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Expiration date

As explained in Authorization in Action

An expiration date is the recorded date after which a document or credential is no longer considered valid for its intended purpose.

A credential can remain cryptographically valid while no longer representing current reality. An expiration date records the point after which a document or credential should no longer be accepted for its intended purpose, providing a predictable limit on use. section 16.4

Fixed validity and unexpected change

An employment credential issued to Angela may remain valid for one year before normal HR reissuance. If Brian leaves AuditsRUs before his credential expires, the issuer must revoke it; expiration alone cannot handle that early change. section 16.4

Expiration dates support authorization decisions, but they work alongside freshness and revocation controls:

  • Set a predictable maximum validity period for credentials and documents. section 16.4
  • Check issuer-published revocation information when a credential becomes invalid before its expiration date. section 16.4
  • Balance validity and freshness requirements against operational cost when authorization depends on changing signals. section 12.4.2 section 12.4.4

How Authorization in Action covers it

How deep it goes
Defines fixed validity periods and explains their limits, stopping short of specifying expiration-date formats or implementation protocols.
Examples
Uses one-year employment credentials, certification renewal cycles, and revoked employment credentials as concrete cases.
What it assumes
Assumes understanding of issuer trust and authorization claims while establishing expiration as a basic freshness control.
What you can do after
Evaluate/understand when a credential’s fixed validity period is insufficient and when revocation or freshness checks are also required.
How it connects
Connects expiration dates with verifiable credentials, credential revocation, freshness, assurance, and authorization.
Cover of Authorization in Action
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