LEGALITY

Are e-signatures legally binding?

For most business agreements, yes. Here’s what the law says, what we record to back it up, and where you still need ink.

United States — ESIGN and UETA

The federal ESIGN Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (adopted by most states) say a signature or contract can’t be denied legal effect just because it’s electronic, as long as the signers agree to do business electronically.

European Union — eIDAS

Signatures made with SignAnything are electronic signatures under eIDAS. They can’t be denied legal effect or admissibility solely because they’re electronic. They are not “advanced” or “qualified” electronic signatures, which some regulated documents require.

What we record for every signature

Consent — each signer agrees to sign electronically before they see the document, and can decline instead.
Who, when and where — email or phone used, any identity check (text code or PIN), time, IP address and device for every view and signature.
A sealed final document — a PAdES long-term signature and trusted timestamp; any later change breaks the seal.
A certificate of completion attached to the final PDF. See a sample.

When you may still need ink

Some documents have special rules — for example wills and testaments, certain family-law and court documents, some notices and documents that must be notarized or witnessed in person. Rules differ by country and state.

This page is general information, not legal advice. If you’re unsure whether a document can be signed electronically, ask your lawyer.