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| + | metatag-keywords=(DigiLocker issuers 2026, DigiLocker documents list, DigiLocker not working, DigiLocker IT Act 9A, DigiLocker Aadhaar fetch, DigiLocker driving licence, DigiLocker RC, DigiLocker school marksheet, DigiLocker EPF, ABHA DigiLocker, DigiLocker share, UMANG DigiLocker, DigiLocker RTI) | ||
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| + | |||
| + | ====== DigiLocker issuer reality, what actually works in 2026 ====== | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | {{ : | ||
| + | |||
| + | <WRAP center round info 95%> | ||
| + | **Quick Reply:** Honest 2026 audit of DigiLocker issuers, what auto-fetches, | ||
| + | </ | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Quick answer.** Install DigiLocker, sign in with Aadhaar OTP, and pull the documents you need. Aadhaar, PAN, driving licence and vehicle RC almost always auto-fetch. School marksheets, EPF, ABHA, voter ID, ration card and land records are state-dependent, | ||
| + | |||
| + | //Short on time? Jump to the [[#issuer status table, 20 documents in 2026|20-document status table]] below.// | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Why this guide exists ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | DigiLocker promises 2,000+ issuers and 500+ schemes. In practice citizens hit a wall: a school appears in the issuer list but the marksheet won't fetch. A ration card " | ||
| + | |||
| + | This article is an honest 2026 audit. It tells you which issuers are reliable, which are flaky, what the error codes mean, how to fix mismatches, and what to do when DigiLocker fails, including the RTI route to the parent department. | ||
| + | |||
| + | A small note before you start: the gold-standard test of a DigiLocker document is whether the verifier (a landlord, police officer, recruiter) can scan its QR and see a valid issuer signature. If the QR validates, the document is good in law. If it doesn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== What DigiLocker is, and what the law says ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | DigiLocker is a Government of India cloud locker run by the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY). It lets citizens **fetch** original digital documents directly from the issuing department (Aadhaar from UIDAI, RC from the state transport authority) and **store** them in a personal locker linked to a mobile number and Aadhaar. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The legal hook is **§9A of the Information Technology Act 2000**, inserted by the IT (Amendment) Act 2008. It gives an electronically delivered service the same legal effect as a paper service, when the delivery is authenticated by the issuer' | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) issued a separate **advisory dated 8 August 2018** directing all state police and transport authorities to accept driving licence and registration certificate (RC) shown via DigiLocker or mParivahan **as valid**, and not to demand the physical original at the roadside. Several state high courts have since pulled up enforcement officers for ignoring this advisory. | ||
| + | |||
| + | What does this mean in practice? A document with a valid issuer signature in your DigiLocker is enforceable. A document that's only an **uploaded scan** (in the " | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Aadhaar auto-fetch, the killer feature, and its failure modes ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | When you sign in via Aadhaar OTP, DigiLocker consents UIDAI to push your **demographic record** into the locker as an " | ||
| + | |||
| + | The chain reaction is what most people miss. Several other issuers, Income Tax (PAN), CBSE/state boards (marksheets), | ||
| + | |||
| + | The fix is rarely on DigiLocker' | ||
| + | |||
| + | A second common failure: the issuer requires you to also enter the **document number** (DL number, RC number, PAN, roll number) along with Aadhaar. If you enter a digit wrong, the error reads as a generic " | ||
| + | |||
| + | A third failure mode: the issuer is in **maintenance**. Co-WIN, EPFO and some state revenue portals routinely take their DigiLocker endpoint down for hours. Try again the next day before assuming the document is missing. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Issuer landscape in 2026, working, flaky, missing ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Cleanly working (auto-fetch reliable, signed PDF, QR validates): | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Aadhaar (UIDAI) | ||
| + | * PAN (Income Tax / NSDL) | ||
| + | * Driving Licence (MoRTH via Sarathi) | ||
| + | * Vehicle Registration Certificate (MoRTH via Vahan) | ||
| + | * CBSE Class X and XII marksheets (2017 onwards via DigiLocker) | ||
