Only Class 3 remains
India used to issue Class 1 and Class 2 certificates as well. Those have been **discontinued**. Today every new Digital Signature Certificate is **Class 3**, the most secure class, which requires the applicant's identity to be verified before it is issued.
Signing or signing + encryption
A Class 3 certificate comes in two shapes:
- **Signing only** – enough for income tax, GST, MCA and most day-to-day filing.
- **Signing + Encryption (Combo)** – required by most e-tender and e-procurement portals, where bids must be encrypted as well as signed.
Individual or organisation
- An **Individual** Class 3 DSC carries your own name and is tied to your PAN.
- An **Organisation** Class 3 DSC lets a named person sign on behalf of a company, firm or body.
Where a Class 3 DSC is accepted
- Income Tax e-Filing
- GST portal
- MCA / ROC (V3) filings
- DGFT and ICEGATE for import-export
- GeM (Government e-Marketplace)
- EPFO
- Government and PSU e-tender platforms
The role of your PAN
For an individual certificate your PAN is the anchor of your identity — it is checked during the application and printed in the certificate's details.
Validity
A Class 3 DSC can be issued for **1, 2 or 3 years**. Choosing a longer validity saves you the cost and effort of renewing as often.
Capricorn as the authority
These certificates are issued by Capricorn, a Certifying Authority licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) under the IT Act, 2000.