Following a recent decision by the CA Browser (CA/B) Forum, an important change to the validity period of SSL certificates will soon take effect and we thought you should know.
Please note: This article is outdated. Find the latest SSL Certificate Validity Period information here.
Currently, the maximum DV/OV SSL certificate validity period is 3 years (or 39 months). However, the CA/B Forum, an independent body comprised of companies who run major Internet browsers and issue SSL certificates and browsers, has voted to reduce SSL validity periods.
Therefore, effective March 1, 2018, all new SSL certificates issued will be valid for a period no greater than 825 days (27 months, or just over 2 years).
How Does This Change Affect Me?
Beginning March 1st, Certificate Authorities will stop issuing 3-year SSL certificates and they will no longer be available for purchase.
If you have a certificate issued prior to March 1, your validity period will not change. However, you will only be able to renew those certificates for two years once they expire.
If you purchased any SSL certificates prior to March 1, but they have not yet been issued (or were issued for a period after March 1), you will need to ensure they are reissued prior to the deadline in order to receive 3-year validity. Namecheap, SSLS.COM, and other vendors should allow you to reissue your certificates to ensure you get the full validity period.
Does This Apply to All SSL Certificates?
This change limits the maximum validity period for DV and OV SSL Certificates only.
EV SSL Certificates are already limited by a maximum lifetime of 27 months, and 13 months for validity information.
For Additional Questions
If you have any questions about your new or existing SSL certificates, please feel free to reach out to our customer service team, who are always happy to assist you. You can also read the official decision by the CA Browser (CA/B) Forum here.
SSLs web project promotion specialist
More than 10 years of experience in search engine optimization, contextual advertising, social media and web development.