What does masking in KYC documents mean?

Masking in KYC documents means that sensitive identification numbers like Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID, or Driving Licence will no longer be displayed in full. Instead, only the last four digits will be visible. This helps protect your personal information and reduces the risk of fraud or data misuse.

Has the deadline for implementing masking been extended?

Yes, the original deadline was 16th December 2024, but it has now been extended to 20th January 2025. This extension gives banks and financial institutions more time to update their systems and implement the masking feature as required.

Which documents will be affected by this masking rule?

The masking rule applies to Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID, and Driving Licence—basically, all major identity documents submitted during KYC (Know Your Customer) processes. Now, only the last four digits of these documents will be shown on-screen or in reports.

Will the full document still be accessible?

Yes, the full document will still be accessible to authorised entities such as bank officials, but only through secure channels like registered IP addresses and protected systems. This reduces the risk of data leaks or unauthorised usage.

Does the public need to take any action for this change?

No, regular individuals don’t need to take any action. The responsibility to comply with the new masking rules lies with banks, NBFCs, and other reporting institutions. Your personal data is already being secured as per the latest guidelines.

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KYC Deadline Extended: Masking Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID, and Driving Licence Numbers by January 2025

Komal Bajpai

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Updated: 28-01-2025 at 7:33 AM

KYC Deadline Extended: Masking Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID, and Driving Licence Numbers by January 2025

Currently, the Indian government has put measures on the priority list to improve the data security of KYC records. Essentially all identity numbers, including Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID, and Driving Licence numbers— shall be masked in order not to be the knowledge of the fraudsters. Previously planned for December 2024, the timeline for putting this change into effect has been moved to January 20, 2025. This effort is intended to enhance privacy protection for people and minimise paperwork for firms that deal with money.

What Is The New KYC Masking System?

The KYC masking system does not fully reveal the gathered data for clients to keep the clients’ identifiers as private as possible. All the KYC documents will display the last four digits of Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID, and Driving Licence numbers only.

On or after January 20, 2025, the last four digits of these identifiers will only be displayed in the records of the KYC.
Full records of KYC are only accessible once financial institutions provide proof of their identity.
Logging with a masked identifier or CKYC reference ID will add a more secure layer of safety.

Also Read: Ration Card e-KYC: Complete Your e-KYC Before 31st December or Lose Ration Benefits.

Why Has The KYC Deadline Been Extended?

The extension means flexibility to the new masking requirements by individuals and financial institutions. To understand it better, read the following points carefully:

Under its initial timeline, the go-live date was to be done on December 16, 2024; however, it will be implemented on January 20, 2025.
CKYCRR took this decision following the petition made by financial entities across the country.
The extension allows a proper transition and sufficient preparation period for entities preparing the reports.

How Will The KYC Masking Feature Benefit Users?

Masking of identifiers will ensure that users’ data are not accessed or used by unauthorised persons. To understand it better, read the following points carefully:

Critical forms of identity, such as Aadhaar and PAN numbers, will be protected from being viewed by unauthorised persons.
The system mitigates aspects of identity theft and enhances the security of information.
Full records will only be accessible by institutions against their authentication details and therefore be restricted.

Also Read: PAN 2:0: What To Know, Change, Benefits & More

What Steps Are Required For Reporting Entities (REs)?

To see through these advancements, the REs need to ensure that they modify their systems to fit the new changes before the end of the financial year, 31st December 2024. To understand it better, read the following points carefully:

KYC data is to be accessed directly by the REs whose IP addresses are to be registered with the CKYCRR.
Through the change, KYC information will not be out of bounds to third-party service providers who had previously gained unauthorised access to the data.
This helps in making security measures tight in a way that only the people who are authorised to access the data will do so.

Conclusion

The new KYC masking system is a good move to protect the personal details of the people in the country. For all the stakeholders, it will be easier because the government has extended the deadline for the completion of the project to January 2025. This initiative also enhances privacy and restricts any third-party or unauthorised access to the information.

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