How to import motorcycle and scooter helmets into India: IS 4151 ISI licence, FMCS, labelling, EPR and costs

A BIS licence held by the factory, and the ISI mark on every helmet. The Helmet for riders of Two Wheeler Motor Vehicles (Quality Control) Order, 2020 requires these helmets to conform to IS 4151:2015 and bear the Standard Mark under a Scheme-I licence^[1]. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued it on 26 November 2020^[3], and it has applied since 1 June 2021^[1].

The order leaves no room for small importers or old stock: the only exemption is goods meant for export^[1]. Around the BIS licence you need the usual registrations: plastic packaging EPR for helmets packed in plastic, Legal Metrology (LMPC) registration for retail packs, and battery EPR if you import smart helmets with built-in batteries.

For the order's history and status, see the helmet QCO page. For the standard and its tests, see IS 4151.

The BIS licence is the gate. The rest are registrations held by you, the importer.

Helmets are reported to be classified under HS subheading 6506.10, 'safety headgear', within heading 65.06 for other headgear^[19]. That six-digit text is the international HS; we have not checked the Indian 8-digit tariff item, so confirm it with your customs broker.

What decides the BIS question is the product description, not the code. The order covers 'Helmet for riders of Two Wheeler Motor Vehicles' and lists no HS codes^[1]. In practice:

• Full-face, open-face, modular and half helmets for motorcycles and scooters. Covered^[1]. Each model, type and size is a separate variety in the licence^[5].
• Bicycle, skating, sports, equestrian and industrial helmets. Not helmets for riders of two-wheeler motor vehicles, so outside this order on its wording. Some may fall under other standards; check before assuming nothing applies.
• Children's motorcycle helmets. Still helmets for two-wheeler riders. Treat them as covered.
• Smart helmets with intercoms or cameras. The helmet still needs IS 4151. The electronics add battery EPR and may need WPC ETA for Bluetooth; we have not researched those details here.
• Visors sold separately. BIS's helmet manual treats visors as helmet components with their own test requirements^[20]. Ask BIS before importing loose visors for sale.

Any helmet for riders of motorcycles and scooters needs an IS 4151 licence, and every model, type and size must be in that licence's scope. Each variety is tested separately, with a sample of 9 helmets plus 3 m of chin strap^[5]. The matrix shows what each variant adds; confirm single products in the approval checker.

The order of these steps matters: the licence has to exist before the factory can mark, and the goods must be marked before they ship.

BIS grants a Scheme-I licence after a factory visit to check infrastructure, process controls, quality control and testing capability, and after the product passes testing^[25]. For helmets BIS is the certifying and enforcing authority^[1].

The standard. The order names IS 4151:2015^[1]. BIS's December 2024 product manual uses the same edition with two amendments^[2].

What gets tested. The BIS test list covers materials (shell, padding, retention system, metal parts and visor), sizes and construction, peripheral vision, mass, impact absorption, rigidity, projections and surface friction, the dynamic test of the retention system, audibility, the detaching test, chin-strap slip and abrasion, and quick-release buckles, after conditioning at heat, cold, UV and with solvents^[20].

Factory testing. BIS's recommended control unit is helmets of the same model, type and size made in a day. Impact absorption is recommended on five samples per shape and size every three months and may be subcontracted; the dynamic retention and detaching tests are recommended on every control unit with in-house equipment^[26]. A factory without that equipment will struggle at inspection.

See BIS ISI mark for the general process.

The helmet order has applied to everyone since 1 June 2021, with no MSME, R&D or old-stock relief in its text^[1]. Indian micro and small makers only get the marking-fee concession, 80% and 50% off until 31 May 2029^[27]. Check other products in the QCO deadline checker; the helmet QCO page has the order text.

Through FMCS, which covers all products except MeitY-notified electronics^[9]. The factory nominates an Authorised Indian Representative who is an Indian resident and takes responsibility for compliance^[32]; an AIR can represent only one foreign manufacturer, with limited group exceptions^[32].

Fees are the same as for an Indian factory, plus per-diem, tickets, visa and insurance for BIS officers and a Rs 10,000 contingency payment^[10]. Non-SAARC applicants pay in US dollars^[10]. After grant the factory furnishes a USD 10,000 Performance Bank Guarantee^[6]. BIS states the average grant time is generally six months^[6].

Each additional variety costs Rs 5,000 to add under FMCS^[10], so a range of many shells and sizes adds up. See BIS FMCS.

