Can a hotel keep a photocopy of a guest's Aadhaar? What the UIDAI papers say, and what they do not

This is one of the most common questions at hotel front desks. We have read the UIDAI circular of 30 April 2026, UIDAI's letter of 8 June 2026 and the FHRAI notice that passed it on. This is what they say, and just as important, what they do not.

What do the UIDAI papers say?

• An Aadhaar credential shown, shared or verified through the Aadhaar App is a legally valid way to establish identity.
• In that route the 12-digit number is not passed to the verifier, and the holder chooses what to share, with consent.
• Hotels may explore this kind of offline verification. It is described as voluntary, with no deadline.

What do they not say?

They say nothing about hotel guest registers, how long records must be kept, or whether a hotel may keep a photocopy of a card. So the papers neither allow nor forbid photocopies. We will not tell you they do.

So what should a hotel do?

1. Ask your own lawyer, or your local authorities, what rules apply to your hotel's guest records. They depend on your state and your situation.
2. Keep your duties, such as the guest register and police or foreigner reporting where they apply, exactly as the rules require.
3. Collect and keep only what you can explain a reason for.

Why photocopies are a risk anyway

A photocopy shows the full Aadhaar number, the photograph, the address and the date of birth. It can be copied again, lost or misused, and it is hard to delete on schedule. Whatever the rules allow, holding less data is safer for the guest and for you.

A safer way

With CheckInKYC the guest shares from their own phone after consent, and the hotel receives the verified name, the photograph, whether the guest is an adult and the last four digits, not the full number. A hotel can choose to keep card pictures, but only if it turns that on and the guest agrees separately, because those pictures show the full number.

This article explains public information in plain words, as of 19 October 2026. It is not legal advice and rules can change. CheckInKYC is operated by SWASTIK ENTERPRISES, a UIDAI-registered OVSE (No. OR11274063); nothing here says UIDAI endorses or certifies any hotel or product.