DigiLocker Documents: How to Access, Download and Verify Your Records

Someone at a counter asks for your driving licence and you don't have the physical card on you, but you do have your phone. Or a college wants your marksheet verified instantly, not couriered. This is exactly what DigiLocker was built for — a government-run digital wallet for your official documents that's legally treated the same as the paper original.

A lot of people have it installed, verified their Aadhaar on it once, and never touched it again. This guide covers everything you need to know about using DigiLocker in 2026 — setting it up properly, pulling your documents from issuing departments, downloading and sharing them, and how anyone can verify they're genuine.

What Is DigiLocker?

DigiLocker is a digital document wallet run by the Government of India's Ministry of Electronics and IT. It stores two kinds of documents: ones issued directly by a government department in digital form (your driving licence from the Transport Department, your Aadhaar from UIDAI, your marksheet from your board or university), and documents you upload yourself. Under the Information Technology Act, both are given the same legal standing as the physical original, when issued or signed correctly.

How to Set Up DigiLocker — Step by Step

Step 1: Download the DigiLocker app (Android or iOS), or go to digilocker.gov.in on a browser.

Step 2: Sign up with your mobile number — you'll receive an OTP to verify it.

Step 3: Set a security PIN or password for your account.

Step 4: Link your Aadhaar number and verify it with an OTP sent to your Aadhaar-registered mobile. This step is what unlocks most of DigiLocker's real functionality, since issued documents are matched to you through your Aadhaar details.

Step 5: Complete your profile with your name and date of birth exactly as they appear on your official documents — a mismatch here can cause document-fetching to fail later, similar to the name mismatch issues that cause problems elsewhere.

How to Fetch Your Issued Documents

Step 1: Inside the app or portal, use the search bar to find the issuing department or organisation — for example "Transport Department, Punjab" for a driving licence, or your board name for a marksheet.

Step 2: Select the specific document type you need.

Step 3: Enter the details the issuer requires to locate your record — this is usually your document number (DL number, roll number, PAN, etc.) along with your date of birth.

Step 4: Submit, and if the details match, the document is pulled directly from the issuer's database and saved permanently in your "Issued Documents" section.

Commonly fetched documents include Aadhaar, PAN, driving licence, vehicle RC, caste certificates, educational marksheets, and Ayushman Bharat cards, depending on which departments have onboarded in your state.

Uploading Your Own Documents

If a document isn't available as an "issued" digital document yet, you can scan and upload it yourself into the "Uploaded Documents" section. These carry less automatic legal weight than issuer-fetched documents unless they're self-attested or digitally signed, but they're still useful for keeping a complete personal archive — birth certificates, marriage certificates, or property papers that aren't yet digitally issued in your area.

How to Download a DigiLocker Document

1. Open the document from either your Issued or Uploaded Documents list.
2. Tap or click the download icon.
3. The file saves as a PDF, which you can print, email, or share directly from your phone.

Each issued document's PDF carries a digital signature and a QR code printed on it, which is what makes it verifiable — not just a screenshot of your app.

How to Verify a DigiLocker Document Is Genuine

Anyone who receives your DigiLocker document — an employer, a bank, a government office — can confirm it's authentic and unaltered in two ways:

• Scan the QR code printed on the document using any QR scanner, which links back to the verified record.
• Use the DigiLocker verification tool on digilocker.gov.in, uploading the PDF to confirm the digital signature matches and the document hasn't been edited.

This is actually DigiLocker's biggest practical advantage over a photocopy — a photocopy can be edited or faked convincingly, while a DigiLocker PDF's signature breaks the moment anyone tampers with it.

Is a DigiLocker Document Legally Valid?

Yes, under the Information Technology Act, documents issued or digitally signed through DigiLocker are treated as equivalent to the physical original for official purposes, and government offices are directed to accept them. In practice, some offices and private institutions still ask for a physical copy out of habit or unfamiliarity with the system — it's worth carrying both where you can, especially for first-time submissions at a new office, until acceptance becomes more consistent everywhere.

Using DigiLocker at a CSC or Sewa Kendra

If you're applying for a service through a CSC or Sewa Kendra and are missing a physical document, showing the DigiLocker version is often accepted in its place, since the operator can verify it on the spot using the QR code. It's worth asking before your appointment whether a DigiLocker copy is acceptable for the specific service you need, since requirements vary by department.

Common Problems People Run Into

• Document not found when fetching — usually means the details entered (name, DOB, document number) don't exactly match the issuer's record, or the issuing department hasn't digitised that document type yet.
• Aadhaar verification failing — check that your Aadhaar-linked mobile number is active and receiving OTPs; see our guide on fixing a lost or changed Aadhaar mobile number if it isn't.
• An office refusing to accept the digital copy — this still happens occasionally; politely point them to DigiLocker's QR verification tool, or carry a physical copy as backup.

Need Help Setting Up DigiLocker or Getting Your Documents?

Getting every document correctly fetched into DigiLocker, especially when a name or detail mismatch keeps blocking it, can take more patience than people expect.

Our team can help you set up DigiLocker correctly and sort out any underlying document mismatches first. We help families across all 22 districts of Punjab.

See our full range of document services
WhatsApp our team at +91 7710556330

We'll help you get your documents properly set up and verifiable.

Punjab Saathi is an independent private platform that provides information and help with online government services. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Government of India or the Ministry of Electronics and IT. DigiLocker is an official Government of India platform; all document issuance and verification is handled by the respective issuing department.