Version 1.0 was adopted on 22 November 2011 and took effect on 1 July 2012; the document is revised by ballot many times a year (version 2.3.1, October 2026, at the time of writing). It follows the RFC 3647 outline, so section numbers are stable: §3.2.2.4 domain validation methods, §3.2.2.9 multi-perspective corroboration, §4.2.2 CAA checking, §4.9 revocation, §6.3.2 validity periods, §7.1 certificate profiles.
Separate CA/Browser Forum documents cover EV certificates (EV Guidelines), S/MIME (S/MIME BRs, in force since 1 September 2023) and code signing (Code Signing BRs). Linters such as zlint and pkilint check certificates against the BR profiles, and CAs must report and fix every violation publicly.