Document Signing Certificates

Easily Sign and Secure Documents

A digital signature uses a secure digital key that certifies the identity of the author of a digital message or document. Digital certificates give customers confidence that the signed electronic documents originate from the recognized source and have not been forged or tampered with. With built-in identity verification, these certificates confirm the signer’s legitimacy, ensuring trust in every transaction.

As low as

Up to 16% off with multi-year

Questions? Contact sales by chat or phone

Save Time and Money with a Multi-Year Certificate

Digitally signing secure documents just got easier. With coverage ranging from 1-3 years, Sectigo's multi-year plans provide instant savings and consistent coverage in a simplified, long-term solution. Document signing certificates from Sectigo guarantee you get our best price, locked in for 3 years, keeping your workflows streamlined and efficient.

Key Information on Document Signing Certificates

These certificates enable individuals and organizations (depending on the type purchased) to digitally sign PDF documents while complying with the U.S. Federal ESIGN Act and applicable international laws. The certificate verifies the publisher's identity and authenticity of the document while preventing tampering.

Supported File Formats

Document Signing Certificates can be used on any platform that trusts the Sectigo root certificate. Most PDF file formats are supported, including Adobe PDF.

Sectigo Document Signing Certificates can be ordered for any valid email address. There are two types of certificates:

The certificate in the name of an individual
The certificate in the name of an organization

Both types come with an unlimited number of signatures and the option of 1, 2, or 3 year validation term.

Prior to Placing an Order

Validation is an important part of the certificate issuing process. As such, Sectigo has adopted stringent validation policies and procedures to strengthen the security of certificate operations and validation processes.

Sectigo verifies the following:

The identity of the applicant
The identity and address of the entity to confirm its physical existence
That the entity has authorized the issuance of the certificate

Sectigo handles the validation process, but you must respond to emails, follow the provided instructions, and submit the required documents to complete verification.

Adobe Certificates

Adobe Document Signing Certificates offered by Sectigo enable organizations to secure Adobe Acrobat documents with digital signatures and digital authentication. Certification originates from the Adobe Certified Document Services (CDS) or the Certificate Authorities that are members of the Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL). Certification attests that the signer has been verified by Adobe for compliance with its requirements and that the certificate is on protected hardware for long-term validity.

Timeframe to Receive an Adobe Certificate

Sectigo aims to promptly complete your order while adhering to validation standards. To ensure the integrity of the certificate, Sectigo will not issue a document signing certificate that has not passed validation.

After you have submitted the required documents, Sectigo will validate your information and identity. The validation process typically takes 1-5 business days and you will be notified by email when the validation process is complete. Once the certificate is issued, it will be installed on the USB token and mailed to you. The arrival time depends on your location and shipping methods. You will receive tracking information via email.

Customer dashboard view showing all Sectigo products in use

Intuitive Dashboard

In our customer dashboard, you'll be able to view all products you have with Sectigo, view their lifecycle status, issue or reissue, and renew expiring certificates, saving you time and fear that an expired certificate may down your site at an unexpected time.

Trusted by Leading Brands Globally

Securing some of the world’s largest and best-known brands.

Item 1 of 13

FAQs

Have another question?

Reach us by chat in the lower-right corner.

What is a Document Signing Certificate?

Document signing certificates allow individuals and organizations to add an electronic, digital signature to a document that proves ownership. Digital signatures are an encrypted hash of your message that can only be decrypted by someone who has a copy of your public key. Document certificates ensure documents stay unaltered, protect sensitive information and provide trust for the sender's identity.

What are Acceptable Proofs of Identity for Issuance?

The following documents are accepted for the purpose of validation for a Sectigo Document Signing Certificate:
A. One of the following valid government-issued forms of photo ID:

A driver's license
A passport
A personal identification card
A military ID
A concealed weapons permit

B. One of the following valid documents issued by a financial institution:

A credit card, provided it contains an expiration date and has not expired
A debit card, provided it contains an expiration date and has not expired
A mortgage statement from a recognizable lender that is less than six months old
A bank statement from a regulated financial institution that is less than six
months old

The above documents must contain the contact’s name.

C. One of the following valid documents issued by a non-financial institution:

Recent original utility bill or certificate from a utility company confirming the
arrangements to pay for the services at a fixed address (a gas bill, water bill,
power bill)
Recent original landline phone bill showing contact’s name, address and phone
number (not a mobile/cellular telephone bill)
A copy of a statement for a payment of a lease, provided the statement is dated
within the past six months
A certified copy of a birth certificate
A local authority tax bill for the past year
A certified copy of a court order, such as a divorce certificate, annulment papers,
or adoption papers

Can I Use an SSL Certificate for Document Signing?

No, you cannot use an SSL certificate to apply digital signatures to documents. Similarly, a code signing certificate cannot be used for PDFs and other documents.

How are Certificates Delivered?

Sectigo Document Signing Certificates are provided on secure USB tokens that are certified to FIPS 140-2 level 2 or greater. This level of security prevents unauthorized access to or use of the private keys on the certificate. Once the certificate request validation process is completed, the USB token will be mailed to you and you will receive an access PIN via email.

Do You Offer Large Scale Solutions?

Enterprise solutions for medium to large-sized businesses that integrate document and PDF signing certificates with enterprise document management systems are available. Reach out to our sales team today for more information.