What is a Class 3 DSC? The only certificate class still issued

The short answer

A Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is an electronic credential that lets you sign documents and government filings online. It is issued under the Information Technology Act, 2000 by a Certifying Authority (CA) that is licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) — the government body under the Ministry of Electronics & IT that regulates the whole system.

The word "Class" describes assurance — how carefully your identity was checked before the certificate was handed over. India once had Class 2 and Class 3 certificates, but that choice no longer exists for new buyers: Class 3 is the only class issued to new applicants since 1 January 2021. So when a portal, a chartered accountant or a tender document asks for "your DSC", they mean a Class 3 certificate. The remaining questions — individual or organization, signing or encryption, one, two or three years — are what actually decide which product you buy. This page walks through all of them. For the done-for-you service, see our Class 3 DSC page.

Why "Class 2" is still written all over the internet

The CCA directed that issuance of Class 2 DSCs be withdrawn from 1 January 2021. From that date, every new subscriber has received Class 3. Class 2 certificates issued before the cut-off remained usable until their own expiry, which is why older documentation still refers to them — but no licensed CA issues a new Class 2 certificate today.

You will still meet the ghost in three predictable places: old portal manuals — the GST DSC guide, for instance, still reads "Class 2 or Class 3"; tender documents recycled from pre-2021 templates; and EPFO and similar instruction sheets written in the earlier era. In every case the answer is identical: buy Class 3. It is the higher assurance level, so anything that once accepted Class 2 accepts Class 3, and no portal will reject you for holding the only class that legally exists.

Individual or organization, signing or encryption

Once you know you need Class 3, three real decisions remain, and they are what actually change your paperwork and price:

• Holder type. An individual certificate is issued in your own name — used by directors, proprietors, professionals and taxpayers. An organization certificate names you as the authorised signatory of a company or firm, with the organisation's name on the certificate. Tenders, DGFT for non-proprietor entities and ICEGATE generally want the organization form.
• Function. A signature certificate signs; an encryption certificate scrambles data so only the intended recipient can read it; a combo pairs both on one token. Filings need signing; tenders usually need combo.
• Validity. CAs offer one, two or three year terms, with three years the usual maximum. Two years is the popular middle ground for regular filers.

The private key that performs the signing never sits on your laptop. CCA security requirements have it generated and locked inside a FIPS-validated USB token, protected by a PIN — which is the mechanism behind the "highest assurance" claim.