HomeCirculars › RBI/2013-14/509

Pre-2005 Banknote Exchange Deadline Extended to Jan 1, 2015

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/509 · issued 03 Mar 2014 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI extends the exchange deadline for pre-2005 banknotes to January 1, 2015. Banks must continue accepting these notes as legal tender, exchange them free of cost without restrictions, and stop re-issuing them via counters or ATMs.

What changed

The deadline for exchanging pre-2005 series banknotes has been extended from an earlier date to January 1, 2015. This follows a review of the earlier circular dated January 23, 2014 and a press release on January 24, 2014.

What it means for you

Banks must continue to accept and exchange all pre-2005 notes for full value without any restrictions on quantity or customer status. These notes remain legal tender, so banks cannot refuse them or charge fees for exchange. Banks must also stop re-issuing these notes through counters or ATMs.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

All scheduled commercial banks, Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Currency chest branches, Bank customers and non-customers

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

Are pre-2005 banknotes still legal tender?

Yes, they remain legal tender and can be used for transactions or payments until the new deadline of January 1, 2015.

Can banks charge a fee for exchanging pre-2005 notes?

No, the exchange must be done free of cost. Banks cannot impose any charges for exchanging these notes.

Is there a limit on how many pre-2005 notes a person can exchange?

No, banks should not place any restriction on the number of banknotes to be exchanged by any member of the public.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/509 DCM(Plg) No.G- 19/3880/10.27.00/2013-14 March 03, 2014 The Chairman / Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer All Scheduled Commercial Banks Primary(Urban) Co-operative Banks/RRBs Dear Sir /Madam Withdrawal of all old series of Banknotes issued prior to 2005 Please refer to our circular DCM (Plg) No. G-17/3231/10.27.00/2013-14 dated January 23, 2014 on the captioned subject which was followed by a Press Release on January 24, 2014 ( copy enclosed ). 2. On a review of the matter, it has been decided to extend the date for exchanging the pre-2005 banknotes to January 01, 2015. These instructions have been included in a Press Release dated March 03, 2014 ( copy enclosed ). 3. You are advised to facilitate the exchange of such notes for full value without causing any inconvenience to the public, whatsoever. These notes will retain their legal tender status and the public can continue to use these for any transaction/ payment. 4. As advised, please issue suitable instructions to all your branches to provide exchange facilities to members of public and to stop re-issue of the pre- 2005 series banknotes. Please also ensure that such notes are not dispensed through the ATMs/ over your counters. The methodology to be followed for dealing with the Pre-2005 series banknotes contained in Para 3 of the circular dated January 23, 2014 referred to above remains unchanged. 5. A list of dos and don’ts , is being enclosed for your guidance. 6. Please acknowledge receipt. Yours faithfully (B.P Vijayendra) Principal Chief General Manager Encl: 3 sheets DOs Banks should sensitize the members of public that the pre-2005 notes would continue to be legal tender. Banks should endeavour to organize note exchange melas in semi-urban/rural areas. All denominations of banknotes issued prior to 2005 series have to be exchanged. These notes must be freely accepted and exchanged by all bank branches from all members of public, whether customers or non-customers. The process of exchange at bank branches should be started forthwith and undertaken as per the convenience of members of public. The exchange of notes should be done free of cost. The value of such notes may be credited in customers’ account, if desired. The value of such notes payable shall be in terms of the RBI, Note Refund Rules, 2009. DON’T Banks should not place any restriction on the number of banknotes to be exchanged by a member of the public. Banks should not issue pre-2005 series notes over the counter or through ATMs. Currency chest branches should not refuse pre -2005 banknotes from their linked branches.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/509 · issued 03 Mar 2014. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=8761&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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