How does a Competent Authority obtain a digital certificate?
In most situations, a Competent Authority will need to submit an application to a Certificate Authority directly, but in some situations a Competent Authority may submit an application to an authorized agent of the Certificate Authority, typically known as a Registration Authority. In some other cases, the Competent Authority may be required to obtain a digital certificate from a government-run or government-authorized Certificate Authority. In any case, once the application is received, the information in the application will be verified by the Certificate Authority or its authorized Registration Authority. Depending upon local laws and regulations, this verification will typically involve the physical appearance of the Competent Authority agent who completed the application before an authorized representative of the Certificate Authority, a process known as in-person proofing. The Certificate Authority’s agent will require the Competent Authority applicant to present satisfactory evi
