E-signature

3 pieces on this.

Two stacked bands labelled ESIGN federal and UETA state law, with a signature drawn across both

Is an electronic signature legally binding in the US?

Electronic signatures have been valid in the US since ESIGN took effect in 2000, and the statutes settled that question. What they left open is proof: whether you can show this person made this mark on this document, which is a question about the record your signing tool keeps.

09 Sept 2026 · 20 min read

E-signature Contracts

A stack of audit trail elements over a SHA-256 hash bar

What an e-signature audit trail actually has to contain

A signature image proves almost nothing. The evidence is the consent record, the timestamps, the per-recipient link, the append-only event log and the SHA-256 hash of the original document, plus knowing how to check that hash correctly.

09 Sept 2026 · 17 min read

E-signature Contracts

A split showing most documents inside ESIGN and a short excluded list outside it

What documents cannot be signed electronically in the US

ESIGN §7003 does not ban electronic signing, it withdraws a federal validity rule, and the difference decides whether you have a hard stop or a higher evidentiary bar. What subsection (a) and subsection (b) actually exclude, why each item is on the list, and what to do instead.

09 Sept 2026 · 17 min read

E-signature Contracts