Domain-validated certificate

A domain validated certificate (DV) is an X.509 public key certificate typically used for Transport Layer Security (TLS) where the domain name of the applicant is validated by proving some control over a DNS domain.

[1] Domain validated certificates were first distributed by GeoTrust in 2002 before becoming a widely accepted method.

[2] The sole criterion for a domain validated certificate is proof of control over whois records, DNS records file, email or web hosting account of a domain.

As of 2020, all major browsers user interfaces display EV, OV, and DV certificates identically, but provide options to query the type of certificate via multiple clicks.

As the low assurance requirements allow domain validated certificates to be issued quickly without requiring human intervention, domain validated certificates have a number of unique characteristics:

A domain validated certificate for opensuse .org, issued by Let's Encrypt