Pre-Validation Reference Information

A pre-validation reference lets you validate your organization in advance, before you place an order. Once your organization has been validated, that validation is reused on later orders, so the organization checks do not have to be repeated each time.

Organization Validation (OV) and Extended Validation (EV) are validated to different standards, so a separate pre-validation reference is issued for each.

It is designed for regular purchasers who order these products often, and it makes each later order quicker to complete. Learn About The Validation Procedure 🔗

What Pre-Validation Provides

When a pre-validation reference is issued, your organization details have already been verified. On a later Organization Validation (OV) or Extended Validation (EV) order, that verification is reused, so the organization stage is skipped and issuance is faster.

A pre-validation reference remains valid for 398 days from the date it becomes active. While it is valid, the same validated details can be reused across multiple eligible orders, which removes the repeated organization checks that would otherwise apply to every one. Learn About Organization Validation (OV) 🔗

Matching Your Product Range

How a pre-validation reference is matched to your order depends on whether you are buying a traditional SSL Certificate or a Certificate as a Service (CaaS) subscription, because the two follow different validation processes and requirements.

For traditional Organization Validation (OV) and Extended Validation (EV) products, a pre-validation reference is specific to the brand it was issued for. A reference for the Trustico® range applies to Trustico® products, and a reference for the Sectigo® range applies to Sectigo® products, so ordering across both ranges means holding a separate reference for each.

For Certificate as a Service (CaaS) Organization Validation (OV) subscriptions, a single pre-validation reference applies across the whole CaaS range, so the same reference can be used whether the product carries the Trustico® or the Sectigo® name.

Organization Validation (OV) and Extended Validation (EV) are held as separate references in every case, so a reference issued for one level is not used for the other.

Using Your Pre-Validation Reference

Our order forms include a field for your pre-validation reference. On a traditional Organization Validation (OV) or Extended Validation (EV) order, entering a valid pre-validation reference lets the organization stage be skipped, so issuance is faster.

On a Certificate as a Service (CaaS) Organization Validation (OV) order, a pre-validation reference is a prerequisite, and the order cannot be submitted without one. Explore Certificate as a Service (CaaS) 🔗

A pre-validation reference must be valid at the time the order is placed. Leave the field blank if you do not hold a valid reference for the product being purchased : a traditional order needs a reference matching the brand, while a Certificate as a Service (CaaS) reference applies across the whole CaaS range.

Obtaining Your Pre-Validation Reference

Trustico® handles your pre-validation request. You provide your organization details, Trustico® reviews them and submits them to the Certificate Authority (CA), and the resulting pre-validation reference is used on our order forms.

You can request a pre-validation reference using the form below. A tool that lets you search an entity to check whether a valid reference already exists is still to come.

When you place a traditional Organization Validation (OV) or Extended Validation (EV) order, we often create a pre-validation reference for you during the normal validation process, so one may already be held against your organization.

If you have ordered one of these products, it is best to check with us whether a reference was created before you place your next order.

Keeping Your Pre-Validation Current

A pre-validation reference is valid for 398 days from the date it becomes active, the current maximum allowed for reusing organization validation. What you need to do as that period runs out depends on whether you hold a traditional product or a Certificate as a Service (CaaS) subscription.

On a Certificate as a Service (CaaS) subscription, the Organization Validation (OV) pre-validation is maintained automatically for the life of the subscription. As long as your organization details stay the same, there is nothing for you to do.

If your organization details change, the pre-validation reference may no longer pass. You would then apply for a new pre-validation reference, and once it is approved we apply it to your license for you.

An Extended Validation (EV) order uses its own separate Extended Validation (EV) pre-validation reference, which we handle for you. The automatic maintenance described above covers the Organization Validation (OV) reference only, so an Extended Validation (EV) reference is kept up to date separately.

On a traditional Organization Validation (OV) or Extended Validation (EV) product there is no automatic maintenance. Each reissue is requested through the tracking system and validated in the usual way for that product, so you can simply reissue as you go.

If a reissue is requested after the pre-validation has expired, for example in the fourteenth month of a two year license, the reissue pauses while the Certificate Authority (CA) re-validates your organization, and then proceeds. This is usually a short wait, as both the Certificate Authority (CA) and you have a little work to complete before the reissue can continue.

If you would prefer seamless reissues, you can obtain a pre-validation reference in advance, and we apply it to your license so that later reissues, such as those in a second year, complete without the organization stage. The choice is yours.

A Certificate as a Service (CaaS) subscription goes through the same validation steps, but because its pre-validation is maintained ahead of time, it moves to the next step before a reissue is requested, so the reissue is not paused.

Whichever product you hold, we can apply a new pre-validation reference to your license with our own tools, so an updated reference takes effect against your existing order.

What Happens Next

Once you submit the form, Trustico® staff review the information you provided and submit it to the Certificate Authority (CA), so the validation process can begin.

You should then expect an e-mail with further information, including a request to execute the agreement electronically.

Any required documentation is uploaded to the Certificate Authority (CA) during the process, by following the links the Certificate Authority (CA) provides in the e-mails it sends.

You also complete the telephone validation, which in most cases is automated and is instigated through the status pages or an e-mail from the Certificate Authority (CA).