Free checklist · Mental Healthcare Act 2017
A practical checklist for psychiatric and de-addiction facilities working through Mental Health Establishment registration and ongoing compliance. Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere, it runs entirely in your browser.
Not legal advice. This checklist reflects the general requirements of the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 and common State Mental Health Authority practice, but exact forms, fees and minimum-standards documents vary by state and change over time. Confirm current requirements with your State Mental Health Authority before relying on this for registration or an inspection.
The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 defines mental illness to include mental conditions associated with the abuse of alcohol or drugs, which is why de-addiction and rehabilitation centres offering inpatient or residential care generally fall under the Act's registration requirement, alongside psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes and clinics. Registration is handled by each state's own State Mental Health Authority (SMHA), set up under Sections 45 and 46 of the Act, using Form B under the Mental Healthcare (Central Mental Health Authority and Mental Health Review Boards) Rules, 2018.
Several states, including Delhi and Tamil Nadu, have gone further and gazetted their own detailed minimum-standards notifications specifically for de-addiction centres, defining categories such as short-stay detoxification, long-stay rehabilitation, and combined psychiatric-plus-substance-use treatment. If your state has published its own standards, treat those as authoritative over the general items below.
For the full picture of which licenses apply to a de-addiction centre beyond MHCA, including NDPS-linked rules, see our licensing guide.
Sources: Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 (Sections 45, 46, 65, 107, 122); Mental Healthcare (Central Mental Health Authority and Mental Health Review Boards) Rules, 2018; Delhi State Mental Health Authority minimum standards for de-addiction centres.