| + | * EPFO UAN card and PF passbook (when UAN is Aadhaar-seeded) | ||
| + | * ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) ID, NHA | ||
| + | * Voter ID, Election Commission, since 2022 rollout | ||
| + | * Co-WIN COVID vaccination certificate, | ||
| + | |||
| + | Flaky (issuer is listed but fetch fails 30–60% of the time): | ||
| + | |||
| + | * State board marksheets, wide variance, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, | ||
| + | * State ration card, works in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra; | ||
| + | * State land records / RoR, only 12 states have a live DigiLocker integration in 2026 (Karnataka Bhoomi, Maharashtra 7/12, Telangana Dharani, MP RCMS, UP Bhulekh among them) | ||
| + | * Income / caste / domicile / OBC certificate, | ||
| + | * Passport, only **PCC** (police clearance certificate) is reliably pulled; the passport booklet itself is not in DigiLocker | ||
| + | * Birth and death certificate, | ||
| + | |||
| + | Missing or stub-only in 2026: | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Property registry / sale deed (no national integration; | ||
| + | * Pension PPO (PFRDA APY works partially; CGHS, EPS pensioners do not have a clean fetch) | ||
| + | * BPL card / Antyodaya certificate (state-only, | ||
| + | * Ex-servicemen ID card (DGR portal not integrated) | ||
| + | * Disability UDID (partial, fetch often returns " | ||
| + | * Caste, income, domicile certificates issued before the state' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Issuer status table, 20 documents in 2026 ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | The reliability rating below is a 2026 working observation, | ||
| + | |||
| + | ^ Document ^ Issuer ^ Auto-fetch ^ Reliability ^ Fallback if it fails ^ | ||
| + | | Aadhaar card | UIDAI | Yes, via Aadhaar OTP | Reliable | [[https:// | ||
| + | | PAN card | Income Tax / NSDL | Yes, Aadhaar + PAN number | Reliable | [[https:// | ||
| + | | Driving Licence | MoRTH (Sarathi) | Yes, Aadhaar + DL number | Reliable | [[https:// | ||
| + | | Vehicle RC | MoRTH (Vahan) | Yes, Aadhaar + RC number | Reliable | mParivahan app | | ||
| + | | CBSE Class X marksheet | CBSE | Yes, name + roll + year | Reliable from 2017 | Pariksha Sangam portal; RTI to CBSE Regional Office if older | | ||
| + | | CBSE Class XII marksheet | CBSE | Yes | Reliable from 2017 | Pariksha Sangam; RTI to CBSE Regional Office if older | | ||
| + | | State board marksheet | State board | Partial | Flaky | Board' | ||
| + | | EPF UAN card | EPFO | Yes if UAN Aadhaar-seeded | Reliable | [[https:// | ||
| + | | ABHA ID | NHA | Yes via Aadhaar | Reliable | [[https:// | ||
| + | | Co-WIN vaccination certificate | MoHFW | Yes | Reliable (legacy) | [[https:// | ||
| + | | Voter ID (EPIC) | Election Commission | Yes since 2022 | Reliable | [[https:// | ||
| + | | Passport booklet | MEA | No | Missing | [[https:// | ||
| + | | Police Clearance Certificate | MEA | Yes | Reliable | passportindia.gov.in | | ||
| + | | Income certificate | State revenue / e-District | Partial | State-flaky | State e-District portal; RTI to Tehsildar | | ||
| + | | Caste certificate | State revenue / e-District | Partial | State-flaky | State e-District; RTI to SDM | | ||
| + | | Domicile certificate | State revenue / e-District | Partial | State-flaky | State e-District; RTI to SDM | | ||
| + | | Ration card | State Food & Civil Supplies | Partial | State-flaky | State PDS portal; RTI to AFSO | | ||
| + | | Land record / RoR (7/12, ROR-IB, Khasra) | State Revenue / Land Records | Partial | State-flaky | State Bhulekh / Bhoomi; RTI to Tehsildar | | ||
| + | | Birth / Death certificate | Municipal corporation | Partial | City-specific | crsorgi.gov.in; | ||
| + | | Disability UDID | DEPwD | Yes | Flaky | [[https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | A printable copy of this table is at the foot of the article. Treat it as a 2026 snapshot, issuer connectivity changes. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Common DigiLocker errors and what they actually mean ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Citizens see opaque error codes in the app. Here is the decoder ring: | ||
| + | |||
| + | * **"No record found at the issuer" | ||
| + | * **" | ||
| + | * **" | ||
| + | * **" | ||
| + | * **" | ||
| + | * **" | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Fixing a name or date-of-birth mismatch ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | The fix is **always at the issuing department**, | ||
| + | |||
| + | Decision rule: change the **less-used** record to match the **more-used** one. Aadhaar is usually the more-used record, so most fixes happen on the source document. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * **Aadhaar correction**, | ||
| + | * **PAN correction**, | ||
