Mandatory Hallmarking in India: 2021 to 2026 Rollout Timeline
Table of Contents
India rewrote the rules of gold buying in June 2021, when mandatory hallmarking india came into force across 256 districts and unstamped jewellery could no longer be legally sold there. Five expansions later, the sixth phase of 2 March 2026 has taken coverage to 380 districts, roughly half the country, with over 60 crore gold items hallmarked along the way. Every mandatorily hallmarked piece now carries a HUID, a six-digit code any buyer can verify on a phone in seconds. This guide lays out the full phase-by-phase timeline with dates and district counts, explains the HUID and how to check one, lists who and what remains exempt, gives the current position on silver hallmarking, and covers a question compliance articles skip: what hallmarking means, and does not mean, when gold is pledged for a loan.
Phase-by-Phase Timeline: How Mandatory Hallmarking Expanded (2021-2026)
|
Phase |
Effective date |
Districts covered (cumulative) |
Key change |
|
Phase 1 |
23 June 2021 |
256 |
Hallmarking made mandatory; 14K, 18K and 22K covered |
|
Phase 2 |
4 April 2022 |
288 |
32 districts added; caratage list widened |
|
Phase 3 |
8 September 2023 |
343 |
55 districts added |
|
Phase 4 |
5 November 2024 |
361 |
18 districts added |
|
Phase 5 |
31 July 2025 |
373 |
12 districts added |
|
Phase 6 |
2 March 2026 |
380 |
7 districts added: Rupnagar, Banda, Beed, Gomati, Katihar, Beawar, Neemuch |
Note: Dates and district counts are as per amendment orders and BIS announcements available at the time of writing. Coverage may expand further through subsequent orders.
Each phase arrived through an amendment order from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs under the Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts Order, with the Bureau of Indian Standards running implementation. Six caratages are covered today: 14K, 18K, 20K, 22K, 23K and 24K, while 9K remains available as a voluntary grade under IS 1417:2016. The original deadline of January 2021 was pushed to June that year on account of the pandemic, and the direction of travel since has been one way: outward, into Tier 2 and Tier 3 districts.
What Is HUID and Why It Matters for Gold Buyers
HUID stands for Hallmark Unique Identification, a six-digit alphanumeric code stamped on every hallmarked article alongside the BIS triangle and the fineness number. It became compulsory from 1 April 2023, replacing the older multi-mark format, and it turned the hallmark from a stamp into a database entry. Every code is unique to one physical piece.
Verification takes under a minute. Open the BIS Care app, use the Verify HUID feature, and enter the code. The registered purity, the jeweller and the assaying centre appear on screen; a code the database does not recognise means the stamp is fake, however convincing it looks. That instant check is the buyer's real protection against under-carat gold sold at full price.
The code earns its keep again at borrowing time. When hallmarked gold is pledged, the stamped fineness gives the lender's appraiser a verified starting point, which can make the assessment quicker and cleaner. The loan still rests on the physical test and the day's benchmark rate, but a valid HUID removes the guesswork from the purity question.
Who Is Exempt from Mandatory Hallmarking?
The mandate has carve-outs, and knowing them prevents false alarms:
- Jewellers with annual turnover up to ₹40 lakh
- Traditional Kundan, Polki and Jadau jewellery
- Watches and fountain pens containing gold
- Gold exported under India's trade policy and re-imported
- Pieces made for international exhibitions and government-approved B2B domestic exhibitions
Jewellers may also continue buying back old, non-hallmarked gold from consumers. And unstamped gold is far from worthless: household jewellery made before the mandate, or bought in a district outside it, keeps its full metal value. Lenders that test purity in-house accept such pieces routinely, so an heirloom without a triangle on it is a testing job, not a write-off.
Silver Hallmarking: Where Things Stand in 2025-2026
Silver runs years behind gold. Hallmarking of silver articles has been voluntary since 2005 and remains voluntary as of mid-2026, though one meaningful change landed in September 2025: silver articles that are hallmarked now carry a HUID under the revised IS 2112 standard. The Bureau of Indian Standards has been studying a framework for making silver hallmarking compulsory but has issued no mandatory order or timeline yet. Adoption is climbing on its own, with hallmarked silver volumes rising sharply year on year, so buyers who want certified silver can increasingly find it even without a mandate.
