CBFC Certification Process: How Films Get U, UA and A Certificates
The CBFC certification process is the legal gate every Telugu film must clear before it reaches a single screen. Most explainers online still describe rules that changed twice since 2023. This guide covers the current law, the real fee table and the actual working-day timelines. It also covers the one paid shortcut that quietly disappeared in May 2026.
Movieshala is an independent film-news site. We have no affiliation with the Central Board of Film Certification, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, or any government body. We do not accept applications, fees, or documents. Producers must apply only on the official e-cinepramaan portal linked later in this guide.
CBFC Certification Process at a Glance
Here is the short version before the detail. Every fact below comes from the gazetted rules, not from industry hearsay.
- Every film shown publicly in India needs a certificate under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
- The Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024 replaced the 1983 rules on 15 March 2024.
- Certificates now run perpetually, so the old ten-year expiry no longer exists.
- Theatrical markers are U, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+ and A, plus a separate S certificate.
- The CBFC certification process runs entirely on the e-cinepramaan portal.
- Hyderabad is the regional office for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- The paid priority scheme ended on 22 May 2026.
One line worth remembering. Under Rule 29 of the 2024 Rules, a certificate granted by the Board stays valid perpetually across all of India.
What the Certificate Categories Actually Mean
The Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023 split the old UA band into three age markers. Parents guide the decision, so these markers advise rather than restrict. Only the A and S certificates carry a legal viewing restriction. Category choice is the single biggest commercial outcome of the CBFC certification process.
| Category | Meaning | Restriction |
|---|---|---|
| U | Unrestricted public exhibition | None |
| UA 7+ | Parents decide for children under seven | Advisory only |
| UA 13+ | Parents decide for children under thirteen | Advisory only |
| UA 16+ | Parents decide for children under sixteen | Advisory only |
| A | Adults only | Legally restricted |
| S | A named profession or class of viewers | Legally restricted |
Notice what the markers do not say. A UA 16+ film does not bar a fourteen-year-old at the counter, because the endorsement speaks to parents and guardians. An A certificate does bar that viewer. A theatre then risks prosecution if it admits them anyway.
Step by Step: How the CBFC Certification Process Works
The whole journey runs online now. Nothing moves by courier or registered post any more.
- The producer files the Common Application Form on e-cinepramaan and pays the examination fee.
- The upload must carry the synopsis, full credit titles and the complete script including song text.
- A duration statement with time counter readings goes in as well, alongside any same-language subtitles, audio description or closed captions.
- A written declaration confirms that no animal suffered cruelty during the shoot.
- The Board scrutinises the complete application within seven days.
- Within fifteen days, the Board sends the film to an Examining Committee.
- The committee watches the film, and each member records a recommendation before leaving the theatre.
- If the Board orders cuts, the producer surrenders them within fourteen working days.
- The regional officer verifies the cuts within ten working days, then issues the certificate within five working days.
Only working days count toward every limit in the CBFC certification process. A festival week therefore stretches the calendar. That is why release dates slip even when nothing goes wrong.
Who Sits on the Examining Committee
Committee size depends on length. A long film runs 72 minutes or more, including credits and titles.
For a long film, four advisory panel members and an examining officer watch it. Two of those people must be women. For a short film, one panel member and an examining officer suffice, and one of them must be a woman. The applicant cannot sit inside the preview theatre, and the names of committee members stay confidential.
When a Film Goes to the Revising Committee
The Chairperson may refer a film to a Revising Committee. That happens either on their own motion or after the producer objects. The committee seats the Chairperson and up to nine members, with a quorum of five including at least two women.
No one who sat on the Examining Committee may sit on the Revising Committee for the same film. The producer must screen the identical version, without a single change. This second stage rescues more films than any other part of the CBFC certification process. Udta Punjab took the route in 2016, when its cut list dropped from 89 to 13.
CBFC Certification Process Fees and Timelines
Fees follow a published table in Rule 33, calculated by running time. These are examination fees for films other than predominantly educational ones. A small screening fee applies on top.
| Running time | Examination fee | Screening fee |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 60 minutes | Rs 10,900 | Rs 850 |
| Up to 120 minutes | Rs 21,850 | Rs 1,650 |
| Up to 150 minutes | Rs 27,200 | Rs 2,100 |
| Up to 180 minutes | Rs 32,750 | Rs 2,500 |
A 150-minute Telugu feature therefore attracts an examination fee of Rs 27,200. The Central Government may revise these rates, so confirm the live figure on e-cinepramaan before you budget.
Two penalties inside the CBFC certification process catch producers off guard. Withdraw an application before examination and the Board refunds the fee minus 25 per cent. Miss the scheduled screening slot and another 25 per cent falls due before a fresh date gets fixed.
The 2026 Change Most Guides Have Missed
Until recently a producer could pay three times the examination fee. That bought a screening within roughly five days. The priority scheme sat in Rule 33(2), and a matching proviso in Rule 37(3) let the regional officer reorder the queue.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notified the Cinematograph (Certification) Amendment Rules, 2026 on 20 May 2026. Both provisions went. The change took effect on 22 May 2026, so every application now waits in the order it arrived.
This matters commercially. A Tollywood release scheduled tight against Sankranti or Dasara no longer has a paid escape route. Post-production schedules need genuine slack built in.
Where Telugu Producers Enter the CBFC Certification Process
The First Schedule assigns each state to one of nine regional offices. Films produced in or imported into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana go to the Hyderabad regional office.
