How to validate your .p12 electronic certificate

Check the holder, validity dates and issuing authority (ACE) of your .p12/.pfx certificate for free, in your browser, without your private key ever leaving your device.

By IDK Manager Team ·

How do you know your .p12 electronic certificate is valid? Upload it to app.firmar.ec/validate-certificate, enter its password, and in seconds you will see the holder, the ID/RUC, the issuing authority (ACE), the validity dates and whether the chain links to an ARCOTEL-accredited root. It is free, it runs in your browser, and your private key is never uploaded to any server.

What does validation check?

When you validate a .p12 / .pfx certificate, firmar.ec shows you:

  • Holder — name, ID or RUC of the certificate owner.
  • Issuing authority (ACE) — which ARCOTEL-accredited certification authority issued it.
  • Validity — valid from / valid until dates and whether it is currently valid, expired or not yet valid.
  • Trust chain — whether the certificate links to an ARCOTEL-accredited root (the Trust Service List embedded in the app). It even recognises “leaf-only” certificates that ship without the intermediate CA, such as UANATACA’s.
  • Revocation — OCSP/CRL status when online.

Validate step by step

  1. Open app.firmar.ec/validate-certificate.
  2. Drag or select your .p12 / .pfx file (the one you received from your ACE).
  3. Type the certificate password.
  4. Press Validate certificate and read the result: holder, issuer, validity and trust chain.

The whole process happens inside your browser: neither the file, nor the password, nor the private key leave your device.

Compatible certification authorities (ACE)

firmar.ec recognises certificates issued by the ARCOTEL-accredited authorities: Security Data, Banco Central del Ecuador (BCE), UANATACA, ANF AC, Consejo de la Judicatura (iCert-EC), ArgosData, Datil, Lazzate, Eclipsoft and the rest. If your .p12 was issued by any of them, it validates offline.

Why validate before a filing?

Before signing a document for the SRI, ECUAPASS, a public agency or a contract, it is worth confirming your certificate is valid and recognised. Validating it prevents discovering — mid-filing — that it expired or that the system does not recognise your issuer.

FAQ

Is it safe to upload my .p12 here? Yes: it is not uploaded. Validation runs in your browser (client-side) and your private key never leaves your device. The code is open source (AGPL-3.0).

Do I need to install anything? No. It works in any modern browser, including on your phone.

Can I sign with it afterwards? The same .p12 you validate here is the one you use to sign a PDF on firmar.ec.