Documentation Needed To Buy A Digital Code Signing Certificate

• https://www.thawte.com/ssl-digital-certificates/free-guides-whitepapers/pdf/enroll_codesign_eng.pdf

Acceptable Types of Proof Of Organization: Generally we accept government
backed Proof of Right documentation such as:

• Articles of Incorporation
• VAT Certificates (International)
• Business License
• Certificate of Formation
• Doing Business As
• Registration of Trade Name
• Charter Documents
• Partnership Papers
• Fictitious Name Statement
• Vendor/Reseller/Merchant License
• Merchant certificate
• US State Tax Licenses for non-profit organizations and sole proprietorships
  (Please see list below for state/city specifications.)
  We will evaluate on a case-by-case basis an alternative if the above Proof of Organization requirements cannot be met. If you are in New Hampshire, Delaware or Oklahoma, you will need your State issued incorporation documents.

NOTE: Code Signing certificates may not be requested in an individual's name, unless you are in Germany or Austria (to qualify you must have a "Gewerbeschein").

The following USA STATE / CITY tax licenses are acceptable:
1. Arizona
2. Florida
3. California:
• City of Anaheim - Business Tax Certificate
• City of Carson - Business Tax Certificate
• City of Newport Beach - Business Tax Certificate
• City of San Diego - Certificate of Payment of Business Tax
• City of Santa Clara - Annual Business Tax Certificate/Fire Permit
• City of San Jose - Business Tax Certificate
• City of Santa Rosa - Business Tax Certificate
• City of Santa Teresa - Business Tax Certificate
• City of Stockton - Business License Tax Certificate
4. Colorado - Sales Tax License
5. Connecticut - Sales Tax and Use License
6. Georgia - Columbia Country Occupational Tax / Business Licensing
7. Indiana - Registered Retail Merchant Certificate (Note: validity of certificate
is 1 year)
8. Illinois
9. Iowa - Retail Sales Tax Permit
10. Kansas - Sales Tax Registration Certificate
11. Maine - Seller's Certificate
12. Maryland
13. Massachusetts - Sales and Use Tax Registration
14. Mississippi
15. Missouri
16. Nebraska Sales Tax Permit
17. New Jersey
18. New York
19. North Carolina - Merchant Certificate of Registration
20. Ohio - Vendors license -It does not say "vendor's license", but it does authorize
the registrant to make retail sales
21. Oklahoma - Sales Tax Permit
22. Pennsylvania- Sales & Use & Hotel Occupancy Tax License
23. Rhode Island - Permit to Make Sales at Retail
24. South Carolina - Retail License
25. South Dakota - Sales Tax License
26. Texas
27. Virginia - "Virginia Sales Tax" Certificate
28. Washington
29. West Virginia - Business Registration Certificate
30. Wisconsin - Sellers Permit

From the Thawete guide to enrolling in a code signing certificate:
NOTE: Code Signing certificates may not be requested in an individual's name, unless you are in Germany or Austria (to qualify you must have a "Gewerbeschein").

And, you'll need a company listed telephone number (listed with a third party source), for Thawte to phone you. If such a listing doesn't exist, you'll need to send a valid current phone bill in your company's name. If that doesn't exist, they might accept your personal residential phone bill (in some cases) for sole-proprietors.

My comment No hobbyists allowed to code sign applications with any level of trust. In order to get a code signing certificate, you'll need to pay annual fees, apply for some kind of governmental business license, and get a business telephone line! Or go and buy company letterhead, and hire a notary to notarize it. Fortunately, it's free to get a Reseller Permit in California, but you'll need to file a report at least annually, and if you don't pay at least some sales tax each year, they take it away from you!

Dang that's a lot of extra red tape and work just to give away a free software program!