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PIN Code Decoder

Decode a 6-digit PIN code: postal region, circle, sorting district and post office

6 digits.

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This explains what each digit stands for. It doesn't look up the post office or district. For that, use India Post's official Find Pincode search.
Postal circle
Type a PIN code to decode it.
First digit: postal region
DigitRegionStates / UTs
1NorthernDelhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Chandigarh
2NorthernUttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand
3WesternRajasthan, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
4WesternMaharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
5SouthernAndhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka
6SouthernTamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep
7EasternWest Bengal, Odisha, Assam, the North-Eastern states, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
8EasternBihar, Jharkhand
9Army Postal ServiceArmy Post Offices (APO) and Field Post Offices (FPO) for the armed forces
First two digits: postal circle
Starts withCircleCovers
11DelhiDelhi
12–13HaryanaHaryana
14–16PunjabPunjab and Chandigarh
17Himachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh
18–19Jammu & KashmirJammu and Kashmir and Ladakh
20–28Uttar Pradesh / UttarakhandUttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand
30–34RajasthanRajasthan
36–39GujaratGujarat, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
40–44MaharashtraMaharashtra and Goa
45–48Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh
49ChhattisgarhChhattisgarh
50TelanganaTelangana
51–53Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh (and Yanam, Puducherry)
56–59KarnatakaKarnataka
60–64Tamil NaduTamil Nadu and Puducherry
67–69KeralaKerala and Lakshadweep (and Mahe, Puducherry)
70–74West BengalWest Bengal, Sikkim, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands
75–77OdishaOdisha
78AssamAssam
79North EastArunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura
80–85Bihar / JharkhandBihar and Jharkhand
90–99Army Postal Service (Base Circle)Armed forces' APO / FPO addresses

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Results are for general guidance. Please check anything important before relying on it. Terms of use

How to Use

  1. Type a 6-digit PIN code, or tap Try an example.
  2. The result updates as you type, showing the postal circle and the states it covers.
  3. Read the breakdown: the first digit is the region, the first two digits the circle, the first three the sorting district, and the last three the delivery post office.
  4. Scroll down for the full tables of regions and circles.
  5. To find the exact post office, district or the PIN code of a place, use India Post's official Find Pincode search. This tool works offline and doesn't hold the post office directory.

What a PIN code tells you

The Postal Index Number (PIN) was introduced by the Department of Posts on 15 August 1972. It's a 6-digit code, and each digit narrows down where a letter is going. You can read a lot from a PIN without looking anything up: the region of the country, the postal circle (roughly the state) and the sorting district. This PIN code decoder explains those parts. It runs in your browser and doesn't contain India Post's directory of post offices.

Structure of a PIN code

5 6 0 0 0 1
5 → region (Southern)
56 → postal circle (Karnataka)
560 → sorting district (Bengaluru)
001 → delivery post office within it

There are nine PIN regions: eight geographical regions (digits 1–8) and one functional region, digit 9, for the Army Postal Service, which handles mail for the armed forces through Army Post Offices and Field Post Offices.

First digit: region

DigitRegionMain states / UTs
1, 2NorthernDelhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Ladakh, Chandigarh (1); Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand (2)
3, 4WesternRajasthan, Gujarat, DNH and DD (3); Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh (4)
5, 6SouthernAndhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka (5); Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep (6)
7, 8EasternWest Bengal, Odisha, Assam, the North East, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar (7); Bihar, Jharkhand (8)
9Army Postal ServiceArmed forces' APO and FPO addresses

First two digits: postal circle

India Post is organised into 23 postal circles, plus the Army Postal Service's Base Circle. The first two digits point to the circle. Circles don't always follow state borders: Goa is part of the Maharashtra circle (PINs starting 403), Sikkim and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are in the West Bengal circle (737 and 744), Puducherry is mostly in the Tamil Nadu circle (605), Lakshadweep is in the Kerala circle, Chandigarh is in the Punjab circle (160) and Ladakh in the Jammu & Kashmir circle (194). The full table of ranges is under the tool.

A few ranges are shared between two states: 20–28 covers both Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and 80–85 both Bihar and Jharkhand, so the first two digits alone can't tell you which of the pair a PIN is in. Two-digit starts that no circle uses (such as 29, 35, 54, 55, 65, 66 and 86–89) mean the number has probably been mistyped.

First three digits: sorting district

The first three digits identify a sorting district: the area served by one main sorting office, often matching a revenue district, though a large city may have its own (110 for Delhi, 400 for Mumbai, 560 for Bengaluru, 600 for Chennai, 700 for Kolkata). The last three digits identify the delivery post office within that sorting district; the head post office usually ends in 001.

Finding a post office or a PIN code

For the name of the post office, its district and state, or to find the PIN code of a village or locality, use India Post's official Find Pincode search, or the circle-wise lists published on indiapost.gov.in. Sources for the tables on this page: India Post's list of 23 postal circles (indiapost.gov.in, checked October 2026) and the long-standing PIN region and circle allotment.

Tips

  • One PIN code often covers several post offices and localities, and a large town can have many PIN codes. Write the full address, not just the PIN.
  • For an armed forces address, the PIN starts with 9 and is used with the unit's APO/FPO details.
  • India Post's newer DIGIPIN is a separate 10-character digital address for a precise location. It doesn't replace your 6-digit PIN code.

Frequently Asked Questions

The postal region. 1 and 2 are the Northern region, 3 and 4 Western, 5 and 6 Southern, 7 and 8 Eastern, and 9 is the Army Postal Service used for armed forces addresses.

Six. The first digit is the region, the first two digits the postal circle, the first three the sorting district, and the last three the delivery post office.

No. It explains the region, circle and sorting district from the digits, but it doesn't contain India Post's directory, so it can't name the post office or district. Use India Post's official Find Pincode search for that.

PIN codes starting with 9 (90 to 99). They are used for mail to armed forces personnel through Army Post Offices (APO) and Field Post Offices (FPO).

Because Goa is part of India Post's Maharashtra postal circle, so its PIN codes start with 403. Similarly, Sikkim (737) and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (744) are in the West Bengal circle, and Chandigarh (160) is in the Punjab circle.