What is a PIN code? The six digits explained
PIN stands for Postal Index Number. It is the six-digit code that India Post uses to sort letters and parcels and send them to the right delivery post office. The system began on 15 August 1972, so that post could be sorted correctly even when the address was written in a different language or two places had the same name.
What each digit means
| Digits | Example: 141001 | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | The zone: one of 9 large regions of the country. |
| 1st and 2nd | 14 | The sub-zone: a state or postal circle within the zone. |
| 1st to 3rd | 141 | The sorting district, where post for the area is sorted. |
| Last 3 | 001 | The delivery post office within that sorting district. |
The nine zones
| First digit | Covers |
|---|---|
| 1 | Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Chandigarh |
| 2 | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
| 3 | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |
| 4 | Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh |
| 5 | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka |
| 6 | Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep |
| 7 | West Bengal, Odisha, Sikkim, the north-eastern states, Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| 8 | Bihar, Jharkhand |
| 9 | Army Post Office (APO) and Field Post Office (FPO), for the armed forces |
Types of post office
- Head Office (HO): the main post office of a town or district. General Post Offices (GPO) in big cities are head offices too.
- Sub Office (SO): a post office under a head office, in a town or a city locality.
- Branch Office (BO): a small post office in a village, under a sub office. Most post offices in India are branch offices.
A delivery office has postmen who carry post to homes. A non-delivery office only serves customers at the counter (stamps, savings, money orders); post for its area is delivered by a nearby delivery office. Many small offices share the PIN code of the delivery office above them, which is why one PIN code can list dozens of post offices.
PIN code, ZIP code, postal code
They are the same idea in different countries. "ZIP code" is the name in the United States, "postcode" in the United Kingdom. When an international website asks for a ZIP or postal code for an address in India, type the six-digit PIN code.
What is DIGIPIN?
DIGIPIN is a newer digital address code from India Post, introduced in 2025. It is a 10-character code of letters and digits that marks a small square of ground, about 4 metres across, worked out from its latitude and longitude. It helps to point to an exact door or spot. It does not replace the PIN code: you still write the six-digit PIN code on every address.
Questions
Does every village have its own PIN code?
No. A PIN code belongs to a delivery post office. Villages that have no post office, or only a branch office, use the PIN code of the office that delivers their post.
Can a PIN code change?
Yes, though rarely: when a new delivery office opens, when offices merge, or when districts are reorganised. Check the PIN code before sending something important.
What happens if I write the wrong PIN code?
The post is sorted to the wrong office first and then redirected by the written address, which delays it by days. If the address is also unclear, it may be returned to the sender.
Last checked: 2026-11-11.