”). Giving false information is punishable with up to three months in prison, a fine, or both.

What do I do after registering?

  1. Register the firm with FBR as an AOP to get its 7-digit NTN. FBR does this only at a Tax House facilitation counter: one partner brings the original deed, the Registrar’s certificate, all partners’ CNICs, an authority letter signed by all partners, a SIM in their own name, the firm’s email and bank certificate, and premises proof. See how to get an NTN.
  2. Open a bank account in the firm’s name.
  3. Notify the Registrar of any change in name, address, partners or dissolution.

Not sure a partnership is right? See business structures compared. A partnership means unlimited liability for every partner; an LLP or company limits it. See also how to register a company.

More guides: Company Setup.

Questions people ask

How do I register a partnership firm in Punjab online?

Use the Punjab Business Registration Portal: create an account with your CNIC, mobile and email, choose Register a New Partnership Firm (AOP), add the firm and partner details with CNIC scans, pay the challan, and upload the partnership deed and paid challan.

What does it cost?

Form 1 shows a filing fee of Rs 100, paid on Challan Form 32-A. Punjab's Directorate of Industries also lists the partnership deed on Rs 1,000 stamp paper. Confirm current amounts on the portal.

Is registering a partnership firm compulsory?

The Partnership Act text we could read says registration may be done at any time. But an unregistered firm and its partners can't sue to enforce contract rights, so most firms register.

What documents do I need?

The partnership deed, CNICs of all partners (front and back), each partner's date of joining and share, the firm's address and duration, and the paid challan. Foreign or company partners add passports or company documents.

What do I do after registering the firm?

Register the firm with FBR as an AOP for its 7-digit NTN. FBR does this at a Tax House facilitation counter, where one partner brings the original deed and the Registrar's certificate.

Sources

  1. Forms (firms registration), Industries, Commerce & Investment Department, Punjab (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  2. Form No. 1: Application for registration of firm, Industries, Commerce & Investment Department, Punjab (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  3. Challan Form No. 32-A, Industries, Commerce & Investment Department, Punjab (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  4. Firms (registration of firms), Directorate General of Industries, Punjab (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  5. Business Registration Portal, Punjab Information Technology Board (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  6. Business Registration Portal user manual (2021, archived), Punjab Information Technology Board (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  7. The Partnership Act, 1932 (Punjab Code text, archived), Punjab Code (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  8. Improving the investment climate in the Punjab (EODB), Industries, Commerce & Investment Department, Punjab (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  9. Registration process (Income Tax), FBR (accessed 7 Oct 2026)

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