Rules 14 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Weight alone does not tell a buyer what a bed sheet, a roll of foil or a packet of garbage bags contains. Rules 14 to 17 add dimension and count declarations for textiles, goods priced by size, sheet products and container-type goods. They build on rule 6(1)(f), which asks for dimensions where size is relevant.
Rule 14: bed-sheets, sarees, towels and similar goods must declare the number and finished dimensions, and mixed-size packs also declare the dimensions and retail price of each piece, which must also be marked on each piece. Rule 15: if dimensions or weight affect the price, the quantity declaration includes them. Rule 16: sheet products declare the number of usable sheets and the size of each. Rule 17: bags, boxes, cups and similar containers declare the number and dimensions.
Where these rules come from
Rule 6(1)(f) says that where the sizes of the commodity are relevant, the dimensions must be declared, piece by piece where pieces differ (see our article on clauses (b), (c), (f) and (g)). Rule 12(4) says that where weight, measure or number does not give the consumer full information, it must be accompanied by dimensions or number. Rules 14 to 17 are the specific cases. The text used here is the Packaged Commodities Rules as amended up to G.S.R. 226(E) of 28 March 2022, and these four rules show no amendments in that text. Label checks on such non-food goods are part of the review we offer under our FSSAI label compliance service, together with the other declarations.
Rule 14: textiles and similar goods
Where a package contains "bed-sheets, hemmed fabric materials, dhoties, sarees, napkins, pillow-covers, towels, table cloths or similar other commodities", the number and the dimensions of finished size shall be declared on the package or on the label affixed to it.
| Proviso | Effect |
|---|---|
| First | If the package contains more than one piece of different dimensions, it must also declare the dimensions and the retail sale price of each such piece |
| Second | The dimensions and the sale price shall also be marked on each individual piece |
Points to note:
- The list ends with "similar other commodities", so the test is resemblance to hemmed or finished fabric goods. The text does not define "similar".
- "Finished size" points to the size after hemming or stitching, not the size of the uncut cloth.
- The second proviso reaches the piece itself. A set of three towels of different sizes needs each towel to be marked, not only the carton.
Rule 15: dimensions tied to price
"Where the dimensions and weight, or combination thereof, a commodity has or have a relationship to the price of that commodity, the declaration of quantity on the package containing such commodity, shall also include a declaration as to such dimensions, weight or combination."
The trigger is a relationship to price. A plywood sheet priced by thickness and area, or a rod priced by length and weight, are examples of goods where size drives price. The text does not list goods. Where there is such a relationship, the quantity declaration must carry the dimension or weight that the price depends on, so the consumer can compare.
Rule 16: usable sheets
"In the case of a package containing sheets like aluminum foil, facial tissues, waxed paper, toilet paper or any other type of sheet, the declaration of quantity on the package shall also include a statement as to the number of usable sheets contained in the package and the dimensions of each such sheet."
Two declarations are needed: how many usable sheets, and how large each sheet is. "Usable" is not defined. It appears to exclude sheets that cannot be used, such as a cardboard core or a torn end, but the text does not say so.
A roll of aluminium foil therefore carries the net quantity under rule 6(1)(c), and in addition the count of usable sheets and the size of each, as rule 16 requires.
Rule 17: container-type commodities
Rule 17 applies to commodities "expressed as bags, boxes, cups, pans or the like designed and sold in retail trade for being used as containers for other materials or objects". The declaration of quantity is:
| Shape or type | Declaration |
|---|---|
| Bag-type (rule 17(i)) | The number of bags the package may contain, followed by the linear dimensions of the bags, whether in a perforated roll or otherwise |
| Square, oblong, rectangular or similar (17(ii)) | The number of containers, followed by length, width, and if required, depth |
| Circular or generally round, not cups or the like (17(iii)) | The number contained, followed by diameter and, if necessary, depth |
| Use related by label reference to capacity (17(iv)) | Where the label relates the container's use, by standard weight or measure, to its capacity to hold a specific quantity or class of commodities, those references shall be included in the declaration of quantity |
Sub-paragraph (iii) says "not being cups or the like", so cups are not dealt with by the circular-container clause, even though cups appear in the opening list. The text does not give a separate clause for cups, and we do not supply one. Sub-paragraph (iv) means that a claim such as "holds 5 kg" becomes part of the declared quantity and must be accurate.
How the four rules differ from rule 6(1)(f)
Rule 6(1)(f) states a general duty. Rules 14 to 17 say what to write for named types of goods. If your goods fall under one of these rules, meeting rule 6(1)(f) alone is not enough. The penalty for a package that does not conform to the prescribed declarations is under section 36 of the Act; see section 36. Sheets and numbers are also part of the net quantity that rule 13 treats; see rule 13.
Practical examples
Example 1. A pack of four towels contains two 70 x 140 cm and two 30 x 50 cm pieces. Rule 14 requires the number and finished dimensions, the dimensions and retail sale price of each different piece, and marking of the dimensions and price on each individual towel.
Example 2. A pack of facial tissues says "100 tissues". Rule 16 also requires the size of each sheet.
Example 3. A roll of garbage bags is sold as "30 bags, 60 cm x 80 cm". That follows rule 17(i): the number of bags followed by their linear dimensions.
Need help with dimension declarations?
Linen, sheet and container goods often have a mix of sizes in one carton, which is where the piece-by-piece rules bite. Our FSSAI label compliance service can map each pack type to the right rule and mark up the artwork.
Key takeaways
- Rule 14: textile goods declare number and finished dimensions; mixed-size packs add each piece's dimensions and retail price, marked on each piece.
- Rule 15: where dimensions or weight relate to price, the quantity declaration includes them.
- Rule 16: sheet goods declare the number of usable sheets and each sheet's dimensions.
- Rule 17: container-type goods declare the number and dimensions by shape.
- These rules supplement rule 6(1)(f) and do not replace it.
Read next
- Rule 13 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Units of weight, measure or number
- Rule 18 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Wholesale and retail dealers
- Rule 6 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Generic name, net quantity and dimensions
- Mandatory declarations on pre-packaged commodities
Disclaimer: Based on the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 (as amended up to March 2022; check later amendments), read with the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (Act 1 of 2010), as on 30 September 2026. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (in force) and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (in force only from the date the Central Government notifies) amend the Act's penalty sections, not rules 14 to 17. State Legal Metrology rules, later amendments and notifications change; verify the current position before acting.