Organization Validation Certificates

OV SSL Certificates

Organization Validation (OV) SSL certificates provide an extra level of online trust by authenticating the business identity and legitimacy. An organization must prove it owns the domain name it wishes to secure and confirm that it is a legally registered business. The verification process includes a certificate authority (CA) confirming details including company name and location before issuing the certificate.

700K
businesses on the

Sectigo platform
100M
certificates issued worldwide
#1
market leader

in SSL certificates
65%
of Fortune 1000

companies use Sectigo

Item 1 of 4

Single Domain OV

Secures 1 domain

24/7 Expert Service
Unlimited Server Licenses
30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Compatible with all leading web and mobile browsers
$1,000,000 SSL Certificate Warranty
Includes Sectigo Trust Seal

Multi-Domain OV

Includes 3 domains
+ can add up to 250 domains

24/7 Expert Service
Unlimited Server Licenses
30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Compatible with all leading web and mobile browsers
$1,000,000 SSL Certificate Warranty
Includes Sectigo Trust Seal

Wildcard OV

Secures 1 domain
+ unlimited subdomains

24/7 Expert Service
Unlimited Server Licenses
30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Compatible with all leading web and mobile browsers
$1,000,000 SSL Certificate Warranty
Includes Sectigo Trust Seal

Trusted leader in SSL/TLS certificates

Included with every SSL certificate:

30-day money back guarantee

Secure your site with confidence! 30-day money-back guarantee on all your purchases.

24/7 expert support

Get round-the-clock assistance from our SSL experts.

Unlimited server licenses

Enjoy seamless integration with unlimited server licenses.

Sectigo Trust Seal

Boost trust with every certificate by adding the Sectigo Trust Seal.

Validation Requirements

When Sectigo issues an Organization Validation SSL certificate, we will verify your business identity to ensure it is a legal, legitimate entity. Sectigo will issue your digital certificate after verifying your organization through a few steps including confirming your organization’s presence in the registered location, telephone numbers, and domain ownership. Once verification is complete, your digital certificate is issued.

This extra level of confirmation makes OV SSL/TLS certificates a reliable option for public-facing websites representing companies and organizations. These certificates are available in single domain, multi-domain, and wildcard options to meet a variety of organizational security needs.

Organization Validation

To ensure a seamless process, please verify that all information registered with your state or country is accurate and up to date. This information should match the details provided during checkout and in your user dashboard. Sectigo will then confirm that your organization is legally registered and actively operating at the specified location.

Locality Validation

Sectigo will verify that your organization is legally registered in the state or country you have provided. We will confirm that you have a legitimate physical presence within the area registered. We can typically verify this information through a government database. Should additional information be required, we will notify you.

Telephone Validation

To receive an OV certificate, you must have a registered active telephone listing that is verifiable by an online telephone directory. It is important that your listing matches the exact business name and physical address that has been provided and verified.

Domain Validation

In this step, we will confirm that the domain you are registering the certificate for is in fact owned by your organization. While domain ownership was traditionally verified through the WHOIS database, this method is no longer accepted for domain control validation (DCV) as of June 15, 2025. Instead, domain validation must now be completed using one of the supported methods, such as DNS-based authentication, file-based HTTP(S) validation, or confirmation via a pre-approved email address associated with your domain. We strongly recommend using DNS-based validation in preparation for shorter-lifetime certificates.

Final Verification Call

The final step of the verification process is simple. We will call the telephone number associated with your organization to verify ownership and order. This brief call only requires that you or an authorized site administrator be available to answer.

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.

FAQs

Have another question?

Reach us by chat in the lower-right corner.

What is an OV SSL certificate?

An OV SSL certificate will secure an organization’s domain but requires a CA to verify multiple details about the organization before issuance. Throughout the validation process an organization must prove they own the domain they are wishing to secure and that they are a legitimate business. To prove this they must verify specific details about the business including location and phone number.

What is the difference between OV and DV SSL?

Organization Validation certificates have a more in-depth verification process when compared to Domain Validation (DV) certificates. Organizations must prove they are a legitimate business and own the domain they are trying to secure whereas a DV SSL only requires proof of domain ownership. A DV certificate works for internal sites and test servers while OV certificates are a suitable option for public-facing websites that represent companies or organizations. A DV SSL can be issued in minutes but an OV SSL is typically issued within 1-3 business days. Both types provide the padlock in the address bar.

How much does an OV SSL certificate cost?

At Sectigo®, an OV SSL starts at $184 for the single domain option when you choose a six-year subscription. The cost goes up for Multi-Domain and Wildcard certificates.

What are the benefits of purchasing a multi-year certificate?

Multi‑year certificates provide upfront savings and predictable pricing while helping you stay ahead of industry‑mandated certificate lifespan changes.

Due to evolving browser and CA requirements, SSL/TLS certificates are now issued with shorter validity periods (currently up to 199 days), which means certificates must be reissued more frequently within the subscription term. With a multi‑year plan, you lock in today’s lowest price and maintain uninterrupted coverage for the full subscription period—without needing to repurchase each time a certificate is reissued.

As certificate lifespans continue to shrink toward the upcoming 47‑day standard, multi‑year subscriptions offer a simpler, more cost‑effective way to manage frequent reissuance while maintaining continuous security.

Learn more about the industry’s move to 47‑day SSL certificates: https://www.sectigo.com/47-day-ssl

Why organizations rely on Sectigo

The market leader

Sectigo is the market leader in SSL/TLS certificates, DevOps, IoT, enterprise-grade public key infrastructure (PKI) management, and multi-layered web security.

Over 700,000 customers

Businesses worldwide rely on Sectigo for solutions ranging from SSL certificates to our award winning certificate management platform, Sectigo Certificate Manager.