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ORS breadcrumb DPSAC > Getting a Badge > Renewing Your Smart Card Certificates

Renewing Your Smart Card Certificates

The HHS will notify individuals by e-mail when their HHS ID Badge (smart card) certificates are coming up for renewal. Once notified, they can select from one of three options for making an appointment to renew their certificates:

 
 1.     Contact a Lifecycle Work Station operator in your IC.  
         Most Institutes and Centers have purchased one or more Lifecycle Work
         Stations (LWS) to enable their staffs to conveniently update HHS ID Badge
         (Smart Card) Digital Certificates and reset Smart Card PINs "on site" rather
         than make a trip to one of DPSAC’s Badge Issuance stations on the NIH  
         campus.
 
2.      Make an appointment with a specialist at one of DPSAC's Badge
         Issuance stations. 
         Plan on 20 minutes to complete this procedure. 
       
        Note: ORS now has an LWS operator on site in Building 31, Room 3B30 to
        assist with renewing certificates or resetting PINs for anyone needing these
        services. Please e-mail Oscar Nestell at oscar.nestell@nih.gov to make an
        appointment. No walk-ins. Special needs can be accommodated with 24 hours
        advance notice.
 
3.     Use the online self-service system. 
        Many individuals whose certificates be expiring soon will want to choose this
        convenient way to arrange an appointment with the DPSAC badging office.
 
        Instructions for using the self-service system are provided in the e-mail that
        HHS sends to individuals whose certificates are about to expire. They are
        directed to copy the provided link        
        (https://scheduler.ors.od.nih.gov/CertificateRenewal.aspx) into their browser to
        schedule an appointment.
 
        Note: they do not need to be connected to the NIH network to access the
        appointment scheduler; however, they will need to appear in person for their
        appointment at the NIH Badge Issuance location they select. 

        Those working at satellite locations should check with their local security offices
        for information on updating their badge certificates.

        The HHS notification does not apply to the renewal of software
        certificates/tokens (i.e., certificates NOT stored on the smart card). Individuals
        who need to update their software certificates should follow the instructions
        posted at: http://pki.nih.gov/PKI_request.htm.
 
        For additional assistance, customers should contact the NIH IT Service Desk:
        301-496-HELP  or  http://itservicedesk.nih.gov/. 
 

Access Card Utility 

Some ICs have elected to deploy Access Card Utility (ACU) software that allows individuals to renew their digital certificates at their computer IF the certificates are within 42 days of expiration and not yet expired. The user does not have to be connected to the NIH net, either internally or via VPN, to use the ACU. A connection to the Internet is all that is required.  
 
If the ACU tool has not been installed on your Windows computer, please visit a Lifecycle Work Station (LWS) to renew your digital certificates. To locate an LWS near you, use this link: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/badge/Pages/lifecycle.aspx. 
 
To learn more about the ACU software application and how to use it to renew your digital certificates, visit the NIH Knowledge Base at: http://go.usa.gov/YMrj.

 

For information on using your new certificates to log in to your computer, to read secure e-mails and to send and receive secure e-mails, visit: http://smartcard.nih.gov.

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