Quick answer: DigiLocker gives you government-issued digital copies of your driving licence, RC, PAN, Aadhaar, marksheets, insurance and more, and those copies are legally valid as originals under the IT Act. Sign up with your Aadhaar-linked mobile number, set a 6-digit PIN, then pull each document from its issuing authority. Traffic police, airports and most offices accept a DigiLocker document on your phone.
Set up DigiLocker in 5 minutes
- Install DigiLocker from the Play Store or App Store, or go to digilocker.gov.in.
- Tap Sign Up and enter your name, date of birth, gender, mobile number, and a 6-digit security PIN.
- Verify the OTP sent to your mobile.
- Enter your Aadhaar number and verify the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-registered mobile. This links your account to your identity so issuers can find your records.
- Set a username. You are in.
If the Aadhaar OTP does not arrive, check the registered number, network and service status before assuming a linkage problem. That needs a visit to an Aadhaar Seva Kendra (₹75); see our guide on what to do when you have lost the registered mobile.
How to fetch each document
Driving licence and vehicle RC
- Open Search Documents and choose Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
- Select Driving Licence, enter your DL number and date of birth, and tap Get Document.
- For the RC, select Registration of Vehicles and enter the vehicle registration number.
- Both appear under Issued Documents, which is the section with legal validity.
Traffic police across India accept the DigiLocker version. Show the document from the Issued Documents section, not a screenshot or a photo in your gallery.
PAN card
Search for Income Tax Department → PAN Verification Record, enter your PAN, name and date of birth. Check which PAN record the issuer provides; retrieval depends on matching records.
Class 10 and 12 marksheets
Choose your board (CBSE, ICSE, or your state board) under Education, then enter roll number, year of passing, and school code where asked. CBSE records are available from 2004 onwards; older records and many state boards are still being digitised, so not every marksheet will be there.
Aadhaar
Under UIDAI, choose Aadhaar Card and verify with an OTP. You can generate a masked version that hides the first eight digits, which is the safer one to share with hotels, offices and shops.
Insurance policies
Several insurers push policies into DigiLocker automatically. Search for your insurer under Insurance; vehicle insurance from most major companies is available with the policy number.
Issued vs Uploaded documents: the important difference
| Issued Documents | Uploaded Documents | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Pulled directly from the issuing authority | You upload a scan or photo yourself |
| Legal validity | Treated as equivalent to the original | No special legal status |
| Can be verified | Yes, digitally signed and verifiable | No |
| Accepted by police and airports | Yes | Generally not |
| Use it for | DL, RC, PAN, Aadhaar, marksheets, insurance | Personal copies of anything else |
This distinction is what most people get wrong. Uploading a photo of your licence to DigiLocker does not make it legally valid; only the version fetched from the transport department does.
Where DigiLocker is accepted
- Traffic police: DL and RC from Issued Documents are accepted nationwide.
- Airports: DigiLocker ID is accepted for domestic flights at most Indian airports, and works with DigiYatra.
- Railways: accepted as ID proof alongside your ticket.
- Banks and KYC: many banks and mutual fund platforms let you fetch documents from DigiLocker during onboarding, which avoids uploading scans.
- Colleges and employers: increasingly accepted for marksheet verification, though some still insist on physical copies.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Document not found | Your record is not digitised, or details do not match | Check spelling and numbers exactly as on the physical document |
| Aadhaar OTP not received | Mobile not linked to Aadhaar | Update at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra |
| Old marksheet missing | Board has not uploaded records for that year | Apply to the board directly; DigiLocker cannot create records |
| Name mismatch across documents | Different spellings on different IDs | Correct at the issuing authority; DigiLocker only mirrors their data |
| Forgot the 6-digit PIN | — | Use “Forgot PIN” and reset with mobile OTP |
Frequently asked questions
Is DigiLocker legally valid?
Yes. Documents in the Issued Documents section are recognised as equivalent to original physical documents under the Information Technology Act rules notified for DigiLocker.
Is it safe?
It is operated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, protected by a PIN and Aadhaar-linked OTP. Do not share your PIN or OTP with anyone, and never install a “DigiLocker helper” app from outside the official stores.
Can I use DigiLocker without Aadhaar?
You can create an account with a mobile number, but most issuers need Aadhaar linkage to locate your records, so functionality is very limited without it.
Does it work without internet?
Documents you have opened once are cached in the app for offline viewing, but for official verification an internet connection is better since it lets the verifier confirm authenticity.
Last updated September 2026. Available issuers and record coverage change as more departments digitise; check within the app for the current list.
Sources
Checked against: UIDAI — My Aadhaar services. Rules, fees and rates change — check the official page before you act on anything here.
Article Was Generated By AI.