diff --git a/party-ceremony/cmd/upload_dars.go b/party-ceremony/cmd/upload_dars.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fb3ec18e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/party-ceremony/cmd/upload_dars.go
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink-canton/party-ceremony/ceremony/ops/ledger"
+	"github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink-canton/party-ceremony/internal/client"
+)
+
+// uploadDarsCmd uploads DAR files to a single participant via Admin PackageService.
+// Unlike contract-deploy, this command never touches the Ledger API and cannot
+// prepare, sign, or execute contract creation.
+var uploadDarsCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "upload-dars",
+	Short: "Upload DAR packages to a participant (Admin API only)",
+	Long: `Upload DAML package archives (DARs) to one Canton participant using the
+Admin PackageService. This is the DAR-only path — no party verification, no
+ledger prepare/sign/execute, and no contract deployment.
+
+Each CV operator runs this against their own participant config. Re-uploading
+the same DAR is idempotent.
+
+DARs are read from ./dars/<version>/<name>-<version>.dar relative to the
+working directory (symlink ../contracts/dars → dars before running).`,
+	RunE: runUploadDars,
+}
+
+func init() {
+	f := uploadDarsCmd.Flags()
+
+	f.String("packages", "", "Comma-separated list of packages in name:version format (required)")
+	f.String("config", "participant-config.json", "Path to participant config JSON file")
+	f.String("dars-dir", "dars", "Directory containing versioned DAR subdirectories (dev/, released/)")
+
+	_ = uploadDarsCmd.MarkFlagRequired("packages")
+
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(uploadDarsCmd)
+}
+
+func runUploadDars(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+	f := cmd.Flags()
+
+	packagesRaw, _ := f.GetString("packages")
+	configPath, _ := f.GetString("config")
+	darsDir, _ := f.GetString("dars-dir")
+
+	cfg, err := client.LoadConfig(configPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	packages, err := parsePackageRefs(packagesRaw)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if len(packages) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("--packages must list at least one package")
+	}
+
+	conn, err := client.Dial(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("connecting to Canton admin API: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	adminClient := client.NewGRPCClient(conn)
+	ctx := cmd.Context()
+	loader := ledger.FileDARLoader(darsDir)
+
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "Uploading %d package(s) via %s:%d...\n", len(packages), cfg.AdminHost, cfg.AdminPort)
+
+	for _, pkg := range packages {
+		darBytes, err := loader(pkg.Name, pkg.Version)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		pkgID, err := adminClient.UploadDar(ctx, darBytes)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("uploading %q@%s: %w", pkg.Name, pkg.Version, err)
+		}
+
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "  uploaded %s@%s → %s\n", pkg.Name, pkg.Version, pkgID)
+	}
+
+	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stdout, "Done.")
+	return nil
+}