LMPC stands for Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities). It is short for the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, and in practice for the LMPC registration (or LMPC certificate) that manufacturers, packers and importers of pre-packaged goods obtain under Rule 27 of those rules. The same rules list the declarations that must appear on every retail package, such as net quantity, MRP and consumer care details.
If you import or pack goods for sale in India, our LMPC registration service covers the label review and the filing.
LMPC full form and the law behind it
Two instruments make up the legal framework:
- The Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (Act No. 1 of 2010, dated 13 January 2010), which came into force on 1 April 2011. Section 18 says nobody may manufacture, pack, sell, import, distribute or offer for sale any pre-packaged commodity unless the package carries the prescribed declarations.
- The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, first published as G.S.R. 202(E) on 7 March 2011 and amended many times since. These set out the declarations, their size and placement, exemptions and registration.
At the centre, the Act is administered by the Director of Legal Metrology in the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Each State has a Controller of Legal Metrology who enforces it locally.
The Act defines a pre-packaged commodity as a commodity placed in a package, sealed or not, without the purchaser being present, so that the product inside has a pre-determined quantity. That covers almost every packaged consumer product, from biscuits to mobile phones.
Legal metrology itself, under section 2(g), is the part of metrology dealing with units, methods and instruments of weighing and measuring, in relation to the mandatory legal and technical requirements that guarantee accurate measurement.
Related full forms and terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| LM Act | Legal Metrology Act, 2009 |
| PC Rules | Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, often called the LMPC rules |
| LMPC registration | Registration of a manufacturer, packer or importer under Rule 27 |
| MRP | Maximum retail price, declared as the retail sale price inclusive of all taxes |
| Unit sale price | The price per standard unit of quantity, declared alongside the MRP |
| Principal display panel | The surface area of the package where the mandatory declarations are given |
| Director / Controller | The central and State registering authorities under Rule 27 |
| Model approval | Approval of a weighing or measuring instrument’s model under section 22 of the Act |
Who needs LMPC registration
Rule 27(1) applies to “every individual, firm, Hindu undivided family, society, company or corporation” that pre-packs or imports any commodity for sale, distribution or delivery. In practice that means:
- Importers of pre-packaged goods sold in India, from electronics and appliances to toys and cosmetics;
- Manufacturers who pack their own products for retail sale;
- Packers and contract packers who pack for brand owners.
The application goes to the Director of Legal Metrology or the Controller of the State, within 90 days of starting to pre-pack or import. Under Rule 27(2), it must contain the applicant’s name, the complete address of the premises where pre-packing or import takes place, and the commodities involved. The registering authority must return an incomplete application within seven working days, or register the applicant and issue a registration certificate.
What changed in 2026
The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Third Amendment Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 418(E), 29 May 2026) changed Rule 27 in three ways:
- Named director. The application must now include the name of the company’s director responsible for violations under the Act and rules.
- Annual update. The company or firm must update its details every year, including address, products with the numbers made, packed or imported in the previous year, and country of origin. An option for this is to be provided on the online portal.
- No expiry. Registration certificates “remain valid until cancelled”.
The same amendment allows importers to make the mandatory declarations at bonded warehouses of AEO Tier-2 and Tier-3 certified operators, provided every retail package carries all the declarations before it leaves the warehouse.
Where the rules do not apply
Rule 3 says the retail-package chapter does not apply to packages of more than 25 kg or 25 litres, to cement, fertiliser and agricultural farm produce in bags above 50 kg, or to packaged commodities meant for industrial or institutional consumers. Rule 26 separately exempts some packages, including fast food packed by restaurants or hotels.
Mandatory declarations on every retail package
Rule 6 lists what each package must declare. The current position, after the amendments notified from 2021 to 2026, is:
| Declaration | Rule | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name and address of the manufacturer; of the packer as well, if different; of the importer for imported packages | 6(1)(a) | For food, the FSS Act requirements apply instead |
| Country of origin, manufacture or assembly | 6(1)(aa) | Imported products |
| Common or generic name | 6(1)(b) | With the name and number or quantity of each product if the pack holds more than one |
| Net quantity | 6(1)(c) | In standard units of weight or measure, or by number |
| Month and year of manufacture | 6(1)(d) | For food and cosmetics, the FSS and Drugs and Cosmetics rules apply. Electronics may show it anywhere on the retail package |
| Best before or use by date | 6(1)(da) | Where the commodity may become unfit for human consumption |
| Retail sale price | 6(1)(e) | Maximum retail price in Indian currency, inclusive of all taxes |
| Dimensions | 6(1)(f) | Where size is relevant |
| Consumer care details | 6(2) | Name, address, telephone number and email of the person or office to contact for complaints |
| Unit sale price | 6(11) | Not required where the retail sale price equals the unit sale price, or for combination, group or multi-piece packages |
The 2021 amendment (in force from 1 April 2022) dropped the old “pre-packed or imported” date options so that only the month and year of manufacture is declared. It also simplified the MRP declaration and introduced the unit sale price. The Department of Consumer Affairs said at the time that it had removed Rule 5 and the Second Schedule of standard pack sizes. A 2022 amendment then revised the unit sale price rule, and its start was put back several times to 1 January 2024.
