Starting in February 2026, Code Signing certificates have been limited to a maximum one year of validity per certificate. Our providers DigiCert and Sectigo have implemented this new term limit ahead of the industry deadline in March. As a result, most our code signing product offerings have also been limited to one-year plans.
How This Impacts You
The new code signing term limit only affects new orders.
If you have an active code signing certificate that is already set to be valid for more than one year, it will not be distrusted.
If you purchase a multi-year code signing plan that was not issued before the deadline, the certificate can no longer be issued as purchased. Please contact our support team for help with your impacted orders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this happening?
Certificate lifecycles are being shortened to increase the frequency of validation checks that only occur prior to issuance. The longer a certificate lives, there is a higher chance that the subject data it contains (such as domains and organization or individual information) will become incorrect or invalid before the certificate expires.
The primary purpose of certificate lifecycle reduction is to strengthen existing validation practices and ensure the integrity of certificate data over time.
Shorter certificates also enable you to stay on track (and compliant) with changing industry standards and updated security practices.
Will my current certificate be distrusted?
No, all active and valid certificates will remain trusted until their set expiration date.
Can I still buy a multi-year Code Signing plan?
That depends on how you plan to implement or install your code signing certificate.
- Sectigo Code Signing for USB token (Token + Shipping method) are only available as one-year plans.
- If you plan to install your Sectigo code signing certificate on a compatible Hardware Security Module (HSM) such as a YubiKey 5+ FIPS, then you will have the option to purchase a plan up to 3 years. In this case your certificate will still expire in 1 year, but you will be able to re-issue to extend through the available time on your plan.
- All DigiCert Code Signing certificate products have been limited to one year, including USB token-based certificates, HSM, and cloud-based certificates.
My multi-year certificate was not issued before the deadline, what do I do?
Multi-year code signing certificates can no longer be issued as purchased. For another solution, please contact our support team by live chat, phone, or email to support@cheapsslsecurity.com.
