Rules 28 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.
These three rules follow rule 27. Rule 28 lets a manufacturer or packer register a shorter address and use it on labels. Rule 29 makes the Director or Controller keep a register of those who registered, open to the public. Rule 30 requires State-wise lists to be circulated so that State officers can take samples at the right premises.
A manufacturer or packer may apply to register a shorter address in addition to the complete address given under rule 27. If the Director or Controller is satisfied after inquiry that it is enough for a consumer or anyone else to identify the maker or packer, the shorter address may be registered and used on the label. The registers are open to public inspection without a fee. A State-wise list is compiled and sent to the concerned State Controller for sampling.
Rule 28: registration of a shorter address
The three sub-rules
| Sub-rule | Content |
|---|---|
| 28(1) | It is lawful for any manufacturer or packer to apply to the Director or Controller for registration of a shorter address, in addition to the complete address referred to in rule 27(2) |
| 28(2) | The Director or Controller may register it if satisfied "after inquiry" that the shorter address is sufficient to enable the consumer or any other person to identify the manufacturer or packer |
| 28(3) | Once registered, it is lawful for the manufacturer or packer to state the shorter address on the label of each commodity pre-packed by it |
How it fits with rule 10
Rule 10 is the label rule: a package must show the name and complete address of the manufacturer, packer or importer, with the "complete address" defined in an Explanation (see rule 10). Rule 28 is the route to a shorter form of that address where the complete address is impractical, for instance on a small pack. The text of rule 28 does not say when or why a shorter address is needed, and it does not name a fee or a form. Rule 10 has its own provisos for very small containers; those are discussed in the rule 10 article.
Three points follow from the wording:
- It is an additional registration. The shorter address is "in addition to" the complete address. Rule 27 registration comes first.
- It is not automatic. The authority "may" register it, after inquiry and being satisfied. The text sets no time limit for the decision.
- The benefit is permissive. Rule 28(3) says it is "lawful" to state the shorter address. The rule does not spell out the position of a label carrying an unregistered short address, so until the shorter address is registered, use the complete address.
Rule 28 is one of the two rules, with rule 27, for which rule 32(1) provides a fine in its amended form; see rules 32 and 32A. If your labels use a short form and you are unsure whether it is registered, our legal consultation service can check the label against the Rules.
Rule 29: the register
Rule 29(1): "The Director or the Controller shall enter in a register, to be maintained by him for the purpose, the name and complete address of each manufacturer or packer by whom application for such registration has been made to him under rule 27."
Rule 29(2): the register "shall be open to the inspection of the public without payment of any fee."
What this means:
- A consumer, competitor, buyer or officer can ask to see the register. The text allows inspection without a fee; it does not describe the procedure for asking or any online version.
- The register is of manufacturers and packers. Rule 27 also covers importers, but rule 29(1) names "manufacturer or packer" only. The text does not say whether importers are entered; check practice with the Registering Authority.
- The entry is the name and complete address. The shorter address registered under rule 28 is not mentioned in rule 29.
Rule 30: State-wise lists for sampling
"The Director/Controller shall compile a State-wise list of the manufacturers and packers registered by him under rule 29 and shall circulate such list to the Controller of the concerned State to enable the Controller to take, or cause to be taken, samples at the premises of the manufacturer or, where the manufacturer is not the packer, of the packer."
This ties registration to enforcement. A Director (central) or a Controller (State) who registers a packer feeds it into a list, and the State Controller uses it to decide where to draw samples under rule 19. So registration is a compliance duty, and also a way for the authorities to know who to inspect. A packer who never registered is harder to find, but is not outside the Rules.
Rule 31 as printed
The consolidation prints a rule 31 with no heading in the index or in the body. The text reads: any advertisement mentioning the retail sale price of the pre-packaged commodity shall declare the net quantity or number of the commodity; and the font size of the net quantity in the advertisement shall be the same as that of the retail sale price. The index leaves the title blank, and no footnote explains whether the rule is in force, and rule 32(1), as amended in 2015, names only rules 27 and 28. The status of rule 31 is therefore unclear from our source, so verify it in the current gazette before relying on it.
Practical examples
Example 1. A small spice packer has a long factory address that does not fit on its 50 g pouch. It applies under rule 28(1). After inquiry, the Director or Controller is satisfied the short form lets a consumer identify the packer and registers it. From then the packer may print the short address on the labels (rule 28(3)).
Example 2. A buyer wants to check whether a brand is a registered packer. Rule 29(2) allows inspection of the register without any fee, though the text does not say where or how.
Example 3. A State Controller receives the State-wise list under rule 30 and draws samples at the factory of the packer named in it, rather than at a distributor's shop.
Need help with registered addresses and labels?
A label address is tested against the rules on registration, completeness and legibility. Our legal consultation service can help you review your registration and the address shown on each pack.
Key takeaways
- A shorter address is registered in addition to the complete address, after inquiry and satisfaction of the Director or Controller.
- Once registered, the shorter address may be used on the label of each commodity pre-packed by the manufacturer or packer.
- The register of manufacturers and packers is open to public inspection without a fee.
- State-wise lists go to the State Controller for sampling at the maker's or packer's premises.
- The rules give no fee, form or time limit for the shorter address.
- Rule 31 appears untitled in the consolidation; its status is unclear. Rules as amended up to March 2022; check later amendments.
Read next
- Rule 27 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Registration of manufacturers, packers and importers
- Rules 32 and 32A of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Fine and compounding sums
- Rule 10 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Name and address of manufacturer, packer or importer
- Packer registration under the Packaged Commodities Rules
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 and procedure sections, not rules 28 to 30. State Legal Metrology rules, later amendments and notifications change; verify the current position before acting.