As the jurisdiction of Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) covers 243 square kilometres, their business licenses are often necessary to operate in key locations around the Klang Valley.
Unfortunately, DBKL documentation can be tricky to navigate, so we’ve written this guide to give entrepreneurs a clear overview of obtaining DBKL business licenses.
Here’s how we’ve broken it down:
- Districts under DBKL jurisdiction
- What a ‘DBKL business license’ really means
- General document requirements
- General premise requirements
- General signboard requirements, and
- Where and how to apply
Let’s begin.
NOTE: We know readers will want to know DBKL business license fees, but charges vary significantly by business type and floor size, and cant really fit in a general guide like this. If you want to know how much it’s going to cost, get in touch!
Districts under DBKL’s jurisdiction
In addition to the obvious Kuala Lumpur City Center, DBKL oversees many other areas in the Klang Valley, and the table below shows the extent of their jurisdiction.
| Zone | Areas |
| Damansara | Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Bangsar, Bukit Damansara, Bukit Kiara, Pusat Bandar Damansara, Kerinchi, Bangsar South, Segambut, Mont Kiara, Sri Hartamas, Segambut, Sentul |
| Old Klang Road | Seputeh, Pantai Baharu, Kuchai Lama, Taman OUG, Sungai Besi, Bandar Tasik Selatan, Sri Petaling, Bukit Jalil, Sungai Besi |
| Kepong | Kepong, Jinjang |
| Setiawangsa | Ampang, Setiawangsa |
| Cheras | Maluri, Miharja, Bandar Tun Razak, Bandar Sri Permaisuri |
If you’re good with KL geography, this table shows DBKL often handles parts of a zone, not the entire zone.
If your business premise address ends with ‘Kuala Lumpur’, DBKL is your Local Authority, and you may proceed with the rest of this guide 🙂
What a ‘DBKL business license’ consists of
‘DBKL business license’ is not an actual license, but an umbrella term for the various permits required for your business to operate.
Regardless of business type, this includes:
- A premise license, and
- A signboard license
Collectively, they’re known as a ‘composite license’, and for simple businesses like barber shops, this is pretty much all the licensing that’s required.
However, depending on business type, you might need additional DBKL licenses, for example:
- DBKL liquor license for alcohol retail sales
- DBKL entertainment license for karaoke centres
As this is meant to be a general guide, we won’t list all DBKL licenses, we just wanted you to be aware of this requirement.
To find out DBKL licenses needed for a specific business, get in touch with us!
General application document requirements
Again, requirements vary by business type, but these are documents you generally include in a DBKL business license application:
- Copy of company / business registration documents
- Copy of the applicant’s identification card / passport
- Copy of premise floor plan with measurements
- Copy of premise location plan (street map)
- Photographs of premise exterior and interior
- A coloured visual sample of the signboard with dimensions of each word indicated
- The signboard must be approved for correct Malay language usage by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
- Colored photographs showing the installation location
This means that before you even approach DBKL, you have already:
- Registered a Sole Proprietorship or incorporated a Sdn Bhd
- Found a suitable premise and signed a lease agreement
- Obtained signboard approval from Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
In the next two sections, we tackle what makes premises and signboards qualify for approval.
General premise requirements
We wish we could give a list of premise requirements that apply to most businesses, but there are just too many factors!
Some businesses have premise requirements based on:
- Commercial vs residential status
- Distance from schools, places of worship, and residential areas
- Types of hotels it can be opened in
- Corner vs middle lots
- What floor of a multi level building
- Operating hours
- MORE!
The best we can do is provide links to our guides on DBKL licenses for specific business types:
We’re working on publishing more guides and will update this list from time to time!
Now let’s look at signboard requirements.
General signboard requirements
Here’s an example of signboard visual based on DBKL’s requirements:
This signboard meets DBKL’s requirements in three categories:
- Language
- Location, and
- Content
Language
- Visuals must prioritise Bahasa Malaysia in word size, color, and position
- Bahasa Malaysia should be at top left or center of sign, away from other languages
- Bahasa Malaysia text must be confirmed by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
Location
- Signs must follow ‘beam’ size and not cover windows, mirrors, or building façades
- Freestanding signs must be placed at least five (5) feet from drains or road reserves
- Hanging signs are not allowed on pedestrian walkways
- Double-sided vertical signs have a maximum height of seven (7) feet and width of three (3) feet, allowed only on the first floor
- Horizontal signs over 40 feet in length and 4 feet in width on the fourth floor and below require Public Liability Insurance
- Horizontal signs over 40 feet in length and 4 feet in width on the fourth floor and above require Public Liability Insurance and a certified structural plan from a registered engineer
Content
- No alcohol, cigarettes, offensive imagery, or inappropriate behavior
- Business operating hours cannot be displayed
- The license approval reference number must be displayed at the bottom left of the sign
- The company name and number must be displayed at the bottom right of the sign
For more industry specific requirements, fees, and samples, check out our DBKL signboard license requirements guide.
Where and how to apply
DBKL licenses can be applied for online via their eLesen portal.
If it’s your first time applying, you’ll need to register for an account.
Once your account is verified, you can do everything from submit applications, make payment, and print licenses directly on the platform.
We wish you all the best with your upcoming business, and we’re happy to help where we can.
Let MISHU help with your DBKL license application
The MISHU business license team has helped literally hundreds of local and foreign business owners get their DBKL business licenses approved, and we’d be happy to add you to the list!