---
title: "Certifying PDF documents | Nutrient Java SDK"
canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/java/editor/certify-a-pdf-document/"
md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/java/editor/certify-a-pdf-document.md"
last_updated: "2026-08-21T00:00:00.000Z"
description: "How to certify PDF documents and control permitted changes using Nutrient Java SDK."
---

# Certifying PDF documents

A certifying signature (also called an author or DocMDP signature) does more than prove who signed a document — it declares which changes are permitted afterward. Any change beyond what the certification permits invalidates the signature, so PDF viewers can warn the reader that the document was altered. A certifying signature must be the first signature applied to a document, and a document can have only one.

Common use cases include:

- Locking a finalized contract so no further changes are permitted

- Publishing a form that recipients may fill in but not otherwise modify

- Certifying a report while still permitting reviewers to add annotations

[Download sample](https://www.nutrient.io/downloads/samples/java/certify-a-pdf-document.zip)

## How Nutrient helps

Nutrient Java SDK applies the DocMDP certification transform behind a single property. The SDK handles:

- Writing the DocMDP transform parameters that declare the permitted changes

- Marking the signature as a certifying signature in the document catalog

- Computing the byte ranges and building the CMS/PKCS#7 signature container

- Writing the signature into the PDF using an incremental update

## Certification levels

The `SignatureCertificationLevel` enumeration declares which changes are permitted after certification:

- `NotCertified` — An ordinary approval signature, not a certifying one. This is the default.

- `NoChanges` — No changes are permitted; any change invalidates the signature.

- `FormFilling` — Only form filling and signing are permitted.

- `FormFillingAndAnnotations` — Form filling, signing, and annotation changes are permitted.

## Complete implementation

This example applies a certifying signature that permits form filling and signing:

```java

package io.nutrient.Sample;

import io.nutrient.sdk.*;
import io.nutrient.sdk.enums.*;
import io.nutrient.sdk.signing.*;

public class DigitalSignatures {

```

Create the `main` method as the sample entry point:

```java

    public static void main(String[] args) {

```

## Certifying the document

Set `setCertification(...)` to make the signature a certifying signature.

In this sample:

- `Document.open("input.pdf")` opens the PDF before signing.

- `setCertification(SignatureCertificationLevel.FormFilling)` permits form filling and signing after certification.

- `sign(document, outputPath, options)` applies the certifying signature.

Because a certifying signature must be the first signature on the document, apply it before any approval signatures:

```java

        try (Signature signer = new Signature();
             Document document = Document.open("input.pdf")) {
            DigitalSignatureOptions options = new DigitalSignatureOptions();
            options.setCertificatePath("certificate.pfx");
            options.setCertificatePassword("Nutrient answers all your document needs");
            options.setSignerName("Document Author");
            options.setReason("Certifying document integrity");
            options.setCertification(SignatureCertificationLevel.FormFilling);

            signer.sign(document, "output_certified.pdf", options);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.err.println("Error certifying document: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

```

## Conclusion

Use this workflow to certify a document:

1. Open the document using try-with-resources for automatic resource cleanup.

2. Configure `DigitalSignatureOptions` with certificate credentials and signing metadata.

3. Declare the permitted changes with `setCertification()` and the `SignatureCertificationLevel` enumeration.

4. Apply the certifying signature first — it must be the first signature on the document, and a document can have only one.

5. Use `NoChanges` to lock the document completely, or `FormFilling` and `FormFillingAndAnnotations` to permit specific downstream changes.

6. Leave the default `NotCertified` for ordinary approval signatures that don’t restrict later changes.

For related signing workflows, refer to the [Java SDK guides](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/java.md).
---

## Related pages

- [Nutrient Java SDK editor guides](/guides/java/editor.md)
- [Adding annotations to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-annotations-to-pdf.md)
- [Adding a custom page to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-custom-page-to-pdf.md)
- [Adding interactive form fields to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-form-fields-to-pdf.md)
- [Adding free text annotations to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-freetext-annotations-to-pdf.md)
- [Adding invisible digital signatures to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-invisible-signature-to-pdf.md)
- [Adding link annotations to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-link-annotations-to-pdf.md)
- [Adding redaction annotations to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-redaction-annotations-to-pdf.md)
- [Adding shape annotations to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-shape-annotations-to-pdf.md)
- [Adding stamp annotations to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-stamp-annotations-to-pdf.md)
- [Adding sticky note annotations to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-sticky-note-annotations-to-pdf.md)
- [Adding text markup annotations to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-text-markup-annotations-to-pdf.md)
- [Adding visible digital signatures to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/add-visible-signature-to-pdf.md)
- [Advanced digital signature workflows](/guides/java/editor/advanced-digital-signatures.md)
- [Deskewing PDF pages](/guides/java/editor/deskew-pdf-page.md)
- [Detecting and adding form fields to a PDF document](/guides/java/editor/detect-and-add-form-fields.md)
- [Editing PDF form fields](/guides/java/editor/editing-pdf-form-fields.md)
- [Editing PDF metadata with Nutrient Java SDK](/guides/java/editor/editing-pdf-metadata.md)
- [Filling PDF form fields](/guides/java/editor/fill-pdf-form.md)
- [Managing PDF page order](/guides/java/editor/manage-pdf-page-order.md)
- [Merging PDFs](/guides/java/editor/merge-pdf-into-other-pdf.md)
- [Signing PDFs with PAdES levels](/guides/java/editor/sign-pdf-with-pades-level.md)