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01 Verify a Certificate
This page explains how to verify certificates issued by the Certification of Collaboration programme.
All certificates are publicly registered, digitally signed, and independently verifiable.
Each certificate contains:
- Certificate Code
- Issue Date
- QR Code
- Digital Signature
- Issuer Information
The QR code links directly to the certificate's public registry record hosted on GitHub.
Certificate codes follow this format:
CC-YYYY-NNNN
Where:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| CC | Certification of Collaboration |
| YYYY | Year of issuance |
| NNNN | Sequential certificate number |
CC-2026-0001
CC-2026-0012
CC-2026-0147
Certificate codes are unique and are never re-issued.
Each certificate contains a QR code.
The QR code directs the recipient to the certificate's official registry entry.
Example:
https://github.com/ORG/Certificate-Registry/issues/147
After scanning:
- Confirm the GitHub page exists.
- Verify the Certificate Code matches.
- Verify the Issue is marked as Active.
- Confirm the information matches the certificate being presented.
Certificates are publicly registered through GitHub Issues.
Each registry entry contains:
- Certificate Code
- Certificate Title
- Issue Date
- Certificate Status
- Verification Hash
- Digital Signature
The registry serves as the authoritative source for certificate verification.
Every certificate is digitally signed.
The signature proves that:
- The certificate was issued by the Certification of Collaboration.
- The contents have not been altered.
- The certificate remains authentic.
A certificate with a modified signature should be considered invalid.
The public verification key is published at:
https://github.com/ORG/Certificate-Registry/blob/main/public-key.asc
Anyone may use this key to independently verify certificate signatures.
Locate the Certificate Code.
Example:
CC-2026-0147
Scan the QR code.
Open the linked GitHub registry entry.
Confirm the Certificate Code matches the certificate.
Confirm the certificate status is:
ACTIVE
Verify the digital signature using the published public key.
The certificate is valid and recognised.
The certificate was previously issued but is no longer valid.
The certificate has been replaced by a newer version.
The certificate is retained for historical purposes.
To protect certificate holders:
- Full personal records are not published.
- Contact information is never disclosed.
- Only information required for verification is made public.
- Registry entries contain the minimum data necessary to establish authenticity.
If you believe a certificate has been forged, altered, or misused, please open an issue in the certificate registry repository.