How to Fix CAC Card Not Appearing as Digital ID in Acrobat on Mac
Question details
The user needs to sign a PDF using a CAC card on macOS Catalina, but the digital ID is not appearing in Adobe Acrobat.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- macOS Catalina
- Scenario
- Applying a digital signature to a PDF document using a Common Access Card (CAC).
- Observed behavior
- The CAC card successfully authenticates on secure websites, but fails to appear as an available digital ID for signing documents within the PDF application.
Ensure your CAC reader is firmly connected to your Mac and that you have the appropriate middleware installed so macOS Catalina can actively read the smart card.
Enable Trusted Certificates and Verify Digital IDs
Updating the trust manager forces the application to refresh its trusted certificates, allowing it to recognize the connected CAC smart card.
PDF applications maintain their own internal lists of trusted certificates. If this list is outdated or isolated from the macOS keychain, the software may not display your CAC credentials.
Launch Adobe Acrobat, click on 'Acrobat' in the top macOS menu bar, and select 'Preferences' (or press Cmd + Comma).
Navigate to 'Trust Manager' in the left pane. In the 'Automatic Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL) updates' section, check the box to 'Load trusted certificates from an Adobe AATL server', then click 'Update Now'.
Go to the 'Signatures' category in Preferences. Find the 'Identities & Trusted Certificates' section and click the 'More' button.
Look for your digital ID under 'Digital IDs' and 'Trusted Certificates'. If it is not listed, use the 'Add ID' button to manually locate, install, and register the digital ID from your CAC card.
Verify macOS CAC Configuration
Ensure that your macOS Catalina configuration and middleware are properly set up to communicate with the smart card.
Easily Edit and Sign PDFs with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a streamlined, user-friendly PDF editor alongside a complete suite of productivity tools, allowing you to easily manage, sign, and securely edit your PDF documents without hassle.
- 1. Open Your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open the PDF document that requires your digital signature.
- 2. Navigate to the Protect Tab: Click on the 'Protect' or 'Fill & Sign' tab on the top ribbon to access the signature tools.
- 3. Create or Insert Signature: Click 'Sign Document' to draw, type, or import an image of your signature, or use your configured digital certificate.
- 4. Apply and Save: Place the signature in the appropriate field on your document and click 'Save' to finalize the signed PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my CAC card work on secure websites but not in my PDF software?
Web browsers and desktop PDF applications often use different certificate stores or trust lists. While macOS might recognize the card for Safari, the PDF application requires its own internal configuration to securely read the digital ID.
Do I need special software for a CAC reader on macOS Catalina?
Yes, Mac users typically need specific middleware or an enabler utility to bridge the hardware reader with macOS, ensuring applications can accurately read the DoD certificates.
How do I manually add a digital ID in a PDF reader?
Usually, you navigate to the software's Preferences, find the Signatures or Digital IDs section, click 'Add ID', and select the option to import the ID directly from a file or a connected smart card.
