SSL certificate expired? Here’s what happens and how to renew it

An SSL/TLS certificate protects your website by ensuring encrypted, secure connections. But what happens when it expires? It's a common issue, and if not addressed, an expired SSL certificate can lead to browser warnings, data exposure, service disruptions, and lost customer trust.

We've compiled a guide to all aspects of SSL certificate expiration, including:

• What it means when an SSL certificate expires
• The risks and impact on your website’s security and reputation.
• Why SSL certificates expire and how long they last.
• How to avoid an expired SSL certificate.
• Steps for proper SSL certificate renewal.

What does it mean when an SSL certificate expires?

An SSL certificate, short for Secure Sockets Layer, provides digital validation and encryption for your site’s identity while securing connections between browsers and web pages. TLS, or Transport Layer Security, is the newer protocol that succeeded SSL and offers stronger encryption. Both are typically issued by a certificate authority (CA) to enable HTTPS but expire after a set period and must be renewed to maintain protection.

When an SSL certificate expires, it means that the certificate is no longer valid. This causes disruption to the secure connection between a website and its visitors and can mean that sensitive data such as login credentials, payment information, or personal details, are not secure. As a result, communications are no longer encrypted and can become vulnerable to interception, tampering, or eavesdropping. Modern web browsers will display warning messages to users attempting to access a site with an expired security certificate. This can erode users’ trust and deter visitors from continuing to the site, potentially leading to a loss of traffic and credibility for the website or organization.

Can you use an expired certificate?

Technically speaking, you are not required to renew your SSL certificate. Letting it expire is certainly an option, but it's not a wise one because the certificate will no longer provide any type of protection.. Similarly, you are allowed to revoke your certificate, although revocation should only be employed if you are closing your business or if you have recently suffered a breach that calls for extensive security updates.

Once your certificate expires, site visitors will encounter the "Your connection is not private" message. All further communication will be displayed in plaintext and therefore, will no longer be encrypted. Outages are a distinct possibility at this point, as are cyberattacks and a variety of other security risks that we will discuss in detail below.

Understanding the risks of expired SSL certificates

SSL certificates represent a core component of a website security strategy. If you allow these certificates to expire, you will lose the advantages that prompted you to seek them in the first place.

To that end, the key risks associated with expiration closely resemble the hazards of not getting a certificate at all — but if your certificate expires when you're not prepared, you may find yourself under the incorrect assumption that your website is still secure and that your reputation is still strong.

Here are the key risks associated with an expired SSL certificate:

• Outages: Any downtime whatsoever can cause your profits to plummet in the short term while also damaging your reputation in the long run. Outages become significantly more likely after an SSL expiration, especially when critical services like eCommerce or login pages rely on secure connections.

• Cybersecurity hit: Perhaps the most alarming issue accompanying SSL certificate expiration? The increased potential for cyberattacks. Once your certificate expires, your communications no longer take place via an encrypted HTTPS connection. As a result, your sensitive information and your customers’ data may be exposed to interception, making it accessible to hackers and malicious actors.

• Browser warnings and decrease in customer trust: Modern browsers display clear alerts — such as “Your connection is not private” — when an SSL certificate expires, signaling that your site may be unsafe. These warnings can quickly erode trust, as visitors may hesitate to proceed. Even without an actual breach, the perception of insecurity can lead to decreased traffic and long-term damage to customer relationships.

• Lower customer retention: With a reduction in trust comes considerable damage to your customer retention rates. This is particularly true if minimal protection leaves your site open to attacks. This was clearly evident in an alarming Ping Identity survey indicating that a whopping 81 percent of consumers would be inclined to stop engaging with brands online in the aftermath of a breach.

Why do SSL certificates expire?

While SSL/TLS certificate expiration may seem inconvenient or downright frustrating, it’s actually intentional and necessary for security. Standards and best practices are constantly evolving, so SSL certificates also must adapt to these changes.

Simply put, SSL certificates would lose all meaning if they did not have a defined expiration date. Without expiration, there is no way to know that current certificates abide by the latest security strategies — nor is there any real incentive for website owners to update their certificates.

Certificate issuers define expiration periods to encourage regular updates and align with industry changes. Imagine using an SSL certificate from a decade ago in today’s threat landscape — it would be dangerously outdated.

While shorter lifespans may seem like a burden during a complex re-issuance, they help ensure cryptographic strength and compliance. Fortunately, implementing a certificate lifecycle automation solution makes managing even large volumes of certificates much easier. From the website owner's perspective, these short timelines can actually prove useful beyond their long-term security implications.

How long do website certificates last?

As of 2025, the standard validity period for SSL certificates is 398 days which is just over 13 months. This applies to all major certificate types: DV (Domain Validation), OV (Organization Validation), and EV (Extended Validation).

At Sectigo, we maintain a reissuing timeline of once per year to align with the latest security standards. This applies to DV, OV, and EV certificates.

Some certificates, like code signing certificates, may still be valid for up to three years. However, even after expiration, timestamping can preserve their validity. That said, it’s still important to renew SSL certificates and code signing certificates promptly to avoid disruption or risk, as you would for any type of digital certificate.

The push toward shorter certificate validity periods

The maximum lifespan for SSL/TLS certificates is officially being reduced, from 398 days today to just 47 days by 2029. This certificate expiry change is being implemented through a phased plan approved by the CA/Browser Forum under Ballot SC-081v3, initially proposed by Apple and endorsed by Sectigo.

