Guide
How to Use E-Signatures Legally
Electronic signatures are legally binding in the US, EU, and UK under specific legislation.
Steps
- 1
Understand the applicable law — ESIGN (US), eIDAS (EU), ECA (UK)
- 2
Ensure intent to sign is captured (click, draw, or type)
- 3
Maintain an audit trail (timestamps, IP addresses, verification)
- 4
Use SHA-256 or similar tamper-detection for document integrity
- 5
Store signed documents securely for the required retention period
Try it with curl
curl -X POST https://signb.ee/api/send \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"content": "# Your Document\n\nContent here...",
"senderName": "Your Name",
"senderEmail": "you@email.com",
"recipientName": "Recipient",
"recipientEmail": "recipient@email.com"
}'Legal validity
Electronic signatures are legally binding under the ESIGN Act (US), eIDAS Regulation (EU), and Electronic Communications Act (UK). Every Signbee document includes a SHA-256 tamper-proof certificate.
More details
Three laws govern e-signature legality in the major markets:
ESIGN Act (US, 2000): Electronic signatures have the same legal standing as handwritten signatures for interstate and international commerce. Key requirement: the signer must consent to do business electronically.
eIDAS Regulation (EU, 2014): Defines three levels of electronic signatures — Simple (SES), Advanced (AES), and Qualified (QES). Simple and Advanced are valid for most contracts. Qualified signatures (requiring hardware tokens) are needed for specific regulated documents.
Electronic Communications Act (UK, 2000): Recognises electronic signatures as admissible evidence in court. Combined with common law, e-signatures are valid for virtually all contract types except wills, deeds, and some property transfers.
What you need for legal compliance: 1. Intent: The signer took an affirmative action to sign 2. Consent: The signer agreed to conduct business electronically 3. Association: The signature is linked to the specific document 4. Integrity: The document can't be altered after signing (SHA-256) 5. Retention: Signed documents are stored for the legally required period 6. Audit trail: Timestamps, IP addresses, and verification methods recorded
Exceptions (documents that generally can't be e-signed): - Wills and testamentary documents - Family law (divorce, adoption in some jurisdictions) - Court orders and judicial documents - Certain real property deeds and transfers - Powers of attorney for healthcare (in some states)
Frequently asked questions
Are e-signatures legally binding everywhere?
E-signatures are legally binding in 60+ countries including the US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, and Japan. Each country has its own legislation, but the core principle — electronic signatures have the same validity as paper — is universal.
What documents can't be signed electronically?
Most exceptions are wills, certain family law documents, court orders, and some real property deeds. The vast majority of business, employment, and commercial contracts can be signed electronically.
Related resources
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