India Post Prohibited Articles List 2025: Gold, Lottery, Political Content & More

Prohibited Articles (Rule 44–46A)

44. (1)

• Gold items exceeding ₹1 lakh (coin, bullion, ornaments, or articles) cannot be sent by post.
• Market value on the posting date/place determines the limit.
• Refer: CSR 672 dated 25th August 2000.

44. (3)

• Lottery-related items (tickets, proposals, ads) require:
• A declaration on the postal article confirming government authorization (with notification details).
• Sender’s name and address on the cover.

44. (6)

• Letter mail with divided address-side (for multiple addresses) is prohibited.

45.If a postal article contains prohibited items (Rule 44), it will be returned to the sender.

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46. (1)

Banned content:

• Prejudicial to law and order.
• Promotes political party/organization aims.
• Incites loss/injury to any community/class.

46. (1-A)

Pictorial representations of the following are prohibited:

• Proclaimed offenders.
• Persons convicted under IPC Chapter VI or Defence of India Rules.
• Detainees under Rule 26 of said Rules.

46. (J)

• Violations of sub-rule (1) result in the article being sent to the Postmaster General for disposal under Sections 37–39 and Rules 210–214.

46-A. (1)

• Address-side restrictions:
• No text/print/attachments that:

• Resemble postage stamps.
• Obstruct address readability.
• Embarrass Post Office staff (as per Director General’s opinion).

Key Takeaways:

• Strict prohibitions on gold (over ₹1L), lottery ads (without declaration), and politically sensitive content.
• Visual bans on offenders/convicts’ images.
• Address-side rules ensure smooth postal processing.
• Violations lead to return to sender or Postmaster General intervention.

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