DigiLocker: Issued vs Uploaded Documents, Sign Up, Share, Verify
Independent guide. We are not part of DigiLocker or the Government, and we never ask for your Aadhaar, password, PIN or OTP.
DigiLocker is the Government of India's digital document wallet. You sign up with your mobile or Aadhaar number, then fetch documents issued in your name, such as Aadhaar, driving licence, RC and board marksheets, directly from the issuer. These "issued documents" are treated as equal to the paper originals. It is free and optional.
- Name
- DigiLocker (Digital Locker)
- Run by
- National e-Governance Division (NeGD), MeitY
- Launched
- 2015, under Digital India
- Legal status
- Issued documents at par with originals (Rule 9A, Digital Locker Rules)
- Users
- 73.53 crore registered; 936.03 crore documents issued (PIB, Sep 2026)
- Cost
- Free for issued documents
- Uploads
- PDF, JPEG or PNG, up to 10 MB each
- Official site
- digilocker.gov.in
What is DigiLocker?
DigiLocker is a cloud account for your official documents, run by NeGD under MeitY. Government departments, boards, universities and other registered issuers push the documents they issued to you into your account. Organisations that need your documents (requesters, such as banks or admission portals) can fetch them, but only with your consent.
Your account has a few parts: Issued Documents (links to documents from issuers), DigiLocker Drive (files you upload yourself), Activity (a log of every upload, download and share) and a list of issuers you can search. DigiLocker is not compulsory; it is an optional convenience.
Issued documents vs uploaded documents
| Issued documents | Uploaded documents | |
|---|---|---|
| Who puts it there | The issuing department or institution, from its own records | You, by uploading a scan or photo |
| Where you see it | Issued Documents section | DigiLocker Drive (Uploaded Documents) |
| Legal value | Deemed at par with the original physical document under Rule 9A of the Digital Locker Rules, 2016 | None by itself; not issued or verified by any authority |
| Can it be checked? | Yes: digitally signed by the issuer; many carry a QR code | No; it is only your copy |
| Example of acceptance | Railways accept Aadhaar or driving licence shown from Issued Documents as proof of identity for train travel | Railways do not accept these as proof of identity |
| Can you edit it? | No; only the issuer can update it | Rename, change type, share or delete |
The law behind "at par with originals": the Information Technology (Preservation and Retention of Information by Intermediaries Providing Digital Locker Facilities) Rules, 2016 were amended on 8 Feb 2017. Under the new Rule 9A, documents in DigiLocker's Issued Documents section are deemed equal to the original physical documents. DigiLocker adds that this is subject to the applicable law and the issuer's requirements.
Which documents can you get?
DigiLocker groups issuers into categories. On its home page: identity documents, education and learning, health and wellness, transport and infrastructure, government and public sector, skill and vocational training, industry and private sector, and sports and culture. Every State also has its own issuers. Common ones:
Identity
Digital Aadhaar (the same as e-Aadhaar from UIDAI) appears once you link Aadhaar. The Income Tax Department provides a PAN Verification Record. Fix your details first on our Aadhaar guide and PAN guide.
Driving licence and RC
Fetched live from MoRTH's National Register. If your DL or RC isn't in that register, DigiLocker can't fetch it. More on licences in our driving licence guide.
Education
CBSE and many State boards' marksheets, pass and migration certificates; university degrees uploaded to the National Academic Depository (NAD).
Banking and insurance
Some banks issue account statements, Form 16, interest and TDS certificates. IRDAI asked insurers in Feb 2021 to let policyholders keep their policies in DigiLocker.
Passport
DigiLocker's FAQ lists the Passport Verification Report from the Ministry of External Affairs. For the passport itself, see our passport guide.
State certificates
Income, caste, domicile and similar certificates, ration cards and licences, if your State department is an issuer.
How to sign up and fetch a document
- Install the app from the links on digilocker.gov.in, or use the website.
- Sign up with your mobile or Aadhaar number and the OTP, then set a security PIN. You need an Indian mobile number.
- Verify yourself with Aadhaar (e-KYC). Your digital Aadhaar then appears in Issued Documents. The mobile number must be linked with your Aadhaar; if it isn't, update it at an Aadhaar centre first.
- Search for the issuer, pick the document, enter its number (roll number and year for a marksheet) and tap Get Document.
Sharing and verifying documents
- Show it on your phone. At a traffic check, open your DL or RC from Issued Documents. MoRTH has told States to accept these as valid under the Motor Vehicles Act. If a document isn't available on DigiLocker or mParivahan, carry the paper copy.
- Share a link. Each issued document has a unique link (URI). You can share it by SMS, email or another app; the recipient opens it after authentication.
- Give consent to an organisation. When a bank or portal asks to fetch your documents, DigiLocker shows who is asking and why. Nothing is shared without your consent, and every share is logged in Activity.
- Download or print. The PDF carries the issuer's digital signature, so a printout can still be checked through its QR code.
- Scan the QR code. The DigiLocker app has a QR scanner that checks the code on certificates issued through DigiLocker. Certificates also say they can be verified at verify.digilocker.gov.in.
- Check the digital signature. Every issued document is digitally signed and time-stamped by the issuer. Any change breaks the signature. MoRTH's DL and RC can be spot-checked this way.
- Fetch with consent (requesters). Banks, employers and departments can register as requesters through API Setu and pull documents straight from DigiLocker after the person consents. A copy shared this way comes directly from the issuer and can't be edited.
- Don't rely on uploaded files. A file in someone's DigiLocker Drive is only their own copy. It is not issued or verified by an authority.
Using DigiLocker for KYC
Under RBI's KYC rules, a bank may accept the signed e-version of an officially valid document (OVD) from DigiLocker, such as your driving licence, instead of a photocopy. Many banks, fund houses and brokers let you complete KYC online by consenting to share your Aadhaar and PAN from DigiLocker. Check that you are on the institution's own app or website before you approve.
