DigiLocker: keep your certificates and ID on your phone
DigiLocker holds both issuer-backed documents and scans you upload yourself. They are not the same. Use the Issued Documents version for official purposes when it is available.
What is DigiLocker?
DigiLocker is a Government of India service for accessing and sharing digital documents. You can fetch documents provided by participating issuers, such as transport authorities, boards and universities. You can also store personal scans in DigiLocker Drive. Simply being stored in the same account does not give every file the same legal status.
Issued Documents versus uploaded scans
The official DigiLocker expert FAQ makes the difference clear in question 94. Issued Documents come directly from authorised issuers and are digitally signed. DigiLocker Drive, also described as Uploaded Documents, is personal storage for digitised copies. The same certificate may appear in both sections, but the issued version is the one recommended for official use.
Uploading a photograph of a marksheet does not turn it into a board-issued digital marksheet. A PDF scan of a driving licence does not become an issuer-backed licence merely because you put it in the app. Uploads can still be useful personal copies, and an organisation may have its own process for accepting scans. Do not describe every scan as legally equivalent to an original.
Are issued documents accepted?
DigiLocker's official expert answers say digital documents issued through the platform hold the same legal status as originals when used electronically. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways circular dated 8 August 2018 also recognises electronic driving licence and registration records presented through DigiLocker or mParivahan at par with originals.
That is different from promising that any screenshot, printed copy or uploaded scan will meet every institution's submission rules. For a job, admission or official check, follow the stated verification process and provide the issued digital record. If it is refused, show the relevant official guidance and ask which verification method or rule is required.
How to fetch an issued document
- Open the official DigiLocker website or use its official app. Do not follow an unknown verification link.
- Register or sign in through the options currently shown. Complete your own identity checks and keep the security PIN private.
- Search for the document and its actual issuing authority, such as the board or transport department.
- Enter the required identifiers, such as a roll number, year or driving licence number. Menu labels can change.
- Fetch the record and check that it appears in Issued Documents. Read your name, dates and other details before using it.
- Use the service's available sharing or verification method for the organisation that needs it. Share only the necessary document with the intended recipient.
No account was signed into for this guide. These are the general fetch steps, not a claim that every issuer uses identical menus.
What if a record is missing or wrong?
DigiLocker can fetch a record only when the issuer has made it available. The official expert FAQ says missing academic records should be raised with the university or board. It also explains that a name mismatch with Aadhaar can stop a certificate being fetched. Contact the issuer or official support to correct the source details. Do not edit a scan and pass it off as an issued record.
Old records, certain years and particular courses may not yet be available. Uploading your own scan can keep a personal copy, but it does not solve the missing issuer record. A family member's issuer-backed records should be fetched in that person's own account, according to the official expert answers.
Cost and use in Kerala
This is not a paid certificate-verification offer from a private agent. DigiLocker NAD's official FAQ says the academic depository service is free. Mobile data and any separate issuer or application process are different. Do not pay someone who promises to make a missing document appear instantly or asks for your OTP.
A Kerala student applying for admission can check whether the board or university has made the relevant year available. A driver can use an issuer-backed licence or RC through the recognised platform. Malayalam appears among the official site's language choices, but issuer coverage and the details on a certificate still need checking.
Stay safe
Never share an OTP or your security PIN with someone claiming to verify an account. Avoid public links containing identity documents. Before granting access, check what is being requested and by whom. Review account activity and contact official support if a document or account detail is wrong.
What changed since the original post?
The 1 October archive post focused on issued versus uploaded documents. The existing website guide mentioned personal uploads but its opening language could imply that everything came from an issuer. This revision makes the distinction explicit, adds missing-record and name-mismatch steps, and avoids broad promises about every copy being accepted. It updates the existing article rather than creating a second DigiLocker page.
Frequently asked questions
Can one document be in both sections?
Yes. The official expert FAQ says that is possible. Use the issuer-backed version for official purposes.
Is an uploaded scan worthless?
No. It is a useful personal copy, but it does not gain issuer verification just by being uploaded.
Can I upload a missing marksheet and call it issued?
No. Ask the board or university to provide the digital issuer record.
Does a name mismatch matter?
Yes. Official guidance says it can stop a document being fetched. Correct the details through the appropriate authority.
Was account access tested?
No. This revision is based on official published guidance and the existing live article.
Sources: DigiLocker · Official expert FAQ, especially questions 1, 26, 27 and 94 · DigiLocker NAD FAQ · MoRTH circular. Checked 7 October 2026.
Scoped recheck 24 October 2026: official expert FAQ, NAD FAQ and MoRTH circular checked. Issued-versus-uploaded distinction, electronic validity, missing-record route and free NAD service remain supported. Retained official DigiLocker icon; removed the promotional image containing a national emblem. No sign-in, document fetch, upload or sharing test.