Other points to check:
- Electronics. Since 2023 an electronic product may give some details, such as the address and size, through a QR code. The name of the manufacturer, packer or importer, and the telephone number and email, must still be on the package.
- Stickers. A sticker cannot alter a mandatory declaration, except a sticker that lowers the MRP. Labels may be fixed on imported packages to make the declarations.
- E-commerce. Rule 6(10) requires e-commerce entities to display the mandatory declarations on the platform. From 1 July 2027, listings of imported products must also have a searchable and sortable country-of-origin filter, under Rule 6(10A) as substituted by G.S.R. 312(E) of 27 April 2026.
- Cosmetics and toiletries. From 21 September 2026, G.S.R. 826(E) omitted Rule 6(8), which made a green or red/brown vegetarian dot compulsory on soap, shampoo, toothpaste and other cosmetics. The dot is now listed among the optional additional declarations in Rule 6(4A).
- Medical devices. Since October 2025 (G.S.R. 778(E)), packages of medical devices follow the Medical Devices Rules, 2017 for principal display panel declarations and letter size.
Import vs domestic: what differs
| Point | Domestic manufacturer or packer | Importer |
|---|---|---|
| Who registers | The business that pre-packs | The importer |
| Name on the label | Manufacturer, and packer if different | Importer’s name and address |
| Country of origin | Not required | Required |
| When declarations are made | Packages leaving the manufacturer’s premises must carry the retail sale price (Rule 4) | Labels may be fixed on imported packages (Rule 6(9)); at AEO Tier-2 and Tier-3 bonded warehouses, all declarations must be on the pack before it leaves the warehouse |
For food, the FSSAI label rules and the LMPC rules apply together: regulation 5(8) of FSSAI’s labelling regulations leaves net quantity, retail sale price and consumer care details to the Legal Metrology rules. See FSSAI full form and meaning.
Where to apply
You apply to the Director (central) or the Controller of the relevant State. The Department of Consumer Affairs has developed eMaap, a national Legal Metrology portal that brings State systems together, and the 2026 amendment refers to an online portal for annual updates. Some States still run their own systems, so confirm which portal your registering authority uses before you file.
Penalties under the Legal Metrology Act
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 rewrote most Legal Metrology penalties, with effect from 1 May 2026 (S.O. 2103(E)). A new section 15(6) lets the Director, a Controller or a legal metrology officer serve an improvement notice setting out the failure and the measures needed to fix it within a set time. If the business does not comply, its registration or approval can be suspended or revoked.
| Section | Contravention | First offence | Second offence | Later offences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36(1) | Pre-packaged commodity not conforming to the declarations, including sales through e-commerce platforms | Improvement notice | Penalty up to ₹5 lakh | Fine of ₹25 lakh to ₹50 lakh |
| 36(2) | Error in net quantity beyond the prescribed limit | Fine of ₹10,000 to ₹1 lakh | Fine up to ₹5 lakh | Fine up to ₹50 lakh, or imprisonment up to 1 year, or both |
Section 52(3), as amended, also allows rules made by the Central Government to provide for a penalty of up to ₹5 lakh, with suspension or revocation, for breaching those rules. Section 48 allows most offences to be compounded by the Director, the Controller or an authorised officer.
LMPC vs Legal Metrology model approval
LMPC is about packaged goods. Model approval under section 22 of the Act is about weighing and measuring instruments, such as scales and meters, and section 19 separately requires importers of weights and measures to register with the Director. A business importing packaged weighing scales may need both. See our Legal Metrology model approval service.
Imported electronics usually need other approvals too. See BIS full form and meaning, CRS full form and meaning, EPR full form and meaning and Legal Metrology vs BIS.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech is a private compliance consultancy, independent of the Department of Consumer Affairs, State Legal Metrology departments and all other government bodies. We review packaging artwork against every Rule 6 declaration, prepare and file Rule 27 registrations with the Director or the right State Controller, and keep your annual updates current. See our LMPC registration service.