Which documents do advocates need to register?
Registration asks for a short list of documents, and each one answers a single question: are you who you say you are, are you entitled to practise, and can we pay you correctly. The table shows what each document is for. Nothing on it is optional for the advocate role.
| Document | Why it is needed | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Bar Council enrolment certificate | To verify your enrolment number, state and year and that your enrolment is active | Scan the whole page, with the seal and number clearly readable |
| PAN card | For tax deduction and statements | Keep the name consistent with your other documents |
| ID proof | To confirm your identity | Use a current document with a clear photograph |
| Cancelled cheque or UPI ID | To verify a payout account in your name | The account holder name should be yours |
| Class 3 DSC | To sign notices, drafts and review notes in the portal | Obtain it from a licensed Certifying Authority before you start signing |
| Partner agreement | To set out fees, taxes, payouts and confidentiality | Accepted in the checklist after your account is created |
How should you prepare each document?
Clear copies are the biggest single factor in how quickly verification goes. A photograph taken in good light, with all four corners visible and no glare over the seal or the number, is usually enough. A cropped or blurred image means a request for a replacement and a pause in review while we wait for it.
Check that the enrolment number you type in the application matches the certificate exactly, including the state and the year. Check that the name on your PAN, your ID proof and your payout account is consistent. If your name appears in different forms, for example with and without a middle name, mention it in the application so the reviewer is not left to guess.
For the payout account, a cancelled cheque or a UPI ID that is in your own name is what the verification expects. Payouts go only to a verified account, and a later change to the account needs a one-time code and a short cooling-off period before first use, so choose the account you intend to keep.
What about your DSC and your GSTIN?
A Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate is not a file you upload with the application, but you need it before you can sign your first notice or draft. Certifying Authorities licensed under the Information Technology Act, 2000 issue these certificates, and the Controller of Certifying Authorities publishes information about them. The DSC signing guide explains how a certificate is used inside the portal.
A GSTIN is only relevant if you are registered for GST. When your GSTIN is verified, GST is added to the partner fee on your statement. If you are not registered, nothing is added. Keep the registration details ready if you have them, and treat the question of whether you need to register as one for your own tax adviser, not for us.
Which documents do notaries need?
Notary services are launching soon, and the requirements are indicative until they open. In place of the Bar Council enrolment certificate, a notary keeps the certificate of appointment and the registration number ready. The PAN, ID proof, payout account proof, Class 3 DSC and the partner agreement are the same as for advocates.
You can register your interest now from the apply page. We contact registered notaries when notarisation opens, and we will ask for the documents then.
What causes verification to take longer?
Reviews usually take [3-5 business days]. The common reasons for them to run longer are all things you can control.
- An enrolment certificate that is cropped, unreadable or missing the number
- An enrolment number or state in the form that differs from the certificate
- A payout account whose holder name is not yours
- Names that differ across documents without any explanation
- An enrolment that is suspended or not currently active
When something is missing we write by email and say exactly what to send. Reply with the document attached and quote your name and the email address you applied with.
How are your documents stored and used?
Documents are scanned for viruses and stored privately in an encrypted vault, never on public links, and every view and download is logged with the time and device. They are used to verify your application, set up your payouts and produce your statements. The confidentiality guide describes the protections in more detail, and the privacy policy will set out retention and your rights once the legal copy is published.
Credentials change over time. A DSC expires, an enrolment can be suspended and a bank account can be closed. The programme expects you to keep your credentials and agreement up to date, so update them in the portal or write to the partner desk as soon as something changes.
Can you apply before every document is ready?
You can start with what you have, but your account is created only after your enrolment has been verified, so the enrolment certificate is the document that decides the timeline. If a document is still on its way, say so in the application and tell us when to expect it. That lets the reviewer plan instead of closing the request as incomplete.
The Class 3 DSC deserves the earliest start of all. Certifying Authorities carry out their own identity checks before they issue a certificate, and that process runs on its own schedule. Because signing is part of nearly every case, apply for the certificate at the same time as you apply to us, so that it is ready when your first assignment arrives.
Finally, scan every document at a resolution where the smallest print is legible on a phone screen. If you can read the enrolment number on your own screen without zooming in, so can the reviewer.