Using an IP Address in an SSL Certificate

The lowdown on IPs in SSL certificates

We're often asked if an IP address can be used in an SSL certificate in place of a fully qualified domain name . The short answer is yes, but we don't recommend it. If your IP address changes your SSL certificate can become useless.

If you decide that you really need an IP in your cert there are specific stipulations, conditions, and limitations to consider. The biggest hurdle for most folks is that the IP address must be specifically assigned to your company or organization (not your ISP or hosting provider) as verified by an IP WHOIS lookup.

Requirements and restrictions on IP addresses in SSL certificates

• Public IP addresses only (e.g., 18.236.49.115)
• Reserved IP addresses (local) are not allowed (e.g., 10.0.0.0)
• The IP must show your organization's legal name and location in an IP WHOIS lookup
• Organization Validated (OV) certificates only (DV and EV certs cannot have an IP address)
• Single domain and multi-domain certs are supported
• The IP can be the Common Name (CN) or a Subject Alternative Name (SAN) field

Please contact our support team if you have any additional problems or questions.