The EV (or Extended Validation) certificate has very strict industry guidelines that Sectigo Validation specialists make as simple as possible, with very little action required of you.

What Details are Validated?

EV Validation basics consist of verifying the following:

• Organization legal name and status is in good standing

• Organization tradename / DBA (Doing Business As) if applicable

• Currently operating the business

• Address where you conduct business operations

• Organization main telephone number

• Control the domain(s) listed on the certificate

• Authenticity of the subscriber agreement

How to Make Validation Easier?

Tips when providing the organization details for an EV certificate:

• Use the legally registered name of the organization. Do not enter the trade name/DBA (doing business as) as the legal name of the company

• A trade name can be listed on the certificate with the legal name. The trade name/DBA (doing business as) must be registered in a government agency

• Use the address where the organization conducts business. Do not use PO Box, mail stop/forwarding, care of, virtual office address or a registered agent address

What to expect during the Validation process?

While Sectigo is validating the organization, you can expect:

• Complete Domain Control Verification to verify the domain(s) are controlled by the organization. This can be completed using 1 of 3 methods: DCV email, CNAME or HTTP(S) challenge. More information can be found here: Alternative Methods of Domain Control Validation

• Telephone call through the main business phone number to the signer listed on the subscriber agreement to verify the signature, authority to sign, if signer is an employee of the organization and signer's title

• An email with any additional actions if required

Good to Know about Validation

• Sole proprietorship / sole trader and some partnerships require a principal individual in the organization to be verified. A Face to Face document may be needed in certain countries. The Validation Specialist contacts you if this document is needed

• All EV certificates must have the legal name. If a tradename/DBA is verified, the certificate will be listed with the tradename and legal name in this format; tradename (legal name)

• In the case of a sole trader the legal name is the owner/principal name

• No certificate can be issued to the tradename/ DBA name only

• Use the address where the organization conducts business. Do not use PO Box, Care of, mail stop/forwarding, virtual office or a registered agent address

• Industry guidelines limit the type of third-party databases that can be used for validation. A site controlled by the applicant can not be used. Your organization web site cannot be used

• The telephone call to verify the authenticity of the order and signer listed on subscriber agreement can not be made to a direct phone number or cell phone unless the number can be validated

• If the Validation Specialist is not able to verify your organization, you will be contacted with options on how to resolve any outstanding issues

• Order status checker is available throughout the validation process

Note: This document is not definitive and does not reflect Sectigo’s full EV process. For a complete list of Sectigo’s validation requirements, please refer to both Sectigo EV Certificate Practice Statement and the EV Guidelines

Related Information:
EV / Document Signing Certificate Token FAQ