ESIGN Act

The ESIGN Act establishes that a contract cannot be denied legal effect solely because it was formed using an electronic signature. It applies to interstate and foreign commerce and covers most categories of transactions, with exceptions for wills, family law documents, court orders, and certain UCC transactions.

For developers building e-signature integrations, the key takeaway is that any electronic process that captures a person's intent to sign — including typing a name, drawing on a screen, or clicking a button — qualifies as a valid electronic signature under ESIGN. No specific technology is mandated.