One rule trips up pan-India teams constantly. A dubbed version, in whatever Indian language, must go back to the regional office that certified the original. So a Telugu original certified at Hyderabad returns to Hyderabad for its Hindi and Tamil dubs. Our look at why Pushpa became a pan-India phenomenon shows how central dubbed versions now are to Telugu box office maths.
What the Certificate Card Tells You
That green card before the film is a legal document, not a formality. Part I and Part II must each stay on screen for at least ten seconds. Part II may be skipped when the Board ordered no cuts.
Look at the bottom-left corner. A clearly visible triangle sits there whenever the Board required excisions, and Part II lists each cut with its exact length. Trailers, teasers and promos run through the CBFC certification process separately, since the Third Schedule routes them to the Chairperson for approval.
Advertising rules follow the certificate too. Any newspaper insertion, hoarding or poster for a UA, A or S film must state the certification. It must also use only the certified title.
CBFC Certification Process Myths Worth Dropping
Four claims circulate widely, and all four are wrong today.
The first says a certificate lapses after ten years. Rule 29 made validity perpetual, so the older blockbusters still filling re-release screens need no fresh application. The second says UA means under twelve. That stopped being true when the three age markers arrived.
The third says producers can still buy a five-day slot, though that option ended on 22 May 2026. The fourth says the Board bans films. In fact the Act lets it certify, order cuts, or refuse a certificate. A refusal invites an appeal rather than a permanent ban.
Do OTT Films Need CBFC Certification?
No. Films released directly on streaming platforms skip the CBFC certification process entirely. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told the Lok Sabha in December 2025 that OTT content stays outside CBFC jurisdiction. Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 governs it instead, and platforms self-classify by age.
That boundary now faces pressure. After a Punjabi film left a streaming platform in July 2026, officials began examining whether OTT films should require certification. Nothing has changed in law yet, so treat reports of mandatory OTT certification as a proposal under discussion. Our OTT releases coverage tracks how Telugu titles move between the two regimes.
What Happens If the Board Refuses
A refusal is not the end of the CBFC certification process. The producer may first ask the Chairperson to refer the film to a Revising Committee. Section 4(2) of the Act provides for that request.
Beyond that, Section 5C provides a statutory appeal. The Film Certification Appellate Tribunal used to hear these cases. Then the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 abolished it and substituted the High Court. In September 2025, the Madras High Court confirmed that such appeals stand before it, in a matter concerning the A certificate for Coolie.
That shift carries a real cost. High Court timelines rarely suit a locked release date, and litigation prices out small producers. Most disputes therefore still settle at the Revising Committee stage.
What Experienced Producers Do Differently
A few habits separate smooth applications from stalled ones.
- Lock the final cut with music and sound effects before applying, because the committee must watch the finished film.
- Prepare the accessibility track early, since subtitles or audio description now travel with the application itself.
- Budget the working-day calendar backwards from the release date, not forwards from the shoot.
- Keep the animal-welfare declaration ready if any creature appeared on set.
- Deposit the required copy of the feature film with the Board, as Rule 28 demands.
Piracy sits close to all of this. The 2023 amendment inserted Sections 6AA and 6AB to punish unauthorised recording and exhibition. That is why legal streaming beats pirated copies for viewers as well as studios.
Before the Next Release
The system rewards preparation over influence. The CBFC certification process is now online and deadline-bound, with a published fee table, fixed committee compositions and no paid queue-jumping.
Producers who assemble the script, the accessibility track and the final cut together usually clear the Examining Committee without drama. Everyone else learns the working-day arithmetic the hard way. Verify current fees on the official CBFC Act and Rules page before filing, and read the gazetted 2024 Rules in full.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does CBFC certification take?
The Rules allow seven days for scrutiny and fifteen days to refer the film to an Examining Committee. If the Board orders no cuts, the certificate follows within two days of the decision. Cut-related steps add roughly a further month of working days.
What does UA 16+ mean on a poster?
It advises parents to decide whether a child below sixteen watches the film. The marker does not stop anyone at the ticket counter. Only A and S certificates carry legal viewing restrictions.
Does a trailer need its own certificate?
Yes. Trailers, teasers and promos count as separate content, and they go to the Chairperson for approval under the Third Schedule. A trailer can therefore carry a different category from the feature it advertises.
Can a producer still pay extra for faster certification?
No longer. The priority scheme allowed three times the fee for a screening within about five days. The Amendment Rules of 2026 removed it with effect from 22 May 2026. Applications now move strictly in order of receipt.
Which office handles the CBFC certification process for Telugu films?
The Hyderabad regional office covers films produced in or imported into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Dubbed versions return to whichever office certified the original. So a Telugu original certified in Hyderabad keeps its dubs there.
How much does certification cost for a three-hour film?
Under the current Rule 33 table, a film up to 180 minutes attracts an examination fee of Rs 32,750. A screening fee of Rs 2,500 applies on top. The Central Government may revise these rates, so check e-cinepramaan before budgeting.
What if the Board refuses a certificate?
The producer can seek a Revising Committee review, and after that appeal to the High Court under Section 5C. Appeals went to the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal until the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 abolished it.
Do certificates expire?
No. Rule 29 of the 2024 Rules makes every certificate valid perpetually across India. The earlier ten-year validity ended with the 2023 amendment. Re-releases therefore need no fresh certificate unless the film itself changed.