| + | * **DL/RC correction**, | ||
| + | * **EPF correction**, | ||
| + | * **CBSE marksheet correction**, | ||
| + | * **State board correction**, | ||
| + | * **Voter ID correction**, | ||
| + | |||
| + | After the source fix is accepted (always ask for a written acknowledgement), | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Sharing a DigiLocker document with a third party ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | You will be asked to share, for a rental KYC, a job verification, | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Method 1, Share via DigiLocker (recommended).** Open the document, tap " | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Method 2, Download and forward the PDF.** The PDF carries the same issuer signature. The recipient can verify it by opening it in any PDF reader that shows signature panels, or by scanning the QR through the DigiLocker app's verifier. | ||
| + | |||
| + | What you should **not** do: print, scan and email a paper version. That strips the signature. The recipient cannot verify it cryptographically and is within their rights to demand the original. | ||
| + | |||
| + | A safety note: never share your DigiLocker login OTP with anyone, there is no scenario where a legitimate verifier needs it. If asked, it's a scam. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Receiving a DigiLocker document, verifier' | ||
| + | |||
| + | If you are a landlord, employer, school admin or bank officer receiving a DigiLocker share, this is how you verify it cleanly. Don't ask for a paper original, that defeats the purpose. | ||
| + | |||
| + | - Open the PDF in a reader that shows digital signatures (Adobe Reader, recent Foxit, in-browser Chrome shows a signature pane in the right rail). | ||
| + | - Look for the **issuer' | ||
| + | - Confirm the signature status reads **" | ||
| + | - For DL/RC, additionally scan the QR using mParivahan, it should display the live record. | ||
| + | - If the document came as a share link, you can also open the link itself; DigiLocker will display the live, issuer-signed copy. | ||
| + | |||
| + | If any of these fail, reject the document and ask for a fresh share, not for a paper original. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Mobile app vs web portal ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Both work. They differ in what's convenient. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * **App ([[https:// | ||
| + | * **Web portal ([[https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | There is one quirk: some issuers only enable fetch via the app, not the web. CBSE marksheets are the most common case. If a web fetch fails, retry on the app before opening a ticket. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== UMANG and DigiLocker, when to use which ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[umang-app-citizen-services-india|UMANG]] is the all-in-one government services app; DigiLocker is a document wallet. UMANG embeds DigiLocker inside it. You can open DigiLocker from UMANG and pull documents without installing two apps. | ||
| + | |||
| + | When to prefer UMANG: you're doing a transaction (paying a bill, booking a gas refill, filing an EPF claim) and you'll also need the document. UMANG gives you both in one flow. | ||
| + | |||
| + | When to prefer DigiLocker direct: you only want the document. The standalone app is faster and the share workflow is cleaner. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Account locked, expired, or " | ||
| + | |||
| + | DigiLocker doesn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | * **Mobile number changed**, your locker is tied to the mobile registered with Aadhaar. If you change the Aadhaar-linked mobile (at an enrolment centre), the locker follows. If you only update the mobile inside DigiLocker without changing it on Aadhaar, you lose access on next session. | ||
| + | * **Account locked after failed OTP attempts**, wait 24 hours and retry; the lockout is automatic. | ||
| + | * **" | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Privacy, what DigiLocker logs and what it doesn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | DigiLocker keeps a fetch log per document, when each document was pulled, when it was shared, and with whom. You can see this in the app under " | ||
| + | |||
| + | What DigiLocker does **not** do, per its own documentation: | ||
| + | |||
| + | * It does not share document contents with third-party apps without a per-document consent. | ||
| + | * It does not let advertisers access your locker. | ||
| + | * It does not store your Aadhaar biometrics, only the demographic record and a virtual ID. | ||
| + | |||
| + | What you should know anyway: | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Issuer-side logs are separate. UIDAI logs every authentication; | ||
