How to Send a Legal Notice by Speed Post (RPAD) — Step-by-Step Guide
Registered Post no longer exists as a separate service. Here is exactly what to ask for at the post office counter today, what it costs, how to track it, and which papers to keep so the court accepts your notice as served.
Already posted your notice?
Enter the article number from your receipt and check whether it shows "Delivered", "Refused" or something else — it decides your next step.
Short answer: go to the post office, book the notice as Speed Post with the "Registration" add-on plus proof of delivery / Acknowledgement Due (AD), attach the AD card if the counter gives you one, keep the counter receipt, and save the tracking page the day it shows delivered. When the signed AD card or delivery proof comes back, staple it to your office copy. That bundle — notice copy, receipt, tracking printout, AD card or delivery proof — is what your advocate will want to put before the court.
Why the add-ons matter: since 1 September 2025, Registered Post has been merged into Speed Post. Plain Speed Post is delivered to the address, so it can be handed to whoever is there — a family member, a guard, office staff. The Registration add-on makes it addressee-only (the addressee or someone they've authorised), which is the feature that made old-style "RPAD" (Registered Post Acknowledgement Due) the standard for legal notices.
Below is the full walkthrough: what changed, what to say at the counter, the charges, how to read the tracking, what refusal means legally, and what to do if the AD card never comes back.
What Is RPAD and Why Do Courts Want It?
RPAD means Registered Post with Acknowledgement Due. Two things made it special. First, a registered article was handed only to the addressee or someone they authorised. Second, the AD card — a small card fixed to the envelope — was signed by the person who received it and posted back to you. That signed card is direct proof that your notice reached the other side.
Courts lean on it because of the law on service by post:
Section 27, General Clauses Act, 1897
Where a law requires a document to be served by post, service is deemed complete if the letter was properly addressed, prepaid and sent by registered post — unless the other side proves otherwise.
Cheque bounce — Section 138, NI Act
The demand notice must go out within 30 days of the bank telling you the cheque bounced. The drawer then has 15 days from receiving the notice to pay. So the date of service decides when you can file — which is why proof of delivery matters so much here.
Tenancy, consumer and government notices
Many central and state laws still name registered post as a way of serving notices. A notice to the government before suing (Section 80, CPC) also needs to be properly served. In all of these, the other side's favourite defence is "I never received it."
Not legal advice. This guide covers the postal side — booking, tracking and proof. Whether your particular notice is valid (content, deadlines, correct addressee) is a question for your advocate.
Registered Post Merged Into Speed Post — What Changed in 2025
If you last sent a legal notice a couple of years ago, the counter will look different. Here's the timeline:
2 July 2025 — merger order issued
The Department of Posts issued a directive titled "Merger of Registered Post with Speed Post".
1 September 2025 — Registered Post stops as a separate service
Domestic Registered Post was folded into Speed Post. Acknowledgement and proof of delivery are no longer automatic — they're add-ons you must ask for.
1 October 2025 — new Speed Post tariff and the "Registration" add-on
Speed Post document rates were revised (the first revision since 2012). "Registration" became a value-added service at ₹5 per item plus GST, under which the item is delivered only to the addressee or a person they've authorised. OTP-based delivery was also introduced.
Why lawyers are cautious: hundreds of laws still say "registered post", and some High Courts — for example the Rajasthan High Court in LRs of Sohan Lal Paliwal v. Amba Lal Bohara — have held that sending by Speed Post does not satisfy a law that specifically requires registered post. In June 2025 India Post wrote to ministries asking them to amend their laws to include Speed Post, but each law only changes when it is actually amended — ask your advocate about the one behind your notice. Taking the Registration add-on plus AD is the closest you can get to the old RPAD, and it removes the "anyone at the address" argument.
Step-by-Step at the Post Office Counter
Say you're a landlord in Pune sending a rent-demand notice to a tenant in Nagpur. This is how the visit should go.