Few: BIS's FMCS list of 30 October 2026 included only 4 helmet licences under IS 4151 for Vietnam, the country with the most FMCS records overall^[33]. On BIS's standards portal on 1 November 2026, IS 4151 had 155 licences in all^[34], and a July 2025 government statement reportedly counted 176 manufacturers with valid helmet licences^[35], so most licensed helmets are made in India. Before ordering abroad, check the factory's CML number and status on BIS's FMCS list^[36]. Chinese FMCS licences are mostly not operative: of 256 records, 23 were operative^[36]. See importing from Vietnam and importing from China.

The licence starts a cycle of checks and payments that runs for as long as you import:

1. Surveillance. BIS makes surprise factory visits and buys ISI-marked helmets in the market for third-party testing^[7]. FMCS licensees also report production and dispatch monthly or quarterly^[37].
2. Factory testing. BIS expects the dynamic retention and detaching tests on every control unit and impact absorption every three months per shape and size^[26].
3. Marking fee reconciliation. At renewal the factory files a CA-certified production statement and BIS works out the actual marking fee^[38].
4. Renewal. Up to five years at a time, with fees paid every year in advance under the 2026 rules^[8]; older BIS fee rules asked for the licence fee and advance minimum marking fee for the whole period^[39]. A late renewal within 90 days costs Rs 5,000, and no helmets may be marked or dispatched meanwhile^[40].

If BIS finds marked helmets that do not conform, it can order the licensee to stop supply and recall them^[41]. Keep your supplier's validity date in your own calendar.

Renewal is filed on the BIS portal in Form XII, preferably two months before the validity date, and is usually automatic if fees and data are in order^[42][43]. Since 25 February 2026 a licence is renewed for up to five years and the fees are paid every year in advance before the due date; a missed yearly fee suspends the licence for 90 days^[8]. BIS's older renewal guidelines asked for the licence fee and advance minimum marking fee for the whole period chosen^[44], so check the demand note BIS raises. The actual marking fee is worked out from a production statement certified by a chartered or cost accountant^[38], and a BIS grant letter reportedly says the higher of the actual fee and the minimum is payable^[45].

Miss the date and you have 90 days with a Rs 5,000 late fee, but you may not mark or dispatch goods meanwhile^[40]. A foreign licensee also extends its bank guarantee to six months beyond the new validity^[46]. A self-compliance report is mandatory at each renewal^[47]. More on ISI renewal; set a reminder with the licence renewal date tool.

Before paying a deposit, get in writing:

• The CM/L licence number, which must also appear on the helmet near the mark^[24].
• The scope of licence, listing each model or design, type and size; anything not listed is not covered^[5][22].
• The factory address and validity date. The licence covers one factory location^[7] for a fixed period^[8].

Then check the licence on BIS's own systems. Our guide how to verify a BIS licence shows how.

A plain helmet needs none of these. It has no radio, no telecom function and no electrical parts.

Smart helmets change the picture. A Bluetooth intercom is a radio transmitter, so check WPC ETA. A built-in battery makes you a battery producer (below). We have not researched e-waste coverage of helmet electronics, so check the E-Waste Rules schedule for the specific device.

Plastic packaging: usually yes. An 'importer' under the Plastic Waste Management Rules includes anyone importing for commercial use any commodity with plastic packaging^[11]. Helmet bags, foam and film all count. Registration on CPCB's portal is compulsory before you trade^[11], and fees run from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000^[12]. See plastic EPR.

Batteries: smart helmets only. Importers of equipment containing batteries are producers under the battery rules^[16] and must register with CPCB before importing^[18]. Each battery needs the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol^[48]. See battery EPR.

Yes, for helmets sold in retail packs. On our reading, importers of pre-packaged commodities register under Rule 27, as the Delhi Legal Metrology importer form shows^[13], for Rs 500^[14], within 90 days of starting imports^[14]. Since 29 May 2026 the certificate is valid until cancelled^[15], but the company must update its details annually on the online portal^[15].

The pack must show the importer's name and address, country of origin, generic name, net quantity, month and year of manufacture, MRP, unit sale price and consumer care details^[49]. See LMPC.

Helmets carry more product marking than most imports because the standard itself prescribes markings.

Check a production helmet, not the drawing. The free label checker and product label checklist cover the same list.

The IS 4151 minimum marking fee is Rs 46,000 a year for a large firm, Rs 23,000 small and Rs 9,200 micro, with a unit rate of Rs 0.45 per helmet^[4]. The other BIS fees come from the BIS FAQ^[7]. The table compares an Indian large factory with a foreign factory under FMCS, both with one licence and two inspection man-days.

At Rs 0.45 per helmet^[4], the unit-rate fee passes the Rs 46,000 minimum at about 1,02,200 helmets a year. A BIS grant letter states the actual fee or the minimum, whichever is higher, is payable at renewal^[45]. So a factory shipping 2 lakh helmets a year for India would owe about Rs 90,000 in marking fee for that year, worked out from a CA-certified production statement^[38].

