EV Help: Organization Validation Requirements
How a Certification Authority (CA) validates an organization
As part of the Extended Validation (EV) process, the issuing Certificate Authority (CA) will need to validate that a business is legally registered and operational. Here's what a CA uses to determine if a business qualifies for an EV certificate:
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Official government agency records, which must include:
- Organization's registration number or the organization's date of registration/incorporation
- Organization's or registered agent's address. This should be the same address that is listed in the certificate request.
- A non-government data source (such as Dun & Bradstreet) must include the organization's place of business address as listed in the order. You can search by your company name to see your address on file for free (via the Company Search box at top of the D & B homepage – see below image).
- If the organization has been registered for less than 3 years and has no Dun & Bradstreet record, the CA (i.e. Symantec/GeoTrust/Thawte) will provide the applicant with a Bank Confirmation Letter that has to be signed by the financial institution that the company has an active checking account with. The applicant can alternatively complete a Professional Opinion Letter (POL) signed by either an attorney or accountant.
Here is a screenshot from the Dun & Bradstreet (D & B) website, which shows where you search for your company's address on file.