Here’s the timeline for enforcement:

• March 15, 2026: Maximum certificate lifespan reduced to 200 days

• March 15, 2027: Reduced again to 100 days

• March 15, 2029: Final reduction to a maximum of 47 days

This progressive shift is designed to improve security by making sure certificates are updated more frequently. Shorter lifespans reduce the window for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities, support cryptographic agility, and promote better compliance with evolving standards.

However, these frequent renewal cycles require a significant shift in management practices. Manual tracking will no longer scale, especially for organizations with complex environments. Automated certificate lifecycle management solutions will be essential for avoiding outages, maintaining compliance, and ensuring continuous encryption across all systems.

How to avoid SSL certificate expiration

As SSL certificate deadlines become shorter over the next few years, staying constantly aware of your certificates' status will become even more critical. There are two main options for keeping your SSL certificates up to date: manual monitoring or automation.

Manual monitoring

Site owners (and even everyday website users) can manually check SSL certificate expiration dates through a browser, though this method varies slightly by platform. In most modern browsers, look for the security icon on the left side of the address bar.

Clicking this icon opens a menu with connection details. From there, you can access the certificate information, including the issuer, the issue date, and the expiration date. Note that terminology and layout differ slightly between browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

A more reliable method for site owners is checking certificate status via your certificate authority’s portal or your web hosting provider’s dashboard, where expiration dates and renewal options are clearly listed.

Manual monitoring may currently work if you’re managing only one or two certificates; however, as your environment grows and certificate lifespans shrink, it carries several drawbacks. Manual monitoring requires constant vigilance and regular checks, which can be time-consuming and prone to human error. Even for a single website, it's easy to overlook a certificate's expiration date amidst other responsibilities, leading to potential downtime and the damaging browser message indicating the site is not secure.

Automation

Although it's possible to manually check and renew your certificates, this approach is not advised, especially when 47 day validity periods become a reality. This is even more true for those managing multiple certificates. In these cases, manual monitoring quickly becomes nearly impossible, depending on the number of SSL certificates there are and the manpower available. Consider whether you will actually remember to check certificates or renew them as often as needed. Even with the best intentions, it's easy to lose track of SSL certificate renewals. With so many other cybersecurity responsibilities, manually staying ahead of frequent expirations will quickly become unmanageable.

Automated certificate lifecycle management solutions are no longer a nice-to-have, but rather quickly becoming a necessity. These solutions take the guesswork out of SSL certificate expiration and renewal. With this system in place, you can feel fully confident about your website's security status — especially as SSL certificate protocols continue to evolve and, as we've discussed, move toward shorter re-issuance timelines.

How to renew an expired SSL certificate

As SSL certificate expiration dates near, you'll want to be prepared for a swift renewal. This process doesn't have to be complicated. You will receive notifications of your soon-to-expire certificate well in advance and are encouraged to begin the renewal process 30 days prior to the stated expiry date.

If you have invested in a certificate lifecycle management solution like Sectigo Certificate Manager, this process will automatically be handled and your certificate will be promptly renewed. Otherwise, follow these steps to renew them manually:

• Create a certificate signing request (CSR): First and foremost, your web host will need to validate the identity of your server. This begins with generating a new CSR, which can be accomplished via cPanel. Along the way, be prepared to provide contact information or other details that validate domain ownership (depending on the type of SSL you request). This probably took several days when you first secured your now-expired certificate. In all likelihood, the timeline will remain the same for re-issuance.

• Send the CSR to the CA: Once your CSR is all set and you are ready to move forward with the renewal process. Next, check your email for instructions on how to send your recently generated CSR to your Certificate Authority. These details should be accompanied by a link that sends you to the next step.

• Validate your certificate: Once again, you will need to confirm domain ownership. The simplest strategy involves using an email affiliated with the specific domain. Otherwise, you can use HTTP validation for verification purposes.

• Install the certificate: Finally, use cPanel to access the SSL/TLS area, where you’ll find insight into your various domains and opportunities to update their certificates.

What if you want the benefits of prompt renewal but don’t want to constantly pay for new certificates? Consider investing in a multi-year plan. This provides consistent coverage but can also prompt significant savings. At Sectigo, we offer plans spanning up to a full six years.

Additionally, you are welcome to upgrade or change as you renew your SSL certificate status. Whether you want wildcard SSL for subdomains or are ready to move up to OV or EV, this is a great time to boost your protection.

Avoid the dangers of expired SSL certificates with Sectigo

As you search for a trusted Certificate Authority, take a close look at the many SSL/TLS and other digital certificate offerings from Sectigo. We offer a wide range of options, including EV, OV, and DV certificates.

Our certificates are available for a single domain or if needed, hundreds of domains — and they can be purchased every year or in a multi-year format. Our Sectigo Certificate Manager platform allows you to automate the certificate renewal process so you don’t risk falling behind.

Ready to get started? Take a close look at our certificates and management services or contact us for more information.

Want to learn more? Get in touch to book a demo of Sectigo Certificate Manager!

Related posts:

How businesses can prepare for the 47-day certificate lifecycle: What it means and recent updates

How to renew SSL certificates & how to automate the process

What is a certificate management system and when is an automated system needed?