**Executive Summary**
This document, issued by the Reserve Bank of India on December 29, 2025, contains Amendment Directions to the Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025. These amendments clarify the responsibility of entities uploading and downloading customer KYC records from the Central KYC Records Registry (CKYCR). The directions come into force with immediate effect.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendment Details:**
* The Amendment Directions modify the Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025.
* **Clarification on KYC Responsibility:**
* An explanation is added to paragraph 65 clarifying that the RE (Regulated Entity) that last uploaded or updated a customer's KYC records in the CKYCR is responsible for verifying the identity and/or address of the customer.
* A bank downloading and relying on KYC records from CKYCR is not required to re-verify the authenticity of the customer's identity and/or address, provided the records are current and compliant with the PML Act, 2002 / PML Rules, 2005.
* The bank downloading records remains responsible for all other aspects of CDD procedures and provisions of the Directions, except for the verification of identity and/or address.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Commercial Banks**
* **Impact:** Clarifies KYC verification responsibilities related to CKYCR, reducing redundancy in identity and address verification when using current and compliant CKYCR records.
* **Action Required:** Understand the amended directions, ensuring KYC procedures align with the new provisions concerning CKYCR records and maintain compliance with PML Act, 2002 / PML Rules, 2005. Ensure correct and up-to-date information is uploaded to CKYCR.
**Stakeholder: Reserve Bank of India**
* **Impact:** Effective enforcement of the regulations and AML compliance.
* **Action Required:** N/A
Key Entities Referenced
Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Amendment Directions, 2025: The primary subject of the document, outlining amendment directions related to KYC compliance for commercial banks.
Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025: The original Directions that are being amended by the current document.
Banking Regulation Act, 1949: Act under which the powers are conferred to issue the amendment directions.
Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007: Act under which the powers are conferred to issue the amendment directions.
PML Act, 2002: Prevention of Money Laundering Act, compliance with which is referenced in the document.
RBI/2025-26/166
DOR.AML.REC.370/14.01.002/2025-26 December 29, 2025
Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Amendment
Directions, 2025
Reserve Bank had issued Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your
Customer) Directions, 2025 dated November 28, 2025 (hereinafter referred to as the
Directions) in compliance of the provisions of the PML Act, 2002 and the Rules made
thereunder. There is a need to amend the Directions to clarify the responsibility of entities
uploading customer records to and downloading the same from CKYCR, based on the
office memorandum (OM) titled “CKYCR and the ultimate responsibility of REs – reg.”
issued by the Department of Revenue, Govt of India, dated September 18, 2025.
2. Accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 35A of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949, section 10(2) read with section 18 of Payment and Settlement
Systems Act, 2007, section 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, Rule
9(14) of Prevention of Money-Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005 and all
other enabling laws in this regard, the Reserve Bank being satisfied that it is necessary
and expedient in the public interest so to do, hereby issues the Amendment Directions
hereinafter specified.
3. Short Title and Commencement
(1) These Directions shall be called the Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks –
Know Your Customer) Amendment Directions, 2025.
(2) These Directions shall come into force with immediate effect.
4. These Amendment Directions modify the Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks –
Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025 as under:(1) In paragraph 65, the following “Explanation” is being inserted after sub-paragraph
(10):
“Explanation: The RE that has last uploaded or updated the customer’s KYC records in
the CKYCR shall be responsible for verifying the identity and / or address of the customer,
as applicable. Accordingly, any bank downloading and relying on such records from the
CKCYR shall not be required to re-verify the authenticity of the customer’s identity and /
or address, provided the KYC records downloaded from CKYCR are current and
compliant with the PML Act, 2002 / PML Rules, 2005. The bank downloading and relying
on KYC records downloaded from the CKCYR shall remain responsible for all aspects of
CDD procedure and provisions of these Directions, except verification of identity and / or
address of the customer.”
(Veena Srivastava)
Chief General Manager