EV vs OV vs DV SSL Certificates: How to Identify Certificate Types

You can easily identify whether a website uses a Domain Validated (DV), Organization Validated (OV), or Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificate by inspecting the certificate details directly within your browser or by using command-line utilities. These three certificate types offer identical encryption strength, but they differ significantly in the vetting process required to obtain them and how they establish organizational trust.

To quickly inspect any certificate chain, you can use the SSL Checker to verify certificate details, issuer information, and validation tiers without needing to dig through complex browser menus.

Understanding the Three SSL Certificate Tiers

Before diving into identification techniques, it helps to understand what separates DV, OV, and EV certificates. The core difference lies in the rigor of the Certificate Authority's (CA) vetting process before issuance.

Domain Validated (DV) Certificates

DV certificates are the most common type of SSL/TLS certificate on the web. The CA only verifies that the applicant has administrative control over the domain name. This verification is typically automated via email, DNS records, or an HTTP file upload.

• Vetting Level: Automated domain control validation only.
• Identity Information: None included in the certificate subject details.
• Primary Use Case: Blogs, personal websites, internal testing, and small sites where brand identity is not a primary concern.

Organization Validated (OV) Certificates

OV certificates require manual vetting by the CA. The organization applying for the certificate must prove its legal existence, physical address, and operational status.

• Vetting Level: Manual review of official business registration documents.
• Identity Information: Organization name, locality, state, and country are embedded within the certificate subject fields.
• Primary Use Case: Corporate websites, e-commerce platforms, and customer portals where users need confirmation of the business behind the site.

Extended Validation (EV) Certificates

EV certificates represent the highest tier of commercial trust. The CA performs a rigorous manual audit of the organization's legal, physical, and operational existence, verifying incorporation documents, operational status, and telephone numbers.

• Vetting Level: Extensive manual compliance audit based on strict industry guidelines.
• Identity Information: Detailed corporate identity fields including incorporation number, jurisdiction, and physical address.
• Primary Use Case: Financial institutions, large e-commerce giants, SaaS providers, and enterprise portals handling sensitive data.

Step-by-Step Methods to Identify Certificate Types

When you need to definitively check a certificate's validation level, relying on browser interface icons is no longer enough. Modern browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari have largely removed visual indicators like green address bars for EV certificates, meaning you must inspect the raw certificate fields.

Method 1: Using Modern Web Browsers

You can inspect any website's certificate details directly through your browser's developer tools or security panel.

1. Open your target website (for example, https://example.com) in your browser.
2. Click the padlock icon or tuning icon located to the left of the address bar.
3. Click on Connection is secure followed by Certificate is valid (wording may vary slightly depending on your browser version).
4. Navigate to the Details tab or Subject field within the certificate viewer window.

Once inside the certificate details, look for the Subject Alternative Name and Subject fields.

• If the subject only contains a Common Name (CN) or SAN matching the domain, it is a DV certificate.
• If the subject contains fields like O (Organization), L (Locality), ST (State/Province), and C (Country), it is an OV certificate.
• If the subject additionally contains fields like serialNumber and specific incorporation jurisdiction identifiers, it is an EV certificate.

Method 2: Using OpenSSL via the Command Line

For developers and system administrators, OpenSSL provides a fast, precise way to extract certificate metadata without launching a graphical browser interface.

Run the following command in your terminal to fetch the certificate details for a domain:

echo | openssl s_client -connect example.com:443 -servername example.com 2>/dev/null | openssl x509 -noout -subject -issuer

Sample output for an OV or EV certificate will display organizational attributes:

subject=C = US, ST = California, L = San Francisco, O = Example Inc, CN = example.com
issuer=C = US, O = DigiCert Inc, CN = DigiCert TLS RSA SHA256 2020 CA1

If the subject line lacks the O= (Organization) parameter and only displays the domain name, you are looking at a DV certificate.

Method 3: Using PowerShell on Windows

If you are managing a Windows environment, you can query certificate details using a quick PowerShell snippet:

$web = [System.Net.WebRequest]::Create('https://example.com')
$web.GetResponse() | Out-Null
$cert = $web.ServicePoint.Certificate
$cert.Subject

This command returns the complete distinguished name string, allowing you to instantly parse whether organizational units and corporate identifiers are present.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

When attempting to classify SSL certificates, administrators and security auditors often run into a few common pitfalls:

• Assuming Padlock Color Equals EV: Many users still look for a green bar or company name in the URL bar. Browsers abandoned this UI pattern because users rarely noticed or understood it. Always check the raw certificate subject fields instead of relying on browser chrome.
• Confusing Intermediate CA with End-Entity Subject: When running OpenSSL commands, ensure you are inspecting the end-entity certificate (x509) rather than the issuer certificate in the chain. CAs often have organizational names in the issuer field, which does not mean the target website holds an OV or EV certificate.
• Misinterpreting SANs as OV/Error: Wildcard certificates or certificates with dozens of Subject Alternative Names are frequently DV certificates. The presence of multiple domains does not elevate a certificate from DV to OV.

Quick Checklist for SSL Identification

• Open the target website in your browser or terminal.
• Access the certificate viewer or run an OpenSSL query.
• Locate the Subject field in the certificate properties.
• Check for organizational attributes (O=, L=, C=).
• Check for corporate registration identifiers (serialNumber=) for EV verification.
• Confirm encryption strength and expiration dates simultaneously.