Extended Validation (EV) and What Sets It Apart
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An Extended Validation (EV) certificate is built on the most rigorous verification process a CA offers. DV certificates verify only domain ownership (Domain Validation article); OV adds organization verification on top of that (Organization Validation article). EV follows the same foundation as OV but adds stricter checks and extra steps, which is why issuance typically takes 2 to 7 business days — longer than either.
What Makes EV Different
Signing the EV Subscriber Agreement is a step unique to EV — you must formally sign an agreement with the issuing CA before the certificate can be issued.
Sectigo typically sends a click-through link by email, usually within a few hours of ordering, which you sign digitally in minutes; alternatively, you can download the Certificate Request Form and SSL Subscriber Agreement from Sectigo's Legal Documents page and submit them manually.
DigiCert sends the agreement directly as part of its own verification process, with no separate action needed to locate it.
Deeper organization verification applies the same general methods as OV — a public registry lookup, an LEI code, or submitted documents such as Articles of Incorporation — but with additional scrutiny and cross-checks appropriate to the trust EV is meant to convey.
A manual callback replaces the automated phone check used for OV: a live operator calls you directly to confirm your name and order details, rather than an automated system reading out a code. The phone number itself is verified the same way as for OV — through a trusted business database or a notarized legal opinion.
⚠ Note: EV is not available as a Wildcard certificate. If you need EV-level trust across multiple subdomains, you will need individual or Multi-Domain EV certificates instead.
