Damaged banknotes in India
Torn, burned, washed, or missing a piece, what it is still worth.
Is a damaged note still worth its face value?
Usually yes. A damaged banknote is not automatically worthless. India measures the largest single piece that survives, in square centimetres, against a figure set for each note. Get above it and you are paid in full; for larger notes there is also a half-value band. The figures are below. Free at the counter; service charges may apply to bulk tenders credited later.
Where to take it
| Condition | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Lightly damaged | Every bank branch must accept soiled, mutilated and imperfect notes for exchange on all working days. Payment Banks and newly licensed Small Finance Banks may do so at their option. |
| Badly damaged or incomplete | Any bank branch; RBI Issue Offices for severely damaged notes |
How much of the note must survive
Measure the largest piece that is still in one piece, not the total of all the fragments. Each figure is the minimum area of that single piece.
| Note | Size (cm) | Full value from | Half value from |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹1 | 9.7 × 6.3 | 31 cm² | no half value |
| ₹2 | 10.7 × 6.3 | 34 cm² | no half value |
| ₹5 | 11.7 × 6.3 | 37 cm² | no half value |
| ₹10 | 13.7 × 6.3 | 44 cm² | no half value |
| ₹10 (new series) | 12.3 × 6.3 | 39 cm² | no half value |
| ₹20 | 14.7 × 6.3 | 47 cm² | no half value |
| ₹20 (new series) | 12.9 × 6.3 | 41 cm² | no half value |
| ₹50 | 14.7 × 7.3 | 86 cm² | 43 cm² |
| ₹50 (new series) | 13.5 × 6.6 | 72 cm² | 36 cm² |
| ₹100 | 15.7 × 7.3 | 92 cm² | 46 cm² |
| ₹100 (new series) | 14.2 × 6.6 | 75 cm² | 38 cm² |
| ₹200 | 14.6 × 6.6 | 78 cm² | 39 cm² |
| ₹500 | 15.0 × 6.6 | 80 cm² | 40 cm² |
| ₹2000 | 16.6 × 6.6 | 88 cm² | 44 cm² |
"New series" is the Mahatma Gandhi (New) series, which is smaller than the notes it replaced, so the same denomination has two figures. Notes below ₹50 are paid in full or not at all. For ₹50 and above, full value needs 80% of the note’s area and half value 40%, each rounded up to the next whole square centimetre. A ₹50-or-higher note in exactly two pieces, each at least 40% of the note, is also paid in full. Set by the Reserve Bank of India (Note Refund) Amendment Rules, 2018, in force since 6 September 2018.
How it works
Under the Note Refund Rules, 2009 (amended 2018): up to 20 soiled notes worth at most Rs 5,000 per day can be exchanged over the counter, and up to 10 mutilated or imperfect notes. Larger tenders are accepted against receipt and credited within 30 days. Notes that are extremely brittle, badly burnt, charred or inseparably stuck together cannot be handled by a bank branch and must be taken to the nearest RBI Issue Office.
Worth knowing
Scribbled or stained notes remain legal tender, though banks treat them as unfit for reissue. RBI states that no one is entitled to recover the value of a damaged note as a matter of right - it refunds as a matter of grace. RBI neither buys nor sells old notes, and warns the public about scams offering to.
Practical advice
- Handle a damaged note as little as possible and do not tape, glue, wash or clean it: that can destroy evidence the examiner needs. Lay the pieces out as found, and follow the issuer's own packing instructions.
- Keep every fragment, however small, and store them exactly as found.
- If a note is contaminated or came out of a fire, say so when you submit it; there are handling procedures for that.
- Never assume a damaged note is worthless and throw it away.
Cash declaration rules for India →
Sources: as of 22 September 2026. General information, not legal or financial advice; the issuing authority decides each case.
- Exchange of Banknotes - Reserve Bank of India · retrieved 22 September 2026
- Customs Clearance of Passengers At a Glance, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs · retrieved 22 September 2026
- Amendments to Reserve Bank of India (Note Refund) Rules, 2009 (RBI/2018-19/46) · retrieved 15 October 2026
- Reserve Bank of India (Note Refund) Amendment Rules, 2018, Gazette of India, 6 September 2018 · retrieved 15 October 2026