diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index f1800cef06..23103ca9ca 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr-net v0.1.2 // v0.1.1 => v0.1.2
 	github.com/multiformats/go-multihash v0.0.13 // indirect
 	github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go v0.91.1-pre.0.20201030072836-71216865717b
-	github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go v1.3.1-0.20201029071528-352e99d9b91a
+	github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go v1.3.1-0.20201103083623-89a7a946dcd5
 	github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-crypto v0.3.0
 	github.com/nspcc-dev/tzhash v1.4.0
 	github.com/panjf2000/ants/v2 v2.3.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index f97b2706b3..9334b943ba 100644
Binary files a/go.sum and b/go.sum differ
diff --git a/pkg/core/container/fmt.go b/pkg/core/container/fmt.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e5c45f6fe8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/core/container/fmt.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package container
+
+import (
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg/container"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg/owner"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+)
+
+var errNilPolicy = errors.New("placement policy is nil")
+
+// CheckFormat conducts an initial check of the container data.
+//
+// It is expected that if a container fails this test,
+// it will not be inner-ring approved.
+func CheckFormat(c *container.Container) error {
+	if c.GetPlacementPolicy() == nil {
+		return errNilPolicy
+	}
+
+	if err := pkg.IsSupportedVersion(pkg.NewVersionFromV2(c.GetVersion())); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "incorrect version")
+	}
+
+	if len(c.GetOwnerID().GetValue()) != owner.NEO3WalletSize {
+		return errors.Wrap(owner.ErrBadID, "incorrect owner identifier")
+	}
+
+	if _, err := uuid.FromBytes(c.GetNonce()); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "incorrect nonce")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/core/container/fmt_test.go b/pkg/core/container/fmt_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f3fdd5f01c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/core/container/fmt_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+package container
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg/container"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg/netmap"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg/owner"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/pkg/util/test"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestCheckFormat(t *testing.T) {
+	c := container.New()
+
+	require.Error(t, CheckFormat(c))
+
+	policy := new(netmap.PlacementPolicy)
+	c.SetPlacementPolicy(policy)
+
+	require.Error(t, CheckFormat(c))
+
+	c.SetVersion(pkg.SDKVersion().ToV2())
+
+	require.Error(t, CheckFormat(c))
+
+	wallet, err := owner.NEO3WalletFromPublicKey(&test.DecodeKey(-1).PublicKey)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	c.SetOwnerID(owner.NewIDFromNeo3Wallet(wallet).ToV2())
+
+	c.SetNonce(nil)
+
+	require.Error(t, CheckFormat(c))
+
+	uid, err := uuid.NewRandom()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	nonce, _ := uid.MarshalBinary()
+
+	c.SetNonce(nonce)
+
+	require.NoError(t, CheckFormat(c))
+}