What is a DSC and why does StampMitra ask for a Class 3 one?
A Digital Signature Certificate is the electronic equivalent of a handwritten signature. It is issued to an individual by a Certifying Authority licensed under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and it ties the holder's identity to a key that is usually kept on a hardware token. Signing with it produces a file that shows who signed and whether the content has changed since.
StampMitra asks partners to hold a valid Class 3 DSC, the class that involves the strictest identity checks before issue. The certificate is yours, not ours: you obtain it from a licensed Certifying Authority, you keep the token, and you control the password. The Controller of Certifying Authorities publishes information about licensed authorities.
What do you sign with your DSC in the portal?
- Legal notices, once the customer has approved the draft
- Agreements and deeds, with the stamp details attached
- Affidavits, as part of the signing and attestation steps
- Review notes, at the end of a legal review
In every case the order is the same: the draft is shared, the customer approves it, and only then do you sign. Signing earlier than approval is not part of the flow, which protects both you and the customer.
How do you set up signing for the first time?
Setup happens once per computer. Install the signing helper, connect your DSC token, and check in the portal that the certificate is detected. Setup help is one click away inside the portal, and the technology page shows where signing sits among the other screens.
Do this before your first assignment, not after. A first case with a customer waiting is a poor moment to discover that the token driver is missing or the certificate has expired.
What are the steps to sign a document?
- Open the approved document in the case workspace
- Choose to sign and check that the portal detects your certificate
- Confirm the details shown, including the document name and your name as the signer
- Follow the prompts from the signing helper and your token
- Check that the signed file appears as a new version in the case
Never share your token or its password with anyone, including our team. We will never ask for it, and anyone who does should be reported to the partner desk straight away.
What happens after a document is signed?
The signed file is stored in the documents vault as a new version, so the unsigned draft and the signed copy are both kept. The audit trail logs the signature with the time and the device used. Signed documents are protected: they cannot be silently changed, and any later change creates a visible new version.
From there the case moves on to delivery. For a notice that means dispatch and proof of delivery, as in the legal notices guide. For an affidavit it means delivering the signed document, as in the affidavit guide.
Is a DSC the same as Aadhaar eSign?
No. A DSC is a certificate issued to you and usually kept on a token. Aadhaar eSign is an online signing service in which the signer authenticates with Aadhaar and the signature is created through an authorised provider, without a token. Partners sign with their own Class 3 DSC. Whether eSign is offered for other documents on StampMitra is [eSign availability].
What should you check if signing does not work?
- The token is plugged in firmly and recognised by your computer
- The signing helper is installed and running
- Your certificate is valid and has not expired
- You are using the correct token password, and the token has not locked after repeated wrong attempts
- You are signing a document that the customer has already approved
If a check fails, renew or unlock the certificate with your Certifying Authority. If everything checks out and signing still fails, write to the partner desk with a short description and the case reference, but never include your token password. The FAQ has more on DSC questions.
How does signing protect the document and the customer?
A digital signature does two jobs at once. It shows who signed, because it is made with a key tied to the signer's verified identity, and it shows whether the document has changed since, because any alteration after signing breaks the signature. That is why a signed file is a stronger record than a typed name at the end of a page.
StampMitra adds its own layer around the signature. The signed file is kept as a separate version, the unsigned draft is retained, and the audit trail records when and from which device the signature was made. If the customer or anyone else later asks which text was signed, the case can answer.
How long does a DSC last, and what happens when it expires?
Every certificate has a validity period set by the Certifying Authority that issued it. When it ends, the certificate can no longer be used to sign, and you must renew it or obtain a new one through the same authority. The portal cannot sign with an expired certificate, so a lapsed DSC simply pauses your ability to complete cases.
Put the expiry date in your calendar well ahead of time. The programme expects partners to keep their credentials up to date, and renewal can take longer than expected if the authority needs fresh identity checks. Do not leave signed-ready cases waiting on a certificate that you knew was about to expire.
Only the certificate holder should ever sign with a DSC. Do not let a colleague, clerk or assistant sign with your token, even with your permission, because the signature represents you personally and the audit trail will record it as yours.