E-signature legality in United States
United States of America
Electronic signatures have the same legal effect as handwritten signatures under ESIGN and UETA.
The law in plain language
The United States operates a dual framework: ESIGN at the federal level (signed by President Clinton in 2000) and UETA at the state level (adopted by 49 of 50 states + DC, with New York having its own equivalent — ESRA). The two statutes give electronic signatures the same legal effect as handwritten signatures across interstate and international commerce.
- Primary framework
- ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 7001–7031) + UETA (state-level, adopted by 49 states + DC)
- National act
- Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN), 2000
Signature tiers recognised in {country}
United States recognises the three eIDAS-aligned tiers. The right tier depends on the contract — most B2B documents are fine with SES; AES adds an identity-binding factor; QES carries the legal force of a handwritten signature for documents that require written form.
The baseline — admissible as evidence in court. Suitable for everyday commercial contracts.
SES + a second factor (typically SMS) that uniquely binds the signature to the signer.
AES + a qualified certificate from a Qualified Trust Service Provider. Equivalent to a wet signature.
Routinely signed electronically
- B2B service agreements, MSAs, SOWs
- NDAs, sales orders, partner agreements
- Employment offer letters, onboarding paperwork
- Independent contractor agreements
- Software licenses, terms of service
- Real estate purchase agreements (transfer deeds may need separate notarisation)
Still need wet ink
- Wills, codicils, and testamentary trusts
- Family law: adoption, divorce, custody documents
- Court orders, notices, and official court documents
- Some product-recall notices, foreclosure notices
- Documents required to be sent by USPS under specific statutes
Specifics for United States
- ESIGN's four requirements: intent to sign, consent to electronic transactions, association of signature with record, and record retention. Every letssign.now signature satisfies all four.
- New York uses ESRA (Electronic Signatures and Records Act) instead of UETA — substantively equivalent for commercial signatures.
- US-region hosting (Virginia) is available on Branded + Teams workspaces.
Underlying standards
The legal force above comes from these technical + regulatory standards. Each has its own page with the full detail.
Signed contracts in United States, in 90 seconds
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