Time to Issuance

Here's how long you can expect to wait for your SSL/TLS Certificate

You may notice listed amongst the features of our SSL/TLS Certificates is an "issuance time." What does this mean? Well, associated with the three different levels of SSL/TLS certificates – Domain Validation, Organization Validation, Extended Validation – is a length of time that it typically takes to get a certificate issued.

This varies based on the certificate you're buying. Let's take a quick look at the time to issuance for each of the different levels.

We can speed it up, we've gotten EV certificates issued in as little as 20 minutes before…

Domain Validation (DV)

Domain Validation SSL Certificates take the least amount of time to issue, typically just a few minutes or at most a day. The reason for this is simple: they offer the least authentication.

In order to get a DV cert one needs only prove they own the registered domain. This can usually be done via email, or sometimes file-based authentication – where the Certificate Authority gives you a file to upload on your site and then comes through and checks it – either way, it takes just minutes to validate and then the certificate can be issued.

This makes DV certs an ideal solution for blogs or personal sites, or if you need to encrypt in a pinch while waiting for a higher value certificate to be issued. But DV certificates' lack of authentication makes them a poor choice for e-commerce sites or businesses looking to leverage SSL to help establish their reputation. It also makes them an ideal choice for cybercriminals looking to scam unsuspecting internet users.

Organization Validation (OV)

Organization Validation SSL Certificates require a few more steps to get, but offer a greater degree of authentication. In order to get an OV cert you will have to complete the following requirements:

Organization
Authentication
Locality
Presence
Telephone
Verification
Domain
Verification
Final
Verification Call

This may seem like a lot but it's really not. Especially if your business has its registration information up to date. Keep in mind, these requirements are in place to weed out the fake businesses with malicious intent from the real, legitimate ones. Organization Validation SSL Certificates typically take 1-2 days to issue, though they can be expedited.

Learn More About Authentication Levels

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Extended Validation (EV)

Extended Validation SSL/TLS Certificates take the longest to issue, 1-5 days. But that's because they grant the most authentication. The green address bar with the organization's name in it is an unmistakable visual indicator of both encryption and authentication. There's no faking it. When visitors see the green address bar they immediately know you're legitimate.

In order to have an Extended Validation SSL/TLS Certificate issued you'll need to satisfy the following requirements:

Organization
Authentication
Enrollment
Form
Operational
Existence
Physical
Address
Telephone
Verification
Domain
Authentication
Final
Verification Call

As you can see, it's only a little bit more than an OV certificate and once again, it's not a whole lot to worry about if you're a legitimate business with your registration information in order. And here's the best part, we can expedite OV and EV certificates. The Certificate Authorities give you longer time frames to give themselves some extra time to go through the validation process. But we can speed it up, we've gotten EV certificates issued in as little as 20 minutes before. Don't let the time to issuance dissuade you from getting the certificate that's right for your website. We're here to work with you.

Learn More About EV SSL Is EV Worth It?