RFC 9846: The Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol Version 1.3
In plain English — editorial summary, not part of the RFC
This document specifies version 1.3 of the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. TLS allows client/server applications to communicate over the Internet in a way that is designed to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, and message forgery. This document obsoletes RFC 8446, which specified TLS 1.3. This document obsoletes RFC 5246 (specifying TLS 1.2) and RFCs 5077, 6961, 7627, and 8422, all of which pertain to TLS 1.2 or earlier, and updates RFCs 5705 and 6066. This document also specifies new requirements for TLS 1.2 implementations.
Document record
- Document ID
- RFC9846
- Published
- July 2026
- Authors
- E. Rescorla
- Status
- PROPOSED STANDARD
- Stream
- IETF
- Area
- sec
- Pages
- 137
- Also known as
- —
Standards lineage
This document is one revision in a chain of 15 RFCs, each formally replacing the one before it.
- RFC 2246 (1999)
- RFC 3268 (2002)
- RFC 3546 (2003)
- RFC 4346 (2006)
- RFC 4366 (2006)
- RFC 4492 (2006)
- RFC 4507 (2006)
- RFC 5077 (2008)
- RFC 5246 (2008)
- RFC 6066 (2011)
- RFC 6961 (2013)
- RFC 7627 (2015)
- RFC 8422 (2018)
- RFC 8446 (2018)
- RFC 9846 (2026)
Read the full history of The Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol Version 1.3 →
Related documents
Ranked automatically by shared keywords, IETF area and stream — not by editorial selection.
- RFC 9847IANA Registry Updates for TLS and DTLSCurrent
December 2025
- RFC 9848Bootstrapping TLS Encrypted ClientHello with DNS Service BindingsCurrent
March 2026
- RFC 9849TLS Encrypted Client HelloCurrent
March 2026
- RFC 9850The SSLKEYLOGFILE Format for TLSCurrent
July 2026
- RFC 9851TLS 1.2 is in Feature FreezeCurrent
July 2026
- RFC 9852New Protocols Using TLS Must Require TLS 1.3Current
July 2026
- RFC 9853Return Routability Check for DTLS 1.2 and 1.3Current
March 2026
- RFC 9838Group Key Management Using the Internet Key Exchange Protocol Version 2 (IKEv2)Current
November 2025
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About this page
The document record above — title, authors, date, status, stream, area, relationships, DOI and errata — is imported verbatim from the public RFC Editor index. The “in plain English” section is editorial: written by The metasystema editorial team, not part of the RFC. Where the two differ, the RFC text governs.
Last checked against the RFC Editor index on . RFCs are never revised after publication; changes are issued as new documents.
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