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What is the difference between an EV Certificate and an OV SSL Certificate?

Updated Dec 10th, 2020 at 18:11 GMT

The main difference between Extended Premium Validation (EV) and Organization Validation (OV) SSL certificates is the vetting process that must be completed for the Certification Authority (CA) to issue a signed certificate to the requestor. Additionally, websites secured with Extended Premium Validation (EV) certificates will be displayed differently in modern browsers, highlighting a portion of the address bar in green.

More comprehensive than the OV vetting process, the Extended Premium Validation (EV) vetting process validates the requestor's domain control and verifies the requesting entity's legal existence and identity. The process authenticates the following information pertaining to the certificate-requesting organization:

  • Legal existence: The Certification Authority (CA) must confirm with the Incorporating Agency in the requesting entity's Jurisdiction of Incorporation that, as of the date the Extended Premium Validation (EV) Certificate is issued, the organization named in the Extended Premium Validation (EV) Certificate legally exists as a valid organization or entity in the Jurisdiction of Incorporation.

  • Identity: The CA must confirm that, as of the date the Extended Premium Validation (EV) Certificate is issued, the legal name of the entity named in the Extended Premium Validation (EV) Certificate matches the name on the official government records of the Incorporating Agency in the requesting entity's Jurisdiction of Incorporation. (And if an assumed name is also included, that the assumed name is properly registered by the requesting entity in the jurisdiction of its place of business.)

  • Registration number: The CA must obtain the specific unique registration number assigned to applicant by the Incorporating Agency in the requesting entity's Applicant's Jurisdiction of Incorporation.

  • Registered agent: The CA must obtain the identity and address of the requesting entity's Registered Agent or Registered Office (as applicable) in the requestor's Jurisdiction of Incorporation.

  • Right to use domain name: The CA must take all steps reasonably necessary to verify that, as of the date the Extended Premium Validation (EV) Certificate is issued, the entity named in the Extended Premium Validation (EV) Certificate owns or has the exclusive right to use the domain name listed in the Extended Premium Validation (EV) SSL certificate.

  • Authorization for Extended Premium Validation (EV) SSL certificate: The CA must take all steps reasonably necessary to verify that the entity named in the Premium SSL certificate has authorized the issuance of the Extended Premium Validation (EV) SSL certificate.