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.

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

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.

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.

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.