Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC) Recognition from BIS
Only a BIS-recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre may test gold and silver articles and apply the hallmark with HUID. We help you set up the entity, prepare the Form-IV application and documents, and handle BIS liaison through the audit, recognition and three-yearly renewal.
What it is
An Assaying and Hallmarking Centre is a testing centre that checks the purity of gold and silver jewellery and artefacts brought in by jewellers. If an article meets its declared fineness, the centre laser-marks the hallmark on it: the BIS Standard Mark, the purity in carat and fineness (for example 22K916), and a six-digit alphanumeric HUID. Each article is recorded against that HUID.
Recognition comes from the Bureau of Indian Standards under the BIS Act, 2016, the BIS Rules, 2018 and the BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018. Section 14(6) of the Act lets only recognised centres apply the hallmark. The centre must be set up to IS 15820, and BIS’s current guidelines for AHCs (HM/AHC/Guideline/4, June 2026) set out the operating rules.
Who it applies to
You are opening a new centre
You plan a hallmarking business near a jewellery market and can fund the premises, equipment, staff and insurance.
You want an off-site centre
A recognised centre can open off-site centres in deficient districts, within 100 km of the parent centre, with a limit of five per AHC.
You want to mark more metals
An AHC recognised for yellow gold may add white gold, 990-plus gold or silver groups. Each group is assessed separately.
Why it matters
Serve a market that must hallmark
Gold jewellery sold in notified districts must be hallmarked by registered jewellers, and the list has grown to 392 districts. Every one of those articles has to pass through a recognised centre.
Hold the only licence to mark
Under Section 14(6), no one else may apply the hallmark. Doing so without recognition is an offence under Section 29(2) of the BIS Act.
Build a record BIS can trust
The HUID, article type, weight and photographs are uploaded to BIS’s system. Repeated failures can cost you the recognition.
Documents required
Entity and premises
- Incorporation or registration certificate of the applicant
- Ownership or lease papers for the premises
- Layout showing separate reception, XRF, sampling, fire assay and laser areas
- Insurance cover above ₹40 lakh, based on maximum stock
Equipment
- Fire assay furnaces for cupellation and annealing (gold, parent AHC)
- XRF machine, weighing balances and laser marking machine
- Calibration certificates with traceability
- CCTV running 24×7, with 30 days of footage kept
People and systems
- Assay in-charge: science graduate, or metallurgy diploma/graduate with chemistry, trained in assaying
- Deputy assay in-charge with prescribed qualification
- Quality manager and job descriptions
- Quality manual and procedures
Recognition groups at a glance
| Metal | Groups you can apply for |
|---|---|
| Gold | Yellow gold below 990 fineness; white gold (nickel-based); white gold (palladium-based); gold of 990 fineness or above |
| Silver | Silver up to and including 990 fineness; silver above 990 fineness |
For each group, BIS tests two lots before recognition, with at least five articles of similar design and weight in each lot. The pre-recognition audit takes two man-days for gold or silver alone.
Here is the catch: scope is granted group by group. Picture a centre near a Faridabad jewellery bazaar, recognised for yellow gold, that later wants to mark silver payals as well. It applies for the silver group and goes through lot testing again for it.
How it works
Plan the entity and the site
We form the private limited company or firm, and check the premises plan against the separation, security and CCTV rules. In practice, a lease signed before that check can mean rebuilding walls later, because the fire assay area must be kept apart from reception and XRF.
Prepare the Form-IV application
We compile the application with self-certified documents, equipment and calibration records, staff details and the quality manual, and file it with BIS’s regional office online.
Pass the audit and lot testing
BIS auditors visit, test sample lots and review your system. Any non-conformities must be answered within 7 working days.
Receive recognition and go live
BIS aims to grant recognition within 60 days of the application. Your centre then connects to BIS’s software for HUID and starts marking.
Stay compliant after go-live
We track the monthly BIS hallmarking fee, surveillance audits at least once a year, and the renewal before the three years end.
Timelines
Expect recognition within 60 days
The guidelines set 60 days from receipt of the application to the grant of recognition.
