By Saurav Mehra An Aadhaar card is often handed over within families for perfectly ordinary reasons—a son may carry his father’s Aadhaar while completing hospital paperwork, or a spouse may keep copies of family documents for an application. Possessing or handling another person’s Aadhaar for an authorised purpose is not the same thing as using that Aadhaar to pretend that you are that person.
You cannot lawfully use someone else’s Aadhaar as your own identity in India. Using another person’s Aadhaar number, demographic information or authentication credentials to impersonate them, obtain benefits in their name, manipulate their Aadhaar information or commit fraud can lead to serious legal consequences.
At the same time, merely having a copy of another person’s Aadhaar is not automatically an offence. The purpose, consent, authority and manner in which it is used are crucial.
Aadhaar Belongs to a Specific Individual
Every Aadhaar number is issued to a particular individual.
Under the Aadhaar Act, an Aadhaar number assigned to one person cannot be reassigned to another individual.
An Aadhaar holder can use Aadhaar to establish their identity through permitted methods such as authentication or offline verification.
This means your father’s, mother’s, spouse’s, friend’s or employee’s Aadhaar does not become your identity document simply because they have voluntarily given you a photocopy.
You cannot legitimately present it as proof that you are the Aadhaar holder.
When Does Using Someone Else’s Aadhaar Become Illegal?
Problems arise when another person’s Aadhaar is used dishonestly or without proper authority.
Examples can include:
- Pretending to be the Aadhaar holder;
- Attempting to obtain benefits meant for that person;
- Using their Aadhaar for fraudulent KYC;
- Manipulating their Aadhaar information;
- Opening or attempting to operate accounts through false identity;
- Using Aadhaar information for unauthorised authentication;
- Obtaining services by falsely claiming the Aadhaar identity; or
- Using Aadhaar information as part of another fraud.
Depending on exactly what was done, provisions of the Aadhaar Act and other criminal or cyber laws may become relevant.
What Does the Aadhaar Act Say About Impersonation?
The Aadhaar Act specifically contains offences concerning impersonation.
Section 34 addresses impersonation or attempted impersonation at the time of Aadhaar enrolment by providing false demographic or biometric information.
It provides for imprisonment that may extend to three years, a fine that may extend to ₹10,000, or both.
Section 35 deals with impersonation involving changes or attempted changes to the demographic or biometric information of an Aadhaar holder with the intention of causing harm or mischief or appropriating that person’s identity.
That offence can also attract imprisonment of up to three years along with the prescribed fine.
The exact offence applicable in a real case depends on what the accused actually did.
Can I Use My Father’s or Mother’s Aadhaar Card?
You cannot use a parent’s Aadhaar as if it were your own identity document.
For example, if an application asks for your Aadhaar, entering your father’s Aadhaar number and representing yourself as its holder would be improper.
But there is an important distinction.
Suppose your elderly father asks you to submit documents to a hospital, government office or another organisation on his behalf. Carrying or submitting his Aadhaar as his authorised representative is not the same as pretending that his Aadhaar belongs to you.
The document is still being used to establish his identity, not yours.
Where formal authorisation is required, the relevant organisation’s procedure should be followed.
Can I Use My Spouse’s Aadhaar as Address Proof?
This depends on what the organisation is actually asking you to prove.
Your spouse’s Aadhaar establishes information associated with your spouse. It does not automatically become your personal Aadhaar or prove that you are the Aadhaar holder.
Some procedures may separately allow:
- Spouse’s documents;
- Relationship documents;
- Head-of-family based address procedures;
- Marriage-related documents; or
- Other supporting address evidence.
If such a procedure is available, use it properly.
Do not simply submit your spouse’s Aadhaar while representing that it is your own identity document.
What If the Aadhaar Holder Gives Permission?
Consent is important, but consent does not turn two different identities into one.
An Aadhaar holder may authorise you to handle their document for a legitimate purpose.
For example, your mother may ask you to upload her Aadhaar copy while you help complete an application in her name.
That is fundamentally different from your mother saying:
“Use my Aadhaar and pretend you are me.”
Permission from the holder does not necessarily make impersonation, false declarations or fraudulent use lawful.
Consent should therefore be understood as permission to use information for an authorised purpose—not permission to create a false identity.
Can Someone Use Another Person’s Aadhaar for SIM KYC?
A person should not impersonate someone else to obtain a mobile connection in that person’s identity.
If a telecom KYC process requires the subscriber’s identity to be established, another person’s Aadhaar should not be presented as if it identifies the actual user or applicant where the procedure does not permit that arrangement.
The same principle applies to other KYC processes.
Aadhaar authentication is designed to establish the identity of the Aadhaar number holder.
Borrowing somebody’s Aadhaar number is not a legitimate substitute for completing your own identity verification.
Can Someone Use Another Person’s Aadhaar to Open a Bank Account?
Using another person’s Aadhaar to impersonate them while opening or operating a bank account can have much more serious consequences than simple document misuse.
Such conduct may potentially involve:
- Identity fraud;
- Forgery or use of false documents;
- Cheating;
- Unauthorised Aadhaar use; and
- Other offences depending on the facts.
Banks also have their own KYC requirements.
Even if a person somehow succeeds in passing an initial verification, that does not make the account or identity representation lawful.
Can I Book a Hotel Using Someone Else’s Aadhaar?
If a hotel requires identification of the person staying at the property, presenting someone else’s Aadhaar as though it were your own would amount to giving false identity information.
You should use an accepted identity document belonging to you.
If you are booking a room for another person, the booking procedure and the guest’s identification requirements are separate matters.
Do not confuse “booking for someone” with “using that person’s identity as your own.”
