Gold hallmarking now mandatory in 398 districts: 6 new districts added in November 2026
A 2 November 2026 order adds six districts to mandatory gold hallmarking, taking the total to 398. See the new districts and how to check your jewellery.
The government has added six more districts to the list where gold jewellery must be hallmarked before a jeweller can sell it. The Department of Consumer Affairs issued the Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts (Fourth Amendment) Order, 2026 as notification S.O. 5997(E), dated 2 November 2026. Mint and Upstox report that it takes effect on publication in the Gazette.
What changed
The order replaces the district list in the 2020 hallmarking order. Mandatory hallmarking now covers 398 districts in 26 states and union territories. The previous amendment, dated 3 August 2026, covered 392 districts. No district was dropped.
The six new districts are:
- West Champaran in Bihar
- South West Delhi in Delhi
- Panchmahal in Gujarat
- Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh
- Sant Kabir Nagar in Uttar Pradesh
- Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand
What it means for you
In these districts, jewellers must be registered with BIS and sell gold jewellery that carries the BIS hallmark. ABP Live reports that the rule applies to 14, 18, 20, 22, 23 and 24 carat jewellery. The order changes the area covered. It does not set a new purity standard, add a tax or change the price of gold.
Outside the listed districts, a jeweller may still sell gold that is not hallmarked. If you live in a district that is not on the list, you can still ask for hallmarked jewellery.
What to check when you buy
- A hallmarked piece carries the BIS logo, a purity mark such as 22K916, and a six-character HUID code made of letters and numbers.
- You can enter the HUID in the BIS Care app to see the purity and the jeweller recorded for that piece.
- Ask for the hallmarking charge as a separate line on the bill. For the current fee, see our guide on the ₹75 hallmarking fee per article.
This is general information and not buying or investment advice. We have not read the Gazette text itself. The district list and dates come from the Mint and Upstox reports, which cite the notification number.
Sources: Mint: Government makes hallmarking mandatory in six more districts, 9 November 2026, Upstox: Govt amends gold jewellery hallmarking order, 9 November 2026, ABP Live: 6 more districts under hallmarking, 12 November 2026
Rules, rates and limits change. Check the official source linked above before you rely on a figure here. Posts never contain referral or affiliate links from the writer.
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