Other

Ankle-covering leather footwear (safety boots, tactical boots, service shoes)

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 3976

HSN 6403 91 90 (ankle-covering leather footwear) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to the applicable Indian Standard — IS 3976:2018, IS 11226:1993, IS 14544:2022, IS 17012:2018, or IS 17043 (Part 1 or Part 2) depending on footwear type — is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 01 August 2024, by virtue of the Footwear Made from Leather and Other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024. No separate customs-clearance overlay applies to this tariff line.

What this is

HSN code

6403 91 90

Chapter

64 · Footwear, gaiters and the like; parts thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 3976 · effective 01-08-2024

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

Compliance steps

1
Identify the specific footwear type in the consignment and match it to the correct Indian Standard: IS 3976:2018 (safety boots for miners), IS 11226:1993 (leather safety footwear with direct-moulded rubber sole), IS 14544:2022 (leather safety and protective footwear with direct-moulded polymeric sole), IS 17012:2018 (high-ankle tactical boots with PU-rubber sole), IS 17043 Part 1 (shoes for services), or IS 17043 Part 2 (shoes for general purpose).
Footwear Made from Leather and Other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024 · S.O. 1421(E) dated 15-03-2024
2
Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against the applicable IS standard for the specific footwear type. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, and licensed manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · S.O. 1421(E) dated 15-03-2024
3
Ensure each unit of footwear bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L licence number under Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the product itself, not on packaging alone.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Footwear Made from Leather and Other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024
4
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L licence number and the applicable IS standard on the bill of entry. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register; an absent, expired, or scope-mismatched licence triggers consignment detention.
BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962 · S.O. 1421(E) dated 15-03-2024
5
If the manufacturer qualifies as a micro or small enterprise under Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, document this status at the time of import. The QCO exemption applies only to micro and small manufacturing units, not to importers or traders of any size.
Footwear Made from Leather and Other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024 · S.O. 1421(E) dated 15-03-2024 · Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is presenting one CM/L licence as covering a mixed consignment of multiple footwear types — for example, clearing both safety miners' boots under IS 3976:2018 and general-purpose shoes under IS 17043 Part 2 on a single CM/L that covers only one standard. Each Indian Standard requires its own, separately scoped CM/L; a consignment containing footwear types whose IS is not covered by the presented CM/L will be detained at port regardless of the ISI mark's physical presence on the product.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 6403 91 90 require BIS certification?

Yes. All ankle-covering leather footwear under this tariff line requires Bureau of Indian Standards certification under the ISI Mark Scheme against the applicable Indian Standard, with effect from 01 August 2024, under S.O. 1421(E) dated 15-03-2024.

Which Indian Standard applies — IS 3976, IS 11226, IS 14544, IS 17012, or IS 17043?

The applicable standard is determined by footwear type: IS 3976:2018 for miners' safety boots; IS 11226:1993 for leather safety footwear with direct-moulded rubber sole; IS 14544:2022 for leather safety footwear with direct-moulded polymeric sole; IS 17012:2018 for high-ankle tactical boots with PU-rubber sole; IS 17043 Part 1 for service shoes; IS 17043 Part 2 for general-purpose shoes.

Are micro and small manufacturing enterprises exempt from the QCO?

Yes. The Footwear Made from Leather and Other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024 exempts micro and small manufacturing units as defined in Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006. The exemption attaches to the manufacturer's status, not to the importer's.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all footwear types within this tariff line?

No. A CM/L licence is standard-specific and scope-specific; each footwear type governed by a different IS requires its own CM/L covering that standard, the relevant product specification, and the licensed manufacturing facility.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-18. Source: BIS / Indian Customs CUSDATA.