Pay the BIS fee by the 10th
The hallmarking fee due to BIS is payable by the 10th of the following month. So the fee on October’s festive-season volume is due by 10 November. Miss it and suspension may follow at once.
Renew every three years
Recognition runs for three years. File renewal on time; a late application attracts a ₹5,000 late fee, and recognition can be deferred for 90 days.
What happens if standards slip
A big shortage means suspension
If a hallmarked article is found short by more than 10 parts per thousand of its marked fineness, the centre faces immediate suspension.
Repeat failures mean cancellation
A shortage above 40 ppt, a failure rate above 50% over two years, or a third suspension in three years can lead to cancellation.
Marking without recognition is an offence
Section 29(2) of the BIS Act provides imprisonment up to one year, or a fine of at least ₹1 lakh that can go up to five times the value of the articles, or both.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fee for AHC recognition?
BIS charges an application fee of ₹10,000 and a recognition fee of ₹60,000 for three years. The same ₹60,000 applies on each renewal, with a renewal application fee of ₹5,000. Audits cost ₹5,000 per man-day. Equipment, premises and staff are separate costs. We set out every government fee before you file.
How long does BIS take to recognise a hallmarking centre?
The guidelines set a maximum of 60 days from receipt of the application to the grant of recognition. The clock assumes a complete file and a centre ready for audit. Non-conformities found at the audit must be answered within 7 working days. When the premises, equipment and staff are in place before you apply, the 60 days is realistic.
How long is AHC recognition valid?
Three years. Renewal is automatic when you apply on time with the fee, unless the recognition is suspended, deferred or under cancellation. A renewal application filed after expiry attracts a late fee of ₹5,000. We diarise the renewal date and file early, so your centre never has a gap in which it cannot mark.
What equipment does a hallmarking centre need?
A parent AHC hallmarking gold needs fire assay furnaces for cupellation and annealing, plus an XRF machine, weighing balances and a laser marking machine. The XRF, balances and laser must be able to transfer data directly to BIS’s software. All equipment needs valid calibration with traceability. You will also need a safe and CCTV running round the clock, with 30 days of footage kept. We check your purchase list against the guidelines before you buy.
What is an off-site centre?
An off-site centre (OSC) is a smaller unit run by a recognised AHC in a district short of hallmarking capacity. It must be within 100 km of the parent AHC, and one AHC may run at most five. An OSC has no fire assay; the parent centre does that. It needs no separate renewal fee and is renewed with the parent. Assessment costs ₹5,000 per man-day. For an established AHC, it is a cheaper way into a new district.
What qualification does the assay in-charge need?
The assay in-charge must be a science graduate, or hold a diploma or degree in metallurgy with chemistry as a subject, and must be trained in lab management, sampling, assaying and hallmarking. The deputy may be a science graduate, a metallurgy diploma holder with assaying knowledge, or 12th pass with two years of assaying experience. We check the staff file against these rules before the audit.
What do jewellers pay a hallmarking centre per article?
From 14 September 2026, the hallmarking charge for gold is ₹75 per article, with a minimum of ₹200 per consignment, up from ₹45. Silver stays at ₹35 per article, with a minimum of ₹150. The change came through the BIS (Hallmarking) Amendment Regulations, 2026. Your pricing and billing should follow these figures. We can set up your invoicing so it matches from day one.
Can a centre refuse an article sent by a jeweller?
Yes, in specific cases. A centre must not accept articles already carrying any marking such as “KDM” or a fineness or caratage stamp. Articles showing a negative variance of more than 5 ppt from the declared fineness are returned to the jeweller without assaying and hallmarking. We build these rules into your intake checklist so the counter staff apply them every time.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
BIS charges for AHC recognition:
| Item | BIS fee |
|---|---|
| Application fee | ₹10,000 |
| Recognition or renewal fee (three years) | ₹60,000 |
| Renewal application fee | ₹5,000 |
| Assessment (per man-day) | ₹5,000 |
| Late renewal fee | ₹5,000 |
Ready to begin?
Tell us where you plan to open your hallmarking centre and which metals you want to mark, and we will map the route to BIS recognition.