Method and apparatus for self-authenticating digital records

(57) It is a method for which proves the validity of a record with a signature in digital one being signed by the user who has a digital certificate which the certificate authority person in a summary certificate authority person's class publishes. A user signs a record and acquires the certificate cancellation information about all the certificate authority persons in the class chain which extends to a digital certificate and a root certificate authority person from a user. A time stamp is added to a record, a digital certificate, and certificate cancellation information, and corroborates the time of all the items being created. When one or the digital certificate beyond it is completed or canceled after predetermined time progress, a time stamp serves as proof of the completeness of a record with a signature.