Left out of the table: lab charges (BIS does not publish them in a form we could verify), extra varieties under FMCS at Rs 5,000 each^[10], EPR and LMPC fees. Micro and small concessions on the minimum marking fee apply to Indian MSMEs until 31 May 2029^[27]. For more, see BIS ISI licence cost.

BIS fees barely move with more models, but testing does: each model, type and size is a separate variety with its own 9-helmet sample^[5]. Under FMCS, varieties added after grant cost Rs 5,000 each^[10]. BIS's lab system lists IS 4151 testing from Rs 14,000 (Presto Laboratories, Samridhi Test House) to Rs 55,000 (Delta Testing) before tax^[51]. The table uses the Rs 14,000 low end and a large foreign factory under FMCS; travel is extra^[10]. Model your own case in the compliance cost estimator. Compare with BIS ISI fees and FMCS fees.

About six months for a foreign factory under FMCS and about one month for an Indian factory using a recognised lab report, on BIS's averages^[6][7].

A foreign factory files Form V with a self-evaluation report, an AIR nomination and its process and quality documents, and is always inspected. Under the 2026 grant guidelines the application goes in on Form V with a self-evaluation-cum-verification report^[53]. The simplified option with your own lab report is not open to foreign manufacturers, so every foreign file gets a factory visit and drawn samples^[54]. A visit normally lasts two days for a foreign factory, and grant is expected within 90 days under option-1 if everything is right first time^[52].

BIS's FMCS list asks for proof of the Indian agent or office, the AIR nomination, a manufacturing process flow chart and quality documents^[55]. Calibration certificates must stay valid for at least three months after the application is recorded^[56]. Use the ISI documents list and apply on Manakonline.

A distributor importing a European brand. European approval does not replace the ISI mark; the order requires IS 4151 and a BIS licence^[1], and the only exemption is export^[1]. The brand's factory applies under FMCS. Plan on roughly six months^[6] and ask the brand which models it will put in the Indian licence scope.

An online seller of budget helmets. Helmets were in the first CCPA Safety Notice warning consumers against goods without a valid ISI mark^[57]. CCPA has ordered recalls and refunds for other QCO products sold online^[58]. Check the licence number and scope before listing.

A start-up importing smart helmets. Three regimes stack up: the IS 4151 licence for the helmet^[1], battery EPR for the built-in battery^[16], and probably WPC for the Bluetooth module. Helmets are not in the 2026 Transition Facilitation Order's schedule^[59], so there is no Scheme-II shortcut.

The factory holds the licence and the importer cannot apply in its place; the importer holds EPR and LMPC; everyone who sells is liable for unmarked stock. Put this split into your supply contract, and check suppliers on the Flipkart seller and Amazon seller guides.

Most holds come from scope gaps rather than failed tests.

Hard, because helmets are a road-safety product. In October 2024 the Department of Consumer Affairs reportedly asked district collectors to run a nationwide drive against non-ISI helmet makers and sellers, with 162 helmet licences cancelled or expired and 27 raids^[31]. A December 2025 Lok Sabha answer reportedly cited search-and-seizure operations at 9 manufacturers that seized over 2,500 helmets^[35]. Helmets were also in CCPA's first safety notice against goods without a valid ISI mark^[57].

BIS officers may search premises and vehicles and seize goods^[65], and a licensee selling non-conforming marked helmets must compensate injured consumers^[66]. See selling without BIS and the Amazon seller guide.

Section 17 of the BIS Act bars importing, selling, storing or exhibiting for sale notified goods without a Standard Mark under a valid licence^[41]. A breach can bring up to two years' imprisonment, or a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh (first offence) or Rs 5 lakh (later), up to ten times the value of the goods, or both^[41]. For a company, responsible officers and the authorised representative can be held guilty too^[41].

BIS can order stop-supply and recall of non-conforming marked goods^[41], and runs market surveillance by buying ISI-marked samples for testing^[7].

Start with the free tools, test at a lab recognised for your standard, and use a consultant mainly for the FMCS file and factory visit. The approval checker, QCO deadline checker and compliance cost estimator answer most first questions.

BIS's standards portal listed 6 laboratories against IS 4151 on 1 November 2026^[34], and BIS's Central Laboratory has full helmet testing except the visor^[67]. Delhi NCR labs recognised for IS 4151 include Delta Testing (Delhi), Pioneer Testing (New Delhi), Presto Laboratories (Faridabad) and Testtex India (Noida)^[68]. See Delhi NCR labs. Browse BIS-recognised labs by city.

Consultant fees are commercial and headline prices often exclude government and lab fees^[69]. Compare scope with our BIS consultants guide and how to choose a BIS consultant, or ask us for a free compliance check.