---
title: "End of 4-6 year Multi-year Plans for public TLS/SSL and VMC certificates"
source_url: https://dev.digicert.com/certcentral-apis/services-api/api-changes/end-of-4-6-year-multi-year-plans-for-public-tls-ssl-and-vmc-certificates.html
---

On **October 31, 2023**, DigiCert will no longer sell 4- to 6-year Multi-year Plans for TLS and VMC certificates. We will continue to offer 1, 2, and 3-year Multi-year Plans.

Starting October 31, 2023, API requests to create an order for public TLS or VMC certificates with a validity exceeding 3 years will return an HTTP response status code of `400 Bad Request` with the following error:

```json
{
  "errors": [
    {
      "code": "invalid_value:<validity_duration_unit>",
      "message": "<validity_duration_unit> contains an invalid value."
    }
  ]
}
```

In the error you receive, `<validity_duration_unit>` will reflect the validity duration unit used in the order request:

- `validity_years`
- `validity_days`
- `custom_expiration_date`

## What do I need to do?

If you use the CertCentral Services API to create orders for TLS or VMC certificates, complete the following before October 31, 2023 to avoid service disruptions:

1. In your client integration code, check for `POST` requests to create an order. Affected endpoints include:
   - Any `POST` request to create an order for public DV, OV, or EV TLS certificates. See [Orders](https://dev.digicert.com/md/certcentral-apis/services-api/orders.md).
   - Any `POST` request to create an order for a [Verified Mark Certificate (VMC)](https://dev.digicert.com/md/certcentral-apis/services-api/orders/order-verified-mark-certificate-vmc.md).
2. In the requests you find, check the value your integration provides for the [order validity parameter](#order-validity-parameters-and-allowed-values) in the request payload.
   Does your integration submit requests to create orders that are valid for more than 3 years?
   - **Yes, it does.**
     Update your integration. Make sure your requests use order validity values within the [range of values allowed after October 31, 2023](#table-idm456982603076003390480461018).
   - **No, it doesn't.**
     No action required.

## Order validity parameters and allowed values

The CertCentral Services API supports two options for defining order validity in requests to create an order:

1. Use the `order_validity` object in the root of the request body. Then, in the `order_validity` object, provide a value for a validity duration unit: `years`, `days`, or `custom_expiration_date`.
   **order_validity.years**

```json
   {
     ...
     "order_validity: {
       "years": 1
     },
     ...
   }
   
```

**order_validity.days**

```json
   {
     ...
     "order_validity: {
       "days": 365
     },
     ...
   }
   
```

**order_validity.custom_expiration_date**

```json
   {
     ...
     "order_validity: {
       "custom_expiration_date": "2026-12-26"
     },
     ...
   }
   
```

2. Use one of the following parameters in the root of the request body: `validity_years`, `validity_days`, or `custom_expiration_date`.
   **validity_years**

```json
   {
     ...
     "validity_years": 1,
     ...
   }
   
```

**validity_days**

```json
   {
     ...
     "validity_days": 365,
     ...
   }
   
```

**custom_expiration_date**

```json
   {
     ...
     "custom_expiration_date": "2026-12-26",
     ...
   }
   
```


Regardless of whether you use the `order_validity` object or provide a validity duration unit in the root of your request body, the range of allowed values is the same.

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Request parameter</th>
<th>Current maximum</th>
<th>Maximum after October 31, 2023</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><ul><li><code>validity_years</code></li><li><code>order_validity.years</code></li></ul></td>
<td>6</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ul><li><code>validity_days</code></li><li><code>order_validity.days</code></li></ul></td>
<td>2190</td>
<td>1095</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ul><li><code>custom_expiration_date</code></li><li><code>order_validity.custom_expiration_date</code></li></ul></td>
<td>Within 6 years of date submitted</td>
<td>Within 3 years of date submitted</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>