Registration is a receipted service for mail, when collected and when delivered.

Object - Registration makes the transmission of an article more secure, as it passes through the hands of postal officers, under special precautions. But the Post Offices is not responsible for the loss of an registered article, or for any injury which its contents may sustain during the transmission through the post. The risk of injury is diminished by the use of the special registration envelopes sold at post offices.

What may be registered

Mail of any category, except Post Card, can be registered on payment of the prescribed fee, along with postage, at the Post Office, or Mail Office where the service is available.

Acknowledgement Service

Acknowledgement service, for which the prescribed fee is payable provides to the sender an acknowledgement, in the prescribed form of card, signed by or on behalf of the addressee of a registered article.

Acknowledgement Card provided by the Department should be filled in and fastened to the registered article and acknowledgement fee paid in the shape of postage stamp(s) or frank. The signature of the addressee or authorised representative will be had on the Acknowledgement Card, when the article is delivered, and the Card sent to the sender. If the Post Office fails to deliver the Acknowledgement Card, the sender can get an attested copy of the addressee's receipt, free of cost, through the Post Office at which the article was registered, on application.

Acknowledgement Cards are available for sale at the Post Office in pads of 50.

Superscription

The article should be superscribed "Registered Letter/ ..............." or ' Registered Letter/ ........ Acknowledgement Due', as the case may be, on the top left corner of address side.

What must be registered

Registeration is compulsory for the following :

1. Parcel exceeding 4 kg in weight

2. Parcel  addressed to a place for which customs declaration is required 

3. Article containing postage or other stamps, hundi, cheque, any other bill of exchange or bank note.

Any such article found in course of transmission by Post, as unregistered will be registered by Post Office, rendering twice the registration fee due on it.

Treated as Registered

The following will be treated as registered :

1. Unregistered parcel posted in the letter box

2. Registered article re-posted after having been delivered

3. Article bearing the word ' Registered ' or any usage to mean the same.

Any such article will be registered by Post Office, when noticed, rendering twice the registration fee due on it.
Payment of Postage and Fee:-
The prepayment of the postage and registration fee is compulsory in the case of all registered articles.

Booking

An article intended for registration must be presented at the window of the Post Office. (No such article will be accepted for registration if it is so small or so covered with writing or sealing wax on the address side or otherwise made up in such a manner, as to render it impracticable to affix to the article the prescribed official labels of the Post Office).
No article, intended for registration, shall be accepted at any Post Office at any one time from an individual or firm unless the number of articles intended for registration is limited to such number as may be fixed by the Postmaster-General in his behalf.
A receipt in the prescribed form is given by the office when the article is booked. If Acknowledgement is due, the receipt will indicate AD  also.

Special Registered Journal

Mailers who post 200  or more registered letters/parcels per month can avail of Special Registered Journal, with the sanction of the Divisional Superintendent of Post Offices, at a specified Post Office. The mailer may, with the permission of the Divisional Superintendent, use own Special Journal conforming to the Department's form. The Special Journal enables the mailer to prepare the receipt and affix the number slip on the article, expediting registration.

Compensation

While there is no statutory liability on account of loss of a registered article or its contents, or damage to contents, exgratia compensation upto Rs. 100/-, but not exceeding the actual loss, is paid in deserving cases, to the sender or, on the sender's request, to the addressee. The sender should, for this purpose, apply to the Divisional Superintendent of Post Offices within three months of the date of registration in case of loss of article and one month of the date of delivery in case of loss of, or damage to, contents. The Post Office receipt for the article should be attached.

No compensation will be given in the following cases:-

1. For loss of damage - In case in which this has been caused by the fault or negligence of the sender, or in which the contents of the registered article were articles which are not allowed to be sent by the Inland Post.

2. For damage - In case in which the contents of the registered article are liquid or perishable articles or articles of an exceptionally fragile nature.