---
layout: docs
page_title: pki issue - Command
description: |-
  The "pki issue" command issues a new intermediate ("issuer") certificate,
  using a parent certificate in vault.
---

> [!IMPORTANT]  
> **Documentation Update:** Product documentation, which were located in this repository under `/website`, are now located in [`hashicorp/web-unified-docs`](https://github.com/hashicorp/web-unified-docs), colocated with all other product documentation. Contributions to this content should be done in the `web-unified-docs` repo, and not this one. Changes made to `/website` content in this repo will not be reflected on the developer.hashicorp.com website.

# pki issue

This command creates a intermediate certificate authority certificate signed by
the `<parent>` in the `<child_mount>`, using the options to determine the fields
on that certificate.

## Usage

Usage: `vault pki issue [flags] <parent> <child_mount> [options]`

- `[flags]` are optional arguments described below

- `<parent>` is the fully qualified path of the Certificate Authority in vault
  which will issue the new intermediate certificate.

- `<child_mount>` is the path of the mount in vault where the new issuer is saved.

- `[options]` are the superset of the k=v options passed to generate-intermediate-csr
  and sign-intermediate commands.  At least one option must be set.
  See [below](/vault/docs/commands/pki/issue#options).

### Flags

- `-type` `(string: "internal")` - This determines the type of key use for the
   newly created certificate.  Valid types are `"existing"` - where we link to
   a key already present in the vault-backend to be used (and expect option
   arguments `"key_ref"`) - `"internal"` - to generate a new key for this
   certificate - or `"kms"` - to link to an external key.  Exported keys are not
   available through this API.

- `-issuer_name` `(string: "")` - If present, the newly created issuer will be
   given this name.

### Options

Other than `type` (which is passed as a flag, see above), this command accepts
all options provided to the
[Generate CSR](/vault/api-docs/secret/pki#generate-intermediate-csr) and
[Sign Intermediate](/vault/api-docs/secret/pki#sign-intermediate) endpoints.

### Accessed APIs

Note that the vault user running this command will need to have access to the
following API endpoints, each representing a step in the process:

 - `READ /:parent` - used to check validity
 - `WRITE /:child_mount/intermediate/generate/:type` - used to generate the csr
 - `WRITE /:parent/sign-intermediate` - used to sign the csr
 - `WRITE /:child_mount/issuers/import/cert` - used to import the new issuer,
 and the issuer chain
 - `UPDATE /:child_mount/issuer/:issuer_refs` - used to both name the new
 issuer, and also set the name of the parent in the issuer chain
 - `READ /:child_mount/issuer/:new_issuer_ref` - used to verify completion,
 generate the output

## Examples

```shell-session
$ vault pki issue -issuer_name="FirstDepartment" /pki_root/issuer/default /pki_int/ common_name="first-department.example.com"
Key                               Value
---                               -----
ca_chain                          [-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
MIIDsDCCApigAwIBAgIULEPuHTW7UDtAQg+qcc18osNWgZIwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEL...
```
