Let's Encrypt certificates drop from 90 to 64 days. Staging gets them first.
By Lior AharonovFounder, 7IT Solutions ·
Let's Encrypt will issue 64-day certificates by default from Wednesday 10 February 2027, down from 90 days, as a step toward 45-day lifetimes planned for 2028. SecurityWeek reported on Monday 12 October 2026 that staging starts issuing 64-day certificates that week. The authorization reuse period drops to 10 days in 2027 and seven hours in 2028.
Picture the cron job someone wrote years ago that renews at day 60. With 64-day certificates, that leaves four days of margin. Miss one run and your checkout page shows a browser warning instead of a cart.
Point one ACME client at the Let's Encrypt staging environment and confirm it renews 64-day certificates. If your renewal date is hardcoded, set it to about two-thirds of the lifetime, or use a client that supports ACME Renewal Info (ARI).
Certificates that last a year let you forget. Certificates that last 64 days punish you for forgetting. Automate it once, properly.
Lior Aharonov · my takeSources
Researched with AI tools; every fact is checked against the linked sources.