Is a typed name a valid signature?

It can be. US law defines an electronic signature as any electronic sound, symbol or process adopted with the intent to sign, and eIDAS defines it as data used by the signatory to sign. What matters is intent and the evidence linking the action to the person.

Do electronic signatures hold up in court?

They are admissible as evidence in the US and the EU. The outcome of a dispute depends on proof of who signed, that they meant to, and that the document was not changed. That proof comes from the audit trail, the identity checks and the sealed file.

Which documents cannot be signed electronically?

In the US the ESIGN Act excludes wills, codicils and testamentary trusts, family law matters such as adoption and divorce, court documents and certain notices, for example foreclosure or eviction from a primary residence. In the EU, national law reserves some documents for a qualified signature or a notary.

Is an electronic signature the same as a digital signature?

Not quite. Electronic signature is the legal term for any electronic way of signing. Digital signature is a cryptographic technique that binds a certificate to a file so changes can be detected. We use a digital signature to seal each completed PDF.

Do both parties need an account to sign?

No. Only the sender needs an account. Signers open a personal link from their email, consent to electronic records and sign in the browser. Everyone receives the sealed PDF with the certificate.

Legal validity

Is an Electronic Signature Legally Binding for Business Contracts

Yes. An electronic signature is legally binding for most business documents in the United States under the ESIGN Act and UETA, and in the European Union under eIDAS. It needs intent, consent, attribution to the signer and a record that can be kept.

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Signing order

In progress

MR

1. Maya Ross, client
Signed

[email protected] · 2026-10-08 14:02 UTC
DL

2. Dan Lee, director
Signed

[email protected] · 2026-10-08 16:41 UTC
PK

3. Priya Kaur, finance
Viewed

[email protected] · 2026-10-09 09:15 UTC
OA

4. Ops archive
CC on completion

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By region

Where electronic signatures are recognized

Legal recognition of electronic signatures by region
Region	Law	What it says	Read more
United States, federal	ESIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. 7001 and following	A signature or contract may not be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic	ESIGN Act and UETA
United States, states	UETA in 49 states, ESRA in New York	The same rule at state level, where the parties agreed to transact electronically	ESIGN Act and UETA
European Union	eIDAS, Regulation (EU) No 910/2014	Three levels, simple, advanced and qualified. None can be refused as evidence solely for being electronic	eIDAS guide

Many other countries have comparable laws. This page covers the US and the EU, where the product is documented.

Definition

Legally binding electronic signature: An electronic mark or process that a person adopts with the intent to sign a record, in a transaction where the law allows electronic form, backed by evidence that ties it to that person and to an unchanged document.

The law treats the signature as valid by default. What decides a dispute is evidence. Can you show who signed, that they meant to, and that the text is the one they saw?

That is why the method matters more than the look of the signature. A drawn squiggle with a full record behind it is stronger than a neat one with none.

Conditions

What makes an electronic signature valid

Conditions for a valid electronic signature and the matching product evidence
Condition	In plain words	Evidence in SignElectronically
Intent	The signer meant to sign	An explicit Sign action on their own field, with a UTC timestamp
Consent	The signer agreed to use electronic records	A consent step before signing, stored as a separate event
Attribution	The signature can be tied to a person	A personal link per email address, IP address and browser, and one time codes on Plus and above
Retention	Everyone can keep and reproduce the record	A sealed PDF with the audit certificate sent to all parties
Integrity	The document has not changed since signing	SHA-256 hashes of the original and sealed file, checkable by anyone

The certificate is described field by field on the audit trail page. A counterparty can confirm a file on the verify page without an account, and the sealing method is on the security page.

Exceptions

When an electronic signature is not enough

United States

Wills, codicils and testamentary trusts
Adoption, divorce and other family law matters
Court orders, notices and official court documents
Notices of utility cancellation, and of foreclosure or eviction from a primary residence
Cancellation of health or life insurance benefits and product recall notices

European Union

Documents for which national law requires the written form, which only a qualified signature replaces
Deeds and transfers that national law sends to a notary or a public register
Any document a regulator or counterparty contractually requires at the qualified level

The rules differ by member state. We do not offer qualified signatures, so these documents need another route.

Print shop owner and a client reviewing a services agreement on a laptop beside a large format printer

What you get

What SignElectronically produces

Every plan

A simple electronic signature with consent, an audit certificate and a tamper evident sealed PDF. This is the level used for most contracts under US law and eIDAS.

Pro flow

Signer identity checks by email and SMS code, a unique signing link and the sealed PDF, designed to meet the eIDAS advanced signature requirements. Whether it does in your case is your legal call.

What we do not claim

No qualified signatures and no certifications we do not hold. This page is general information and not legal advice.

Plans and their limits are on pricing.

Questions

Legal validity FAQ

Yes, for most business documents. In the United States the ESIGN Act and UETA give an electronic signature the same legal effect as a handwritten one. In the European Union, Article 25 of the eIDAS Regulation says it cannot be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic.

Sign a PDF and keep the proof

Try the demo on the homepage. Sign one document and see the certificate that stands behind the signature.