NEW DELHI: Worried about losing your identity proofs while travelling by train? Worry no more! Indian Railways have now announced that it will accept soft copies of Aadhar and driving licence provided they are in your DigiLocker, a digital storage service operated by the government that enables Indian citizens to store certain official documents on cloud.
Contents
Railways to accept Digital Aadhaar, Driving Licence as ID Proof from Govt’s DigiLocker
Railway Board has sent a missive to all zonal Principal Chief Commercial Managers that these two identity proofs on such service will be accepted as valid proof of identity of a passenger. “If a passenger shows Aadhaar or driving licence from the ‘issued documents’ section by logging into his DigiLocker account, the same should be considered as valid proof of identity,” it said.
It has, however, clarified that the documents uploaded by the passenger himself that is the documents in the ‘uploaded documents’ section will not be considered as a valid proof of identity. As part of the Narendra Modi government’s Digital India movement, DigiLocker can currently store digital driving licences and Aadhaar. Subscribers can also integrate their PAN with DigiLocker.
About DigiLocker
DigiLocker is a “digital locker” service operated by the Government of India that enables Indian citizens to store certain official documents on the cloud. The service is aimed towards reducing the need to carry physical documents, and is part of the government’s Digital India initiative. Targeted at the idea of paperless governance, DigiLocker is a platform for issuance and verification of documents & certificates in a digital way, thus eliminating the use of physical documents. Indian citizens who sign up for a DigiLocker account get a dedicated cloud storage space that is linked to their Aadhaar (UIDAI) number.
1 GB of storage space is offered to users to store identification card issued by government agencies, education certificates, PAN cards, driving license, vehicle ownership documents and some other documents.
Users need to possess an Aadhar card to use DigiLocker. For sign-up, the Aadhar card number and the one-time password sent to the Aadhar-associated mobile number, need to be entered. For later log-ins, the user can set their own password or link the account to Facebook or Google logins.
Organizations that are registered with Digital Locker can push electronic copies of documents and certificates (e.g. driving license, Voter ID, School certificates) directly into citizens lockers. Citizens can also upload scanned copies of their legacy documents in their accounts. These legacy documents can be electronically signed using the eSign facility.
The platform has the following benefits:
- Citizens can access their digital documents anytime, anywhere and share it online. This is convenient and time saving.
- It reduces the administrative overhead of Government departments by minimizing the use of paper.
- Digital Locker makes it easier to validate the authenticity of documents as they are issued directly by the registered issuers.
- Self-uploaded documents can be digitally signed using the eSign facility (which is similar to the process of self-attestation).
The following are the key stakeholders in the DigiLocker system:
- Issuer: Entity issuing e-documents to individuals in a standard format and making them electronically available e.g. CBSE, Registrar Office, Income Tax department, etc.
- Requester: Entity requesting secure access to a particular e-document stored within a repository (e.g. University, Passport Office, Regional Transport Office, etc.)
- Resident: An individual who uses the Digital Locker service based on Aadhaar number.
The main technology components of the DigiLocker system are:
- Repository: Collection of e-documents that is exposed via standard APIs for secure, real-time access.
- Access Gateway: Secure online mechanism for requesters to access e-documents from various repositories in real-time using URI (Uniform Resource Indicator).
- DigiLocker Portal: Dedicated cloud based personal storage space, linked to each resident’s Aadhaar for storing e-documents, or URIs of e-documents.
Yes — as of July 6, 2018, the Ministry of Railways officially approved the acceptance of digital Aadhaar and digital Driving Licence presented via DigiLocker as valid ID proof for train travel
✅ Key Highlights
- When a passenger presents Aadhaar or Driving Licence from the “Issued Documents” section of their DigiLocker account, Indian Railways accepts it as a valid identity document during reserved railway travel
- Importantly, self‑uploaded documents (in the “Uploaded Documents” section) are not accepted as valid ID by Indian Railways
- Suitable documents: Those issued and pushed by government agencies such as UIDAI (for Aadhaar) and the Ministry of Road Transport (for DL) via DigiLocker.
📋 Eligible Identity Proofs on DigiLocker
When stored under the “Issued Documents” section via DigiLocker, the following are accepted:
- Aadhaar
- Driving Licence
These stand on par with other accepted physical IDs such as Voter ID, Passport, PAN Card, Student ID, bank passbook, credit card with photo, ration book, etc.
🧭 Why This Decision Matters
| Benefit | Implication |
|---|---|
| Less paper hassle | Travelers no longer need to carry physical Aadhaar or DL. |
| Authenticity | Issued documents are digitally signed and come directly from government repositories, reducing risk of falsification. |
| Alignment with Digital India | Encourages digital adoption and reduces reliance on physical prints. |
| Convenience | Enables smoother boarding and verification at stations or while onboard. |
📱 How to Present DigiLocker ID for Travel
- Download the DigiLocker app (iOS, Android, or web).
- Register with your Aadhaar-linked mobile number and OTP.
- From the “Issued Documents” section, pull your e‑Aadhaar and/or Driving Licence (issued by respective departments).
- When requested by ticket-checking staff (TTE), log in to DigiLocker and show the document directly from the issued section.
⚠️ People should not rely on documents uploaded manually in their DigiLocker account—they are not accepted by Indian Railways.
📝 In Summary
- Since July 2025, digital Aadhaar and DL from DigiLocker are considered valid identification for train travel in India — provided they appear in the issued documents section.
- This policy removes the need to carry physical cards and adds authenticity through government-issued digital copies.
- Self-uploaded files are excluded, ensuring only verified documents are accepted.
Would you like a step-by-step guide on linking Aadhaar or Driving Licence to DigiLocker or instructions to download and navigate the app?