CA/Browser Forum

S/MIME Baseline Requirements (S/MIME BR)

Baseline Requirements for the Issuance and Management of Publicly-Trusted S/MIME Certificates

Draft Version (undergoing IPR Review)

NA

Current Version

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.14 (redline) - adopted by Ballot SMC016

Previous Versions

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.13 (redline) - adopted by Ballot SMC015v2

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.12 (redline) - adopted by Ballot SMC014

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.11 (redline) - adopted by Ballot SMC013

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.10 (redlined) – adopted by Ballot SMC012

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.9 (redlined) – adopted by Ballot SMC011

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.8 (redlined) – adopted by Ballot SMC010

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.7 (redlined) – adopted by Ballot SMC09

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.6 – adopted by Ballot SMC08

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.5 – adopted by Ballot SMC07

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.4 – adopted by Ballot SMC06

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.3 – adopted by Ballot SMC05

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.2 – adopted by Ballot SMC04

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v. 1.0.1 – adopted by Ballot SMC03

S/MIME Baseline Requirements v1.0.0 – adopted by Ballot SMC01

Latest releases
Server Certificate Requirements
SC099: Improve Recording of Validation Methods - May 19, 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
v1.0.14 - Ballot SMC016 - May 5, 2026

This ballot maintains consistency between the S/MIME Baseline Requirements and the TLS Baseline Requirements with changes introduced by Ballots SC096 and SC097. Specifically, this ballot: Creates a carve-out of the logging requirements for DNSSEC specifically, stating these are not in scope. For audit purposes, change management logging is able to confirm if the appropriate controls are in effect or not. Sunsets all remaining use of SHA-1 signatures in Certificates and CRLs. It is noted that most uses of SHA-1 signatures are already deprecated by SC097. With this ballot, all unexpired Subordinate CA Certificates issuing S/MIME containing the SHA-1 signature algorithm must be revoked. This proposal does not prohibit the use of SHA-1 to generate issuerKeyHash or issuerNameHash values as currently required by RFC 5019. Includes minor formatting corrections.

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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).