| + | * If a court orders disclosure, DigiLocker and the issuer must comply. | ||
| + | * Government law-enforcement requests follow the standard procedure, DigiLocker is not a special back door, but it is not an extra wall either. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== When DigiLocker fails, RTI is the route ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | If the locker can't fetch, the **issuing department** holds the answer, not DigiLocker, not NeGD. File an RTI to the issuer. Draft it cleanly with the [[https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sample RTI to issuer (adapt as needed): | ||
| + | |||
| + | < | ||
| + | To, | ||
| + | The Public Information Officer, | ||
| + | [Issuing department, e.g. Office of the Tehsildar, Karnal] | ||
| + | [Address] | ||
| + | |||
| + | Subject: RTI under the Right to Information Act 2005 | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sir/Madam, | ||
| + | |||
| + | Under section 6 of the RTI Act 2005, please supply: | ||
| + | |||
| + | 1. Whether my [document type, e.g. income certificate] dated [date] bearing | ||
| + | | ||
| + | | ||
| + | 2. The status of integration of this department with DigiLocker | ||
| + | | ||
| + | 3. If integration is live, the reason my record is returning the error | ||
| + | " | ||
| + | 4. The name and designation of the officer responsible for the | ||
| + | | ||
| + | |||
| + | I enclose a copy of my [document] and a printout of the DigiLocker error | ||
| + | message dated [date]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The RTI application fee of ₹10 is paid by [postal order / IPO no. / | ||
| + | e-payment ref]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Name: [Name] | ||
| + | Address: [Address] | ||
| + | Mobile: [Mobile] | ||
| + | Date: [Date] | ||
| + | Signature | ||
| + | </ | ||
| + | |||
| + | If the PIO does not reply in 30 days, file a **first appeal** under §19 of the RTI Act to the First Appellate Authority of the same department. After 30 more days of silence, escalate to the State or Central Information Commission depending on whether the department is a state or central one. The [[citizen-rti-playbook|citizen RTI playbook]] walks through the full escalation ladder. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== A short worked example ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Anitha, a teacher in Coimbatore, needs her 1998 Class XII marksheet for a higher-degree application. CBSE DigiLocker fetch returns " | ||
| + | |||
| + | Step 1, She tries the CBSE Pariksha Sangam portal directly. Same result: 1998 records aren't fully digitised. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Step 2, She files an RTI to the CBSE Regional Office (Chennai region) asking (a) the DigiLocker integration cut-off year for Tamil Nadu Class XII records (CBSE' | ||
| + | |||
| + | Step 3, CBSE replies in 22 days. The DigiLocker integration cut-off is 2017. For older records (pre-2017), CBSE issues a **migration certificate / verified copy** on application via the Regional Office with ₹500 fee, in 30 days. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Step 4, Anitha applies, pays ₹500, gets the verified copy in 19 days. She uploads it to the **" | ||
| + | |||
| + | Total time: 41 days. Total cost: ₹510. No litigation, no agents, no shouting at a portal. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== What to do in the next 30 minutes ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Install DigiLocker (Android / iOS) or open [[https:// | ||
| + | * Sign in via Aadhaar OTP. Confirm the demographic Aadhaar card auto-appears in " | ||
| + | * Fetch the four reliable documents you almost certainly need, PAN, DL, RC (if you have a vehicle), and your latest CBSE/ | ||
| + | * Note any error code and look it up in the [[#common digilocker errors and what they actually mean|decoder section]] above. | ||
| + | * For any flaky issuer, **don' | ||
| + | * Bookmark this page; return when an issuer changes status. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Frequently asked questions ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Is a DigiLocker document legally equal to the original? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Yes, for documents in your **Issued Documents** section (pulled directly from the issuer with a digital signature). §9A of the IT Act 2000 and the MeitY notification of 8 February 2017 give them the same legal effect as the paper original. Documents you upload yourself to the **Uploaded Documents** tab are not legally equivalent, they' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Can the police demand the physical original of my driving licence if I show DigiLocker? