Industry Update: DNSSEC checks will become mandatory for certificate issuance (starting Feb 24 / Mar 15, 2026)

Key dates you should know

• February 24, 2026 — DigiCert begins enforcing DNSSEC validation (when DNSSEC is present) during DCV + CAA checks.
• March 15, 2026 — CA/Browser Forum Baseline Requirements make DNSSEC validation mandatory for relevant DNS lookups (industry-wide effective date in the BR text).
• March 12, 2026 (Sectigo operational date) — Sectigo’s compliance hub also highlights broader 2026 compliance changes (including DCV reuse shortening and reminders to ensure DNSSEC signing is correctly configured if enabled).

Who is affected

Customers whose domains are DNSSEC-signed (DNSSEC is enabled at the registrar/DNS provider). If their DNSSEC setup is broken or incomplete, then DCV/CAA checks can fail and the certificate cannot be issued/reissued until DNSSEC is fixed.

Customers whose certificate domains do not have DNSSEC enabled — nothing changes in their issuance flow

Check your DNSSEC configuration

If you have DNSSEC enabled, it’s very important to check your DNSSEC configuration for all of your certificate domains prior to the enforcement of DNSSEC validation.

• Verify whether DNSSEC is enabled for every domain (and subdomain) used on certificates.
• If DNSSEC is enabled, test DNSSEC health and fix any errors before issuance deadlines.
• If DNSSEC is enabled and you don’t need it, consider discussing with your DNS provider whether to keep it enabled (DNSSEC can be beneficial, but it must be maintained correctly).

Tools / guidance

• DigiCert recommends using their DNSSEC checking approach (they reference a DNSSEC health checking tool and provide examples of common failure reasons).
• Your DNS host/registrar is usually the fastest path to fix DNSSEC because they control signing keys and DS/DNSKEY changes.

FAQ (quick answers)

• Do I need to enable DNSSEC for my SSL to work?
  No. Certificates can be issued without DNSSEC. This change only affects domains that already have DNSSEC enabled.
• What happens if DNSSEC is enabled but broken?
  Starting enforcement, DNSSEC errors can block DCV and/or CAA checks, preventing issuance until DNSSEC is fixed.
• Which products are impacted?
  This applies broadly to products requiring domain validation and/or CAA checks (including Public TLS DV/OV/EV and Secure Email/S/MIME).