What Is an Authority Receipt?
An authority receipt is a signed proof that a runtime request passed through policy evaluation before execution. It records canonical intent, policy version, decision outcome, and integrity hashes so reviewers can verify exactly why an action was allowed, denied, or escalated in a specific context.
1. Definition
An authority receipt is an immutable evidence artifact produced at decision time that cryptographically binds execution intent, identity context, governing policy bundle, and authorization result.
2. Why It Matters
Without receipt-grade evidence, organizations rely on fragmented logs that cannot conclusively prove authorization lineage. Authority receipts provide decision provenance, reduce dispute ambiguity, and support regulatory reviews by preserving verifiable links between requested actions and governing policy at the exact time of execution.
3. Technical Architecture
- Capture normalized execution intent and contextual metadata.
- Reference policy bundle identifier and hash used for evaluation.
- Record deterministic decision output and reason codes.
- Sign the receipt payload with system or organizational key material.
- Store and index receipt for retrieval, verification, and replay workflows.
4. Comparison Table
| Feature | Authority Receipt | Agent Orchestration Trace | Workflow Automation Log |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cryptographic integrity | Signed and verifiable | Usually unsigned | Usually unsigned |
| Policy version binding | Required field | Inconsistent | Optional metadata |
| Audit-grade nonrepudiation | Designed for it | Limited | Limited |
5. Failure Modes Without It
- Teams cannot prove whether an action was actually authorized.
- Policy disputes escalate because decision evidence is incomplete.
- Cross-system incident investigations lose chain-of-custody.
- Regulatory inquiries fail due to unverifiable control records.
6. FAQ
What does an authority receipt prove?
It proves which policy decision, actor context, and decision hash governed a specific execution request.
Is an authority receipt the same as an application log?
No. Logs are mutable operational records, while authority receipts are signed evidence artifacts for verification and audit.
Can receipts be used for forensic replay?
Yes. Receipts bind deterministic inputs and policy versions, enabling reproducible decision replay.
When should a receipt be generated?
A receipt should be generated for every governed execution decision, including allow, deny, and escalation outcomes.