Hash Value Certificate
Get the hash value of a video, photo, PDF or pen drive file, and a hash report to attach to your certificate.
In short
- Select the original file(s) in the tool below: video, photo, audio, PDF, or everything copied from a pen drive.
- Keep MD5 + SHA-256 selected and press [CALCULATE HASH]. You get both hash values in one go.
- Press [GENERATE REPORT], fill in the case reference and source device, and download the PDF hash report.
- Write the hash value and the algorithm name on the certificate, and attach the report.
Your files are not uploaded. Everything runs inside your browser.
[1] SELECT FILE(S) TO HASH
Select one or multiple files to hash from your system, or drag and drop files below. Pick two files to check whether they are identical.
[2] CHOOSE YOUR HASH FUNCTION
[3] LAUNCH THE HASHING PROCESS
What a hash value certificate is
In India, an electronic record (a video, a photo, a call recording, a chat export, a document) produced as evidence is accompanied by a certificate under Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. That section replaced Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 from 1 July 2024, which is why many people still call it a "65B certificate".
The certificate format is set out in the Schedule to the Act. Part A is filled by the person producing the record and Part B by an expert. Among other things, the form asks you to identify the device the record came from (computer, mobile phone, pen drive, CD/DVD, DVR, server or cloud), to state the hash value of the record, to name the hash algorithm used (such as SHA-256, SHA-1 or MD5), and to enclose the hash report.
The hash value is what ties the certificate to one exact file. Anyone can later recalculate the hash of the file produced in court: if it is the same, the file has not been changed by even one byte since the certificate was signed.
This page explains the technical part: calculating the hash value and producing a report. It is not legal advice. The exact wording of the certificate, who must sign it and whether an expert is required in your case are questions for your advocate. Check the current official text of the Act.
How to get the hash value of…
A video
Select the video file (MP4, MOV, AVI, 3GP…) and calculate. Large videos are fine: the file is read in pieces and a progress bar shows the speed. Use the original file from the camera or phone. A copy forwarded through WhatsApp, Telegram or a social network is re-compressed and has a different hash.
A photo or image
Select the JPG, PNG or HEIC file. Editing, cropping or even rotating the image in a gallery app changes its hash, so hash the photo before anything else touches it.
A PDF or document
Select the PDF, Word or Excel file. Opening and saving it again usually changes the hash even if the text is the same, so hash the exact file that will be produced.
The files on a pen drive
Click [ OR SELECT A WHOLE FOLDER / PEN DRIVE ] and select the drive, or select the relevant files at once, and calculate: each file gets its own hash value, and the report lists them all. Copying a file to or from a pen drive does not change its hash. Hashing the whole drive as one block (a forensic image, including deleted data) needs dedicated forensic software.
A mobile phone
A phone itself does not have one hash value: you hash the files taken from it. Either copy them to a computer with a USB cable and hash them there, or open this page in the phone's browser and select the files directly. On an iPhone, select files through the Files app rather than the Photos picker, which may convert the photo to another format and change its hash. A full extraction of a phone is done with forensic tools, which compute their own hashes.
SHA-256 or MD5?
Use SHA-256. It is the current standard and nobody has ever produced two different files with the same SHA-256 hash. MD5 and SHA-1 are still widely used, but it is possible to deliberately create two files sharing the same MD5 or SHA-1 hash, which is a weakness in a dispute.
Many certificates and forensic reports state two hash values, commonly MD5 and SHA-256. The MD5 + SHA-256 option, selected by default on this page, calculates both in a single pass and puts both in the report. If SHA-1 is requested, run the files again with SHA-1 selected. Always write the algorithm name next to the hash value: a hash without its algorithm cannot be checked. You can tell them apart by length: MD5 has 32 characters, SHA-1 has 40, SHA-256 has 64.
The hash report
After calculating, [GENERATE REPORT] produces a PDF with a unique report ID, the date and time, and for each file its name (with its folder path), size and hash values. The evidence section of the report form, open by default on this page, adds:
- ›Case reference: the case, FIR or complaint number
- ›Source device: make, model, serial number or IMEI of the device the files came from
- ›Place, and a signature block (signature, name, designation, date) to sign by hand after printing
- ›Verified by / Organization: the name of the person who calculated the hashes, and their office or firm
The report is the attachment. The certificate itself is the signed form from the Schedule. More on reports in the verification report guide.
हैश वैल्यू कैसे निकालें?
- ऊपर दिए गए टूल में अपनी फ़ाइल चुनें: वीडियो, फ़ोटो, PDF या पेन ड्राइव की फ़ाइलें।
- एल्गोरिदम में MD5 + SHA-256 चुना रहने दें और [CALCULATE HASH] दबाएँ।
- जो लंबा कोड दिखेगा, वही आपकी फ़ाइल की हैश वैल्यू है।
- [GENERATE REPORT] दबाकर PDF रिपोर्ट डाउनलोड करें और उसे सर्टिफिकेट के साथ लगाएँ।
आपकी फ़ाइल किसी सर्वर पर अपलोड नहीं होती। सारा काम आपके ब्राउज़र में ही होता है।
FAQ
Is the PDF report the certificate?
No. The certificate is the form in the Schedule, signed by the person producing the record (and by an expert where required). The hash report is the document you enclose with it, showing how the hash value was obtained.
Does copying the file change its hash value?
No. Copying to a computer, a pen drive or a CD keeps exactly the same bytes, so the hash stays the same. Re-encoding, compressing, editing or sending through a messaging app changes it.
How can the other side check the hash value?
By calculating the hash of the produced file with the same algorithm, using this site or any other tool, such as certutil -hashfile file.mp4 SHA256 on Windows. The compare page lets them paste the hash value from the certificate and see a match or mismatch.
Is my video uploaded to your server?
No. The file is read and hashed by your own browser. Nothing is transmitted, which also means there is no upload to wait for, even for a large video.
Is a hash value from this site accepted in court?
A hash value is a mathematical fact about the file: SHA-256 gives the same result in every correct tool. Whether the certificate and the evidence are accepted is a legal question that depends on the case. Ask your advocate.