Storage

As a general rule, signed documents are available for download/retrieval for 40 days after signing. After this, they are deleted and are no longer available from the digital signature service.

It is important to note that the value of digital signatures as evidence becomes weaker over time. This is because the technology that seals signed documents becomes obsolete as new technology is developed. We recommend that documents required to be used as evidence beyond 3 years undergo technical maintenance to protect their long-term value as evidence.

To ensure long-term value as evidence and safe storage of signed documents, we offer the optional Long-term validation and storage service.

Long-term validation and storage

By activating Long-term validation and storage, Posten takes responsibility for ensuring that your signed documents have value as evidence and validity in the future. The documents will be stored for 20 years (50 years for documents signed before 12.04.2024) or for as long as the service exists. This value-added service is activated in the organization settings in the web-interface and costs NOK 4 per document.

How do we ensure long-term validation?

Long-term validation (LTV) documents the status of the signed document at the time of signing. The signed PDF document (PAdES) for all requests signed during the period in which Long-term validation and storage is activated is immediately flagged for technical preservation.

Documents that are flagged for long-term validation undergo technical preservation every 3 years (the time runs from the date of signing), which updates the cryptography and reinforces the sealing, to ensure that the signed document has not changed after the signature date.

What happens to the documents if I deactivate the service?

All documents that were signed during the period in which Long-term validation and storage was activated will remain stored, have long-term value as evidence and be validated for as long as the service exists.

How do I get hold of preserved documents?

Long-term stored documents can be downloaded in the web interface or retrieved via the REST interface for API integrators in the same way as all other signed documents. See code examples for retrieval of signed documents in Signing with portal flow and Signing with direct flow.

Erasure of documents

Senders can erase archived documents if they want to remove them from the archive. Senders using the sender portal can erase documents from there. For senders that integrate via API, documents can be erased via the REST interface.

Limitations

• All signers must have signed before the documents can be erased. Documents that have not been signed by all signers will be erased automatically after 40 days and cannot be erased manually by the sender.

• Documents may be erased at the earliest 24 hours after the signing date, as the signers must be able to download the document for a 24-hour period.

• Documents that are to be sent to the signer’s digital mailbox cannot be erased until they have been sent there. If the signer does not have a digital mailbox, it is necessary to wait for up to 7 days until the documents can be erased.