How to Check SSL Certificate Expiration Date in Windows Command Line (2024)

Table of Contents

1. Using the ‘certutil’ Command 2. Remote Website Certificate with OpenSSL Important Considerations In Summary

Posted byKevin K.March 7, 2024March 7, 2024

SSL/TLS certificates underpin secure web browsing and data transfers, but it’s crucial to keep track of their expiration dates. Windows offers a few ways to check this information directly from the command line. Here’s a breakdown of the methods:

1. Using the ‘certutil’ Command

The certutil command-line utility is designed for managing certificates in Windows. Here’s how to use it:

Find the Certificate: If you have a local certificate file (.cer, .crt), locate it.
Open Command Prompt: Type ‘cmd’ into the Windows search bar and open the Command Prompt.
Run the command: Bashcertutil -verify -urlfetch certificate.cer Replace certificate.cer with the name of your certificate file.
Locate “Not After”: The output contains a line indicating the expiration date (“Not After”).

2. Remote Website Certificate with OpenSSL

While not built-in to Windows, OpenSSL is a popular tool that can be downloaded and used for certificate checks.

Download OpenSSL: If you don’t have it, download the Windows binary from a reputable source (e.g., https://slproweb.com/products/Win32OpenSSL.html)
Open Command Prompt:
Run the command: Bashopenssl s_client -connect www.example.com:443 < /dev/null | openssl x509 -noout -dates Replace www.example.com with the domain you want to check. Look for the “notAfter” field in the output.

Important Considerations

Local vs. Remote: The first method is geared toward locally stored certificate files, while the second inspects certificates on remote websites.
OpenSSL Installation: The OpenSSL method requires you to download and install OpenSSL for Windows.

Additional Tips

PowerShell: If you’re comfortable with PowerShell, it also offers ways to examine certificates.
Certificate Store You can view certificates installed in your Windows Certificate Store graphically using the Certificate Manager (certmgr.msc).

In Summary

Knowing how to check SSL certificate expiration dates in Windows command line aids with timely renewals, ensuring the security and smooth functionality of your systems.