Prepare the notice and a copy at home
Sign the notice and make at least one photocopy — the office copy is what you'll file in court later. Photograph the signed notice going into the envelope. If you're sending to several people (say, two co-tenants), each one gets a separate envelope and a separate booking.
Write the recipient's full name, complete address and PIN code on the front, and your own address on the back. A wrong address is the one mistake no court will forgive — see our guide on how to write an address on Speed Post.
Tell the clerk exactly what you want
Don't just say "Speed Post". Say this:
"This is a legal notice. Please book it by Speed Post with Registration and proof of delivery / Acknowledgement Due — I need the acknowledgement back."
Since the merger, acknowledgement and proof of delivery are paid add-ons, not automatic. Ask the clerk exactly what form of delivery proof you'll get. If a physical AD card is available, take it — a card signed in ink is the easiest thing to show a judge.
Fill in the AD card
If the counter gives you an AD card, fill it in carefully:
- Return address side: your own name and address — this is where the signed card will travel back to.
- Article details: the recipient's name and address, matching the envelope exactly.
- Leave blank: the receiver's signature and date of delivery — those are filled at the other end.
The clerk attaches the card to the back of the envelope. Before you walk away, check that the article number on your receipt is written on the AD card. Without it, matching the card to the notice later becomes an argument.
Pay and check the receipt before leaving the counter
The receipt is your proof of dispatch. Check it shows:
If the add-on charges aren't on the receipt, the add-ons probably weren't booked. Fix it now, not after the notice has left.
Photocopy the receipt the same day
Printed counter receipts can fade over time — and cases can take years. Photocopy or scan it the same evening and keep the original in a plastic sleeve with your office copy of the notice.
How Much Does It Cost?
A short notice of a few sheets in an ordinary envelope will often come in under 50 g — the counter weighs it. Speed Post document rates from 1 October 2025 (before GST):
| Item | Charge (before GST) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Speed Post, up to 50 g, local | ₹19 | Same local delivery area |
| Speed Post, up to 50 g, outstation | ₹47 | Same rate for any distance |
| 51–250 g (thicker notice with annexures) | ₹24 local; ₹59–₹77 outstation | Higher as distance increases |
| Registration add-on | ₹5 | Addressee-only delivery |
| Proof of delivery | ₹10 | Per article, as listed by India Post — it will be itemised on your receipt |
So our Pune-to-Nagpur notice under 50 g costs ₹47 + ₹5 + ₹10 = ₹62, plus GST — well under ₹100 in total. Honestly, this is the cheapest part of any legal dispute. Don't cut corners on the add-ons to save a few rupees.
Tracking the Notice and Preserving the Evidence
Track the article number on SpeedIndiaPost.com every day or two. Not sure what a status means? Our tracking status guide explains each one.
The moment it shows a final status — "Delivered", "Refused", or returned to sender — save the full tracking page as a PDF and take a printout with the date visible. Don't count on the tracking history still being online when you need it years later.
Don't treat the tracking page as enough on its own. In Govind Global Ventures v. Commissioner of Customs (24 November 2025), the Delhi High Court noted that the department had filed Speed Post tracking receipts but no delivery reports, set aside the customs demand order and sent the matter back for a fresh hearing — directing that tracking receipts and delivery reports both be maintained. Dispatch proof alone isn't delivery proof.
Electronic records tip: a tracking printout is an electronic record. If it's relied on in court, your advocate may need to file the certificate required under Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (the provision that replaced Section 65B of the old Evidence Act). Ask about it when you hand over your file.
What If the Recipient Refuses? Deemed Service Explained
Refusing a legal notice doesn't make it go away. Indian courts have generally treated refusal of a properly addressed registered letter as valid service. The Supreme Court said this for cheque bounce notices in K. Bhaskaran v. Sankaran Vaidhyan Balan (1999). In C.C. Alavi Haji v. Palapetty Muhammed (2007), it held that a notice sent by registered post to the correct address is deemed served unless the recipient proves it wasn't, and saw no significant difference between "unclaimed" and "refused" for that presumption.
