Register for the Microsoft Windows Hardware Developer Program

This article shows you how to register for the Microsoft Windows Hardware Developer Program. When you register for the Hardware Developer Program, you're prompted to accept the following agreements

• Code Signing Agreement
• Windows Hardware Compatibility Agreement
• Microsoft Marks License Agreement (MMLA) (ver. 2024)
• Windows Analytics Agreement (ver. 2.0)

Prerequisites

• If you have an existing organization Dev Center account that you want to use for the Hardware program, sign in with it before you begin registration.

• You must have an Extended Validation (EV) code signing certificate. Check whether your organization already has a code signing certificate. If your company already has a certificate, have the certificate available. If your organization doesn't have a certificate, you must purchase an EV certificate. You only need the certificate to register for the Hardware Developer Program. You don't need to sign your driver with it.

• Sign in with your organization's Microsoft Entra ID Global administrator account. If you don't know whether your organization has a Microsoft Entra ID directory, contact your IT department. If your organization doesn't have a Microsoft Entra ID directory, you're able to create one for free during the registration process.

• You must have the authority to sign legal agreements on behalf of your organization.

Register for the Hardware Developer Program

To register for the Hardware Developer Program:

1. Go to the Hardware Developer Program registration.

2. Read the prerequisites to make sure you have what you need, and then select Next.

   

3. If your organization has a Microsoft Entra ID global administrator account, select Sign in to Microsoft Entra ID. If your organization doesn't have a Microsoft Entra ID directory, select Create a new directory for free. Follow the directions to create an account and sign in with your new global administrator user name and password.

   

4. When you're signed in to Microsoft Entra ID, select the country or region where you live or where your business is located.

   

Important

Once you complete your account information, you can't change your country/region.

1. Enter your company display name. Customers see your apps, add-ins, extensions, or services listed under this name.

   

2. Enter your personal contact info. Microsoft uses this info for account verification and to contact you. When you're done, select Next at the top of the page.

   

3. You're now in the Certificate section of the registration process. In order to secure your digital information, you must use your company's Extended Validation (EV) code signing certificate. If your company doesn't have an EV certificate, you can purchase one from an authorized certificate authority. Once you have your code signing certificate, select Next.

   

4. Sign and upload your file. Follow the steps as directed on the Manage code signing certificates page.

   Note

   You can sign the signable file with your certificate offline and return later to upload it. When you return, be sure to sign in with your Microsoft Entra ID global administrator account to resume the process.

5. After your file is uploaded, select Next at the bottom of the page.

6. Review all of your information, and then select Submit.

Next Steps

Manage users and permissions

To learn how to create your first hardware submission, see:

Hardware submissions.

Support

If you need support during the registration process, you can open a support ticket.