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Validation Subcommittee

Validation Subcommittee of the Server Certificate Working Group

The Server Certificate Working Group hereby establishes the Validation Subcommittee as an official Subcommittee of the Server Certificate Working Group (SCWG).

  • Mission: To improve the information validation practices encoded in the guidelines maintained by the SCWG.

  • End Date: This Subcommittee shall continue until such time as it is dissolved by a ballot of the SCWG.

  • Initial Chair: Tim Hollebeek shall be the initial Chair of the Validation Subcommittee. The Subcommittee may change its Chair and may choose and change a Vice Chair from time to time by consensus of the Members participating in the Subcommittee.

  • Scope: The scope of this Subcommittee is to address issues arising under adopted CA/Browser Forum guidelines and requirements related to the validation of certificate information and the inclusion of information in certificates. The Subcommittee will consider all matters relating to the validation and inclusion of information in certificates under adopted CA/Browser Forum guidelines and requirements.

  • Deliverables: Ballots recommending improvements related to the matters that are within the scope of this Subcommittee.

Participation: Any member of the SCWG is eligible and may declare their participation in the Validation Subcommittee by requesting to be added to the mailing list.

Communication: Subcommittee communications and documents shall be posted on mailing lists where the mail-archives are publicly accessible. The Subcommittee shall publish minutes of its meetings.

  • Effect of SCWG Charter or Forum Bylaws Amendment for Subcommittees: In the event the SCWG Charter or the CA/Browser Forum Bylaws is amended to add general rules governing Chartered Working Group Subcommittees and how they operate (“General Rules”), the provisions of the General Rules shall take precedence over this charter.
Server Cert WG
Latest releases
Server Certificate Requirements
SC097: Sunset all remaining use of SHA-1 signatures in Certificates and CRLs - Feb 25, 2026

Code Signing Requirements
v3.8 - Aug 5, 2024

What’s Changed CSC-25: Import EV Guidelines to CS Baseline Requirements by @dzacharo in https://github.com/cabforum/code-signing/pull/38 Full Changelog: https://github.com/cabforum/code-signing/compare/v3.7...v3.8

S/MIME Requirements
v1.0.13 - Ballot SMC015v2 - Mar 28, 2026

This ballot introduces requirements that a CA or RA must follow to rely upon a Mobile Drivers License (mDL) to provide evidence for the authentication of individual identity. It allows the use of mDL that conform to ISO/IEC 18013-5 and which may be verified by the CA or RA in conformance with ISO/IEC 18013-7. The CA or RA shall only accept mDL from an Issuing Authority that is legally authorized by the relevant government or jurisdiction to issue driving licenses. The draft also aligns the subsections of 3.2.4.2 (Validation of individual identity) to correspond more closely with those in 3.2.4.1 (Attribute collection of individual identity). It also includes minor editorial corrections. SMC015v2 was updated to remove an additional reference to the superceded ETSI EN 319 403. This ballot is proposed by Stephen Davidson (DigiCert) and endorsed by Ben Wilson (Mozilla) and Scott Rea (eMudhra).

Network and Certificate System Security Requirements
Version 2.0.5 (Ballot NS-008) - Jul 9, 2025

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The Certification Authority Browser Forum (CA/Browser Forum) is a voluntary gathering of Certificate Issuers and suppliers of Internet browser software and other applications that use certificates (Certificate Consumers).