Use Windows Hello for Business certificates as smart card certificates
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 10, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Hello for Business Description
If you enable this policy setting, applications use Windows Hello for Business certificates as smart card certificates. Biometric factors are unavailable when a user is asked to authorize the use of the certificate's private key. This policy setting is designed to allow compatibility with applications that rely exclusively on smart card certificates. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, applications do not use Windows Hello for Business certificates as smart card certificates, and biometric factors are available when a user is asked to authorize the use of the certificate's private key. This policy setting is incompatible with Windows Hello for Business credentials provisioned when the "Turn off smart card emulation" is enabled. Windows requires a user to lock and unlock their session after changing this setting if the user is currently signed in.
Registry
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork Value name: UseHelloCertificatesAsSmartCardCertificates
Enabled: UseHelloCertificatesAsSmartCardCertificates = 1
Disabled: UseHelloCertificatesAsSmartCardCertificates = 0
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Use Windows Hello for Business certificates as smart card certificates
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows 10
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork]
"UseHelloCertificatesAsSmartCardCertificates"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Use Windows Hello for Business certificates as smart card certificates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'UseHelloCertificatesAsSmartCardCertificates' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
No direct Policy CSP / OMA-URI mapping for this policy. Use the Intune Remediation tab, or ingest the ADMX in Intune.Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Use Windows Hello for Business certificates as smart card certificates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork' -Name 'UseHelloCertificatesAsSmartCardCertificates' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Use Windows Hello for Business certificates as smart card certificates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'UseHelloCertificatesAsSmartCardCertificates' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Use Windows Hello for Business certificates as smart card certificates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Use Windows Hello for Business certificates as smart card certificates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork' -Name 'UseHelloCertificatesAsSmartCardCertificates' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Use Windows Hello for Business certificates as smart card certificates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'UseHelloCertificatesAsSmartCardCertificates' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.