How Hallmarking Affects Gold Loan Eligibility
A hallmark speeds a gold loan; it does not gatekeep one. Lenders including IIFL Finance accept non-hallmarked gold and test purity at the branch, in the borrower's presence, so pre-2021 jewellery and pieces from exempt categories can be pledged on the strength of their tested content. What the loan amount actually turns on is the assessed purity and net weight priced at the regulated benchmark: under the RBI directions operative from 1 April 2026, that means whichever is lower, the trailing 30-day average or the preceding day's closing price, drawn from IBJA or a SEBI-recognised exchange, with the reference rate applied according to the assessed purity of the gold, and the tiered LTV caps then applying by loan size. A valid HUID shortens the purity conversation; the physical assay settles it. Borrowers can walk into the nearest IIFL Finance branch for a gold assessment and an eligibility check.
Conclusion
Five years of phased orders have turned hallmarking from a niche assurance into the default condition of India's gold trade: 380 districts covered, six caratages mandated, and a verification app in every buyer's pocket. The remaining districts are expected to follow as assaying capacity spreads, so the sensible buying habit everywhere is already the covered-district habit: the triangle, the fineness number and the HUID on the piece, with the code verified before paying. Owners of older unstamped gold lose nothing under the regime; their metal tests and pledges exactly as before. For either kind of holding, a gold loan from IIFL Finance is valued on tested purity at the regulated benchmark rate, with terms subject to eligibility and the rules in effect on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did gold hallmarking become mandatory in India?
From 23 June 2021, when the first phase brought 256 districts under the mandate. The rollout had originally been slated for January 2021 but was deferred on account of the pandemic. Coverage has since expanded through five further amendment orders, reaching 380 districts with the sixth phase on 2 March 2026. In covered districts, jewellers cannot legally sell unstamped gold jewellery of the notified caratages. Buyers in newly added districts may find a transition period at small shops, and the HUID remains their reliable check throughout it.
What is a HUID and how do I check it?
HUID is the Hallmark Unique Identification, a six-digit alphanumeric code stamped on each hallmarked gold article, mandatory since 1 April 2023. Each code maps to one physical piece in the BIS database, recording its purity, jeweller and assaying centre. Checking takes a minute: open the BIS Care app, choose Verify HUID, and enter the code from the piece. Details that match the invoice confirm genuine certification; a code the database rejects signals a fake stamp. Running this check before payment, in the shop itself, is the strongest habit a gold buyer can build.
How many districts are covered under mandatory hallmarking in 2026?
380 districts, following the sixth phase amendment order effective 2 March 2026, which added Rupnagar, Banda, Beed, Gomati, Katihar, Beawar and Neemuch. That is roughly half of India's districts, up from 256 at launch in June 2021. Around 400 districts remain outside the mandate, and further phases are expected as assaying and hallmarking capacity expands. For a buyer in an uncovered district, hallmarked stock is still widely available and worth preferring, since the certification travels with the piece wherever it is later sold or pledged.
Can I get a gold loan on non-hallmarked jewellery?
Yes. Lenders including IIFL Finance accept non-hallmarked gold and establish purity through an in-branch test conducted in the borrower's presence, with the loan calculated on tested purity and net weight at the prevailing benchmark-linked rate. Older family jewellery made before 2021 and pieces from exempt categories qualify the same way. A hallmarked piece with a valid HUID can move through assessment faster, since the stamped fineness is verifiable instantly, but it does not fetch a different rate for the same metal. Bringing all pieces in one visit keeps the process to a single assessment.
Which types of gold jewellery are exempt from mandatory hallmarking?
Traditional Kundan, Polki and Jadau work, watches and fountain pens containing gold, export and re-import pieces under trade policy, and jewellery for approved exhibitions all sit outside the mandate. Jewellers with annual turnover up to ₹40 lakh are exempt as sellers, and buybacks of old unstamped gold from consumers remain permitted. Exempt does not mean suspect: these categories simply fall outside the compulsory scheme. A buyer of Kundan or Polki who wants purity assurance can still request voluntary hallmarking where feasible, or rely on independent assay testing before a large purchase.
Disclaimer : The information in this blog is for general purposes only and may change without notice. It does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Readers should seek professional guidance and make decisions at their own discretion. IIFL Finance is not liable for any reliance on this content. Read more
