---
name: "X509_get0_notBefore"
section: "3ssl"
platform: "linux"
package: "openssl"
version: "3.6.5-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/X509_get0_notBefore"
---

# X509\_get0\_notBefore(3ssl)

get or set certificate or CRL dates

## NAME

X509\_get0\_notBefore, X509\_getm\_notBefore, X509\_get0\_notAfter, X509\_getm\_notAfter, X509\_set1\_notBefore, X509\_set1\_notAfter, X509\_ACERT\_get0\_notBefore, X509\_ACERT\_get0\_notAfter, X509\_ACERT\_set1\_notBefore, X509\_ACERT\_set1\_notAfter, X509\_CRL\_get0\_lastUpdate, X509\_CRL\_get0\_nextUpdate, X509\_CRL\_set1\_lastUpdate, X509\_CRL\_set1\_nextUpdate - get or set certificate or CRL dates

## SYNOPSIS

```
 #include <openssl/x509.h>
 const ASN1_TIME *X509_get0_notBefore(const X509 *x);
 const ASN1_TIME *X509_get0_notAfter(const X509 *x);
 ASN1_TIME *X509_getm_notBefore(const X509 *x);
 ASN1_TIME *X509_getm_notAfter(const X509 *x);
 int X509_set1_notBefore(X509 *x, const ASN1_TIME *tm);
 int X509_set1_notAfter(X509 *x, const ASN1_TIME *tm);
 const ASN1_GENERALIZEDTIME *X509_ACERT_get0_notBefore(const X509 *x);
 const ASN1_GENERALIZEDTIME *X509_ACERT_get0_notAfter(const X509 *x);
 int X509_ACERT_set1_notBefore(X509_ACERT *x, const ASN1_GENERALIZEDTIME *tm);
 int X509_ACERT_set1_notAfter(X509_ACERT *x, const ASN1_GENERALIZEDTIME *tm);
 const ASN1_TIME *X509_CRL_get0_lastUpdate(const X509_CRL *crl);
 const ASN1_TIME *X509_CRL_get0_nextUpdate(const X509_CRL *crl);
 int X509_CRL_set1_lastUpdate(X509_CRL *x, const ASN1_TIME *tm);
 int X509_CRL_set1_nextUpdate(X509_CRL *x, const ASN1_TIME *tm);
```

## DESCRIPTION

**X509\_get0\_notBefore()** and **X509\_get0\_notAfter()** return the **notBefore** and **notAfter** fields of certificate *x* respectively. The value returned is an internal pointer which must not be freed up after the call. *x* **MUST NOT** be NULL.

**X509\_getm\_notBefore()** and **X509\_getm\_notAfter()** are similar to **X509\_get0\_notBefore()** and **X509\_get0\_notAfter()** except they return non-constant mutable references to the associated date field of the certificate.

**X509\_set1\_notBefore()** and **X509\_set1\_notAfter()** set the **notBefore** and **notAfter** fields of *x* to *tm*. Ownership of the passed parameter *tm* is not transferred by these functions so it must be freed up after the call.

**X509\_ACERT\_get0\_notBefore()** and **X509\_ACERT\_get0\_notAfter()** return the **notBefore** and **notAfter** fields of certificate **x** respectively. returned is an internal pointer which must not be freed up after the call.

**X509\_ACERT\_set1\_notBefore()** and **X509\_ACERT\_set1\_notAfter()** set the **notBefore** and **notAfter** fields of **x** to **tm**. Ownership of the passed parameter **tm** is not transferred by these functions so it must be freed up after the call.

**X509\_CRL\_get0\_lastUpdate()** and **X509\_CRL\_get0\_nextUpdate()** return the **lastUpdate** and **nextUpdate** fields of *crl*. The value returned is an internal pointer which must not be freed up after the call. If the **nextUpdate** field is absent from *crl* then NULL is returned.

**X509\_CRL\_set1\_lastUpdate()** and **X509\_CRL\_set1\_nextUpdate()** set the **lastUpdate** and **nextUpdate** fields of *crl* to *tm*. Ownership of the passed parameter *tm* is not transferred by these functions so it must be freed up after the call. For **X509\_CRL\_set1\_nextUpdate()** the *tm* argument may be NULL, which implies removal of the optional **nextUpdate** field.

## RETURN VALUES

**X509\_get0\_notBefore()**, **X509\_get0\_notAfter()** and **X509\_CRL\_get0\_lastUpdate()** return a pointer to an **ASN1\_TIME** structure.

**X509\_CRL\_get0\_lastUpdate()** return a pointer to an **ASN1\_TIME** structure or NULL if the **lastUpdate** field is absent.

**X509\_set1\_notBefore()**, **X509\_set1\_notAfter()**, **X509\_CRL\_set1\_lastUpdate()** and **X509\_CRL\_set1\_nextUpdate()** return 1 for success or 0 for failure.

## NOTES

Unlike the **X509** and **X509\_CRL** routines, the **X509\_ACERT** routines use the ASN1\_GENERALIZEDTIME format instead of ASN1\_TIME for holding time data.

## SEE ALSO

**d2i\_X509**(3), **ASN1\_GENERALIZEDTIME\_check**(3) **ERR\_get\_error**(3), **X509\_CRL\_get0\_by\_serial**(3), **X509\_get0\_signature**(3), **X509\_get\_ext\_d2i**(3), **X509\_get\_extension\_flags**(3), **X509\_get\_pubkey**(3), **X509\_get\_subject\_name**(3), **X509\_NAME\_add\_entry\_by\_txt**(3), **X509\_NAME\_ENTRY\_get\_object**(3), **X509\_NAME\_get\_index\_by\_NID**(3), **X509\_NAME\_print\_ex**(3), **X509\_new**(3), **X509\_sign**(3), **X509V3\_get\_d2i**(3), **X509\_verify\_cert**(3)

## HISTORY

**X509\_get\_notBefore()** and **X509\_get\_notAfter()** were deprecated in OpenSSL 1.1.0.

**X509\_ACERT\_get0\_notBefore()**, **X509\_ACERT\_get0\_notAfter()**, **X509\_ACERT\_set1\_notBefore()**, **X509\_ACERT\_set1\_notAfter()** were added in OpenSSL 3.4.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2016-2024 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.

Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 (the "License").  You may not use this file except in compliance with the License.  You can obtain a copy in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at \<https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html\>.