Can I Use Someone Else’s Aadhaar to Get a Government Benefit?
This can be particularly serious.
Aadhaar is extensively used for identifying beneficiaries of government subsidies, benefits and services.
Using another person’s Aadhaar identity to obtain a benefit for which you are not eligible may involve not only Aadhaar-related violations but also fraud or other offences depending on the scheme and circumstances.
Even within a family, entitlement to a government benefit should not be transferred informally by sharing Aadhaar credentials.
Follow the scheme’s official nominee, representative, family-member or succession procedure where one exists.
Is Sharing an Aadhaar Photocopy Illegal?
Not automatically.
People frequently provide Aadhaar copies for legitimate verification purposes.
However, Aadhaar information should be shared carefully.
The fact that somebody voluntarily sends you a photocopy does not give you unlimited permission to:
- Publish it online;
- Give it to unrelated third parties;
- Use it for another purpose;
- Alter it;
- Use it for fraudulent KYC; or
- Impersonate its holder.
Consent and purpose matter.
Where an organisation needs Aadhaar information, it must also comply with the applicable Aadhaar authentication or offline-verification requirements.
What Is Aadhaar Offline Verification?
UIDAI permits Aadhaar holders to establish identity through regulated offline-verification mechanisms.
Entities conducting offline verification have obligations concerning consent and the use of information obtained from the Aadhaar holder.
Under the applicable Aadhaar framework, identity information collected for verification cannot simply be reused however the organisation wishes.
This helps distinguish legitimate identity verification from simply collecting Aadhaar photocopies without a clear purpose.
Can a Company Collect Someone’s Aadhaar Without Consent?
Entities using Aadhaar authentication or offline verification have statutory obligations.
For authentication, the requesting entity generally must obtain the individual’s consent before collecting identity information, unless otherwise provided by law.
The individual must also be informed about matters such as the nature of information that may be shared and how the information will be used.
Offline verification similarly involves consent requirements.
Businesses should therefore not treat Aadhaar details as ordinary unrestricted customer data.
Is It Safe to Send Aadhaar on WhatsApp?
Sending an Aadhaar image casually can expose personal information if the recipient’s phone, account or chat is compromised or if the document is forwarded.
Where appropriate, consider whether a Masked Aadhaar or another permitted identification method will satisfy the requirement.
Also avoid unnecessarily sharing:
- Aadhaar number;
- OTPs;
- Biometric information; or
- Other authentication credentials.
An OTP received for Aadhaar authentication should not be casually provided to someone simply because they claim they need it for “verification.”
Understand what is being authenticated before approving it.
What If Someone Has Misused My Aadhaar?
If you suspect misuse, act promptly.
Useful steps can include:
- Reviewing your Aadhaar authentication history through UIDAI facilities;
- Checking whether an unfamiliar authentication appears;
- Using available UIDAI security features where appropriate;
- Contacting UIDAI;
- Preserving suspicious SMS messages, emails and screenshots;
- Contacting the relevant bank, telecom company or service provider if an account or service is involved; and
- Reporting suspected identity fraud to the appropriate authorities.
Do not ignore unexplained OTPs or authentication messages, particularly if you did not initiate the transaction.
Can the Aadhaar Holder File a Complaint?
Yes.
The Aadhaar Act permits an Aadhaar number holder or individual to make a complaint in relation to specified offences under the Act, including certain impersonation, disclosure and unauthorised-use offences.
Depending on the nature of the misuse, complaints to other authorities may also be appropriate.
For example, financial fraud involving Aadhaar may require immediate action with the relevant bank and cybercrime authorities in addition to Aadhaar-related measures.
How Should You Use Another Person’s Aadhaar Lawfully?
If you need to handle Aadhaar belonging to another person:
- Obtain the holder’s permission where appropriate.
- Use it only for the legitimate authorised purpose.
- Never represent the Aadhaar as your own.
- Do not alter the Aadhaar document.
- Do not use another person’s OTP or biometrics to impersonate them.
- Do not use it to obtain benefits in your name.
- Do not perform fraudulent KYC.
- Avoid retaining unnecessary copies.
- Do not forward Aadhaar information to unrelated people.
- Use official representative or family-member procedures where available.
- Consider Masked Aadhaar where full Aadhaar details are unnecessary.
The crucial distinction is therefore between acting on behalf of the Aadhaar holder and pretending to be the Aadhaar holder. Helping a parent submit their own Aadhaar for a legitimate application can be lawful; using that parent’s Aadhaar to falsely establish your own identity is a completely different matter and can result in criminal consequences.
FAQs
Q1. Can I use my father’s Aadhaar card with his permission?
A. You may be able to handle or submit your father’s Aadhaar for an authorised purpose concerning him, subject to the relevant procedure. His permission does not allow you to present his Aadhaar as proof that you are him.
Q2. Is keeping a photocopy of someone else’s Aadhaar illegal?
A. Merely possessing a legitimately obtained copy is not automatically an offence. The purpose and manner of use matter. Using the copy for impersonation, fraud or another unauthorised purpose can create legal consequences.
Q3. Can I use my spouse’s Aadhaar for address proof?
A. Your spouse’s Aadhaar remains your spouse’s identity document. If a particular procedure accepts a spouse’s document, relationship proof or a head-of-family address mechanism, follow that procedure instead of representing your spouse’s Aadhaar as your own.
Q4. What is the punishment for Aadhaar impersonation?
A. The Aadhaar Act contains different offences depending on the conduct. For example, impersonation at enrolment under Section 34 can attract imprisonment of up to three years, a fine of up to ₹10,000, or both. Other Aadhaar-related offences have their own penalties.