The key word is correct address. Here's how to read what comes back:
| What the envelope or tracking says | What it usually means for you | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered + signed AD card back | Strongest proof of service | File AD card, receipt and tracking printout together |
| "Refused" | Generally treated as deemed service | Do not open the returned envelope. Keep it sealed with the postman's endorsement intact |
| "Unclaimed" / "Not claimed" | Presumption of service can still apply if the address was correct; the recipient may try to rebut it | Keep the sealed envelope; show your advocate |
| "Addressee left", "No such person", "Insufficient address" | Weak — suggests the address may be wrong | Find the current address and resend promptly; talk to your advocate about deadlines |
The returned envelope is evidence. People open it out of curiosity and destroy its value. The unopened envelope, with the postal remark and stamps on it, proves what was inside was refused. Your advocate can open it in court if needed.
Getting the Signed AD Card Back — and What If It Doesn't Come
The signed AD card is posted back to you after delivery, so it always arrives some time after tracking shows "Delivered". How long that takes varies with distance and area, and remote areas can take longer. Don't panic if it isn't in your letterbox the same week.
AD cards do go missing. If yours hasn't come back a few weeks after tracking showed delivery, here's the order to work through:
Save the tracking page showing delivery
If you haven't already, save and print it now, before it disappears from the system.
Ask your booking post office in writing for delivery confirmation
Write a short letter to the Postmaster with the article number, booking date and receipt copy, asking for confirmation of delivery and the name of the person who received it. Keep a stamped copy of your letter.
Raise a complaint for proof of delivery
Register a complaint on India Post's website (indiapost.gov.in) or call the toll-free helpline 1800 266 6868 (8 AM–8 PM; the automated IVRS line runs 24×7, except gazetted holidays). Ask for the delivery record. Our Speed Post complaint guide walks you through it.
Last resort: an RTI application
If the old tracking is gone and the post office won't respond, you can file an RTI application with the Department of Posts asking for the delivery details of that article number.
A missing AD card doesn't automatically make your notice invalid. Receipt plus delivery record still builds a strong case. But don't assume it's fine — if your timeline depends on the date of service (in a Section 138 cheque case, the drawer's 15-day payment window runs from receipt of the notice), share everything with your advocate straight away.
Documents to Keep for Court — Checklist
Keep everything in one folder, labelled with the article number. This is the set your advocate will want:
| Document | What it proves | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Signed office copy of the notice | What you actually said | Identical to what went in the envelope |
| Original Speed Post receipt | Date of dispatch, correct address, add-ons paid | Photocopy the same day — thermal paper fades |
| Tracking printout / PDF | Delivery date or refusal date | Save on the day of the final status |
| Signed AD card | Who received it, and when | Staple to the office copy, don't laminate |
| Returned envelope (if any) | Refusal / unclaimed endorsement | Keep sealed |
| Post office / complaint replies | Delivery confirmation if AD card is lost | Keep your letter and their reply together |
Common mistakes to avoid: booking plain Speed Post without Registration or delivery proof; a PIN code that doesn't match the area; one envelope for two addressees; opening the returned "Refused" envelope; and losing the receipt. Each of these hands the other side an easy argument.
Track Your Legal Notice Right Now
Enter the article number from your receipt on SpeedIndiaPost.com to see the full event history — booking, transit, delivery attempt, and delivery or refusal. It's free and needs no login. If it's stuck at "Delivery Attempted", read what Delivery Attempted means.
Track Your Notice NowFrequently Asked Questions
What to Do Now
Haven't posted yet?
Make your copies, check the address and PIN, and ask the counter for "Speed Post with Registration and proof of delivery / AD". Check the receipt before you leave. Want a refresher on the counter process? See how to send Speed Post.
Already posted?
Photocopy the receipt tonight, track the article number, and save the tracking page the day it shows a final status.
Notice came back or AD card is missing?
Keep the envelope sealed, write to the booking post office, and get everything to your advocate before any deadline runs out. Still unsure whether you even need Speed Post here? Read Speed Post vs Registered Post.
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