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | No. The MoRTH advisory dated 8 August 2018 directs all state police and transport authorities to accept the DigiLocker or mParivahan copy. Several high courts have reinforced this. If an officer still insists, ask politely for their name and badge number, comply on the spot, and complain through the state police grievance portal afterwards. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== My name on PAN is slightly different from Aadhaar, can DigiLocker still fetch PAN? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sometimes, with a partial match score. Often it fails with "Name mismatch." | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Why is my state board marksheet showing in the issuer list but not fetching? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | The issuer is registered with DigiLocker but the underlying database integration is partial. Older years are often not digitised. Confirm by trying a direct fetch on the state board portal, if that also fails, file an RTI to the board asking the digitisation cut-off year and the manual-fetch procedure. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Can I use a DigiLocker DL when travelling abroad? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | No. DigiLocker is recognised inside India. For international driving you need an **International Driving Permit** issued by your RTO, a separate paper document. DigiLocker has no IDP issuer. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Is the Aadhaar card in DigiLocker the same as the e-Aadhaar PDF? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Yes in legal effect, slightly different in appearance. The DigiLocker version is the latest record at fetch time and carries UIDAI' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== What happens to my documents if I delete my DigiLocker account? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Issued documents disappear from your locker but **continue to exist at the issuer**. You can re-create a DigiLocker account later and re-fetch them. Documents you uploaded yourself are deleted permanently. MeitY' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Why does my COVID vaccination certificate show in DigiLocker but the QR doesn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Co-WIN signing certificate' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Can I add a DigiLocker entry that the issuer hasn't pushed? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | No. You can only **upload** a personal copy (no legal weight) under the Uploaded Documents tab. You cannot create an " | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== If the issuer is broken and won't reply to my RTI, what next? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | File a **first appeal** under §19(1) of the RTI Act within 30 days of the missed reply deadline. If the appellate authority also stays silent, file a **second appeal/ | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Three editor-review flags ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | - **Issuer reliability ratings**, the table reflects a 2026 working-observation sample, not an official benchmark. Re-test quarterly; state ration-card and land-record integrations change month-on-month. | ||
| + | - **MoRTH advisory date**, quoted as 8 August 2018 from the public version in circulation; | ||
| + | - **CBSE DigiLocker cut-off (2017)**, per the CBSE Academic Repository at https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Sources ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | * [[https:// | ||
| + | * [[https:// | ||
| + | * [[https:// | ||
| + | * [[https:// | ||
| + | * [[https:// | ||
| + | * [[https:// | ||
| + | * [[https:// | ||
| + | * [[https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Related on RTI Wiki ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | * [[umang-app-citizen-services-india|UMANG app, every government service in one app]] | ||
| + | * [[citizen-rti-playbook|Citizen RTI playbook, file, escalate, win]] | ||
| + | * [[state-rti-master-guide|State-by-state RTI master guide]] | ||
| + | * [[state-rti-portals-directory|State RTI portals directory]] | ||
| + | * [[rti-tools-master-guide|Free RTI AI tools, the complete suite]] | ||
| + | * [[how-to-file-rti-india-pillar|How to file an RTI in India, definitive guide]] | ||
| + | * [[aadhaar-correction-rti|Aadhaar correction RTI, when UIDAI sits on your request]] | ||
| + | * Tool: [[https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | ---- | ||
| + | //Last reviewed: 16 May 2026. Maintained by the RTI Wiki editorial team. Issuer connectivity changes, verify the status of the specific issuer you need before a high-stakes use.// | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{tag> | ||