Entity Locker for businesses
Entity Locker is DigiLocker's counterpart for organisations: companies, MSMEs, startups, trusts, societies and government bodies. PIB announced it on 20 Jan 2025. It offers 10 GB of encrypted storage, Aadhaar-authenticated role-based access for staff, consent-based sharing and real-time verification against government databases. Banks and other institutions can verify an entity's documents with its consent. Sign up at entity.digilocker.gov.in.
Safety: keep your locker yours
Never share your OTP or security PIN, not even with someone claiming to be from DigiLocker, a bank or the police. DigiLocker's own app says: "Never share your PIN with anyone."
- Use only digilocker.gov.in and the app linked from it. Don't install a "DigiLocker" app from a link in a message.
- Check the Activity log for shares you didn't make.
- Approve a consent request only when you started the process yourself, on a site you trust.
- DigiLocker states that data is shared only with your explicit consent, data is not stored or processed outside India, and the service runs on ISO 27001-certified facilities.
- Add a nominee in your profile: someone who may be allowed to access your account in future.
- Lost money or suspect fraud? Call 1930 or report on cybercrime.gov.in.
Document not found? What to do
| Problem | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "No record available in issuer database" | The issuer hasn't put your record online, or your board or university hasn't joined DigiLocker or NAD for that year | Ask the issuer (board, university, RTO) to make the record available. DigiLocker can't upload it for you. |
| "Details did not match the issuer data" | Your name on the document differs from your name on Aadhaar, or a detail was typed wrongly | Re-enter the details. If the names differ, get one of them corrected (Aadhaar or the issuer's record). |
| Issuer server not reachable | Issued documents are fetched live from the issuer | Try again later. |
| Old address, or expired licence still showing | The copy hasn't been refreshed | Tap Refresh next to the issuer. Delete the old copy from the three-dot menu. |
| "This Aadhaar is already registered" | Your Aadhaar is linked to another DigiLocker account | Sign in to that first account (forgot PIN uses Aadhaar and date of birth). |
Still stuck? Raise a ticket at support.digilocker.gov.in with your registered mobile number, the document details and a screenshot of the error.
History of DigiLocker
DigiLocker launched under Digital India; 9.98 lakh people sign up that year.
Digital Locker Rules, 2016 notified under the IT Act.
Rule 9A added: issued documents are deemed at par with physical originals.
Railways accept Aadhaar and driving licence from Issued Documents as proof of identity on trains.
MoRTH asks States to accept DL and RC shown on DigiLocker or mParivahan.
IRDAI asks insurers to issue policies through DigiLocker.
Entity Locker for businesses announced.
73.53 crore registered users and 936.03 crore issued documents.
FAQs
What is the full form of DigiLocker?
Digital Locker. It is the government's official cloud wallet for documents issued to you, run by NeGD under MeitY.
Is a DigiLocker document valid like the original?
Yes, if it is in the Issued Documents section. Rule 9A of the Digital Locker Rules deems it at par with the physical original. Documents you uploaded yourself don't have that status.
Can traffic police accept my driving licence from DigiLocker?
Yes. MoRTH has told States to accept a DL or RC shown from DigiLocker or mParivahan, and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules were amended in Nov 2018 to allow electronic documents. Show it from Issued Documents, not a photo or upload.
Is DigiLocker free?
Yes. No fee is charged for issued documents. Optional premium storage services may be paid.
Can I use DigiLocker without Aadhaar?
You can sign up with a mobile number, but most documents are fetched only after you verify with Aadhaar, because your name is matched against the issuer's record.
Can I keep my family's documents in my DigiLocker?
No. You can fetch only documents issued in your name. Each family member needs their own account.
Can I sign up from abroad with a foreign number?
No. You need an Indian mobile number to register.
My mark sheet isn't on DigiLocker. Can I upload it so it counts as issued?
No. Only the board or university can issue it. Ask them to make your year's records available; your own upload stays an uploaded document.
Official sources
- DigiLocker – FAQ (issued vs uploaded documents, sign-up, OTP, file limits, Rule 9A, MoRTH and CBSE integration) (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- DigiLocker – About DigiLocker (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- DigiLocker – Home page (document categories, statistics) (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- DigiLocker – Terms of Use for Users, updated 2 Jun 2025 (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- DigiLocker – Answers from the "Ask our Experts" session, 18 Oct 2024 (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- DigiLocker – Partner FAQ (Entity Locker, issued vs self-uploaded documents) (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Government of Gujarat – Circular on adoption of DigiLocker (Digital Locker Rules, 27 Jul 2016 and 8 Feb 2017 amendment) (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- PIB – Global Fintech Fest 2026 factsheet: 73.53 crore DigiLocker users, 8 Sep 2026 (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- PIB – Digital public infrastructure: 71.66 crore DigiLocker users, 2,822 issuers, 29 Jul 2026 (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- PIB – Ten Years of Digital Progress (DigiLocker launched in 2015), Jun 2025 (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- PIB – MoRTH asks transport authorities to accept DL, RC on DigiLocker or mParivahan, 9 Aug 2018 (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- PIB – MoRTH SOP for acceptance of transport documents in electronic form, 20 Sep 2019 (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Parivahan – MoRTH notifications and advisories (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- PIB – Railways accept digital Aadhaar and DL from DigiLocker as ID, 6 Jul 2018 (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- PIB – IRDAI advises insurers to issue digital policies via DigiLocker, 12 Feb 2021 (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- PIB – Entity Locker developed by MeitY, 20 Jan 2025 (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Ministry of Home Affairs – National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (accessed 31 Oct 2026)
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