The short version
An electronic signature — typed, drawn, or otherwise applied with intent — is legally equivalent to a handwritten signature for almost all business agreements: contracts, NDAs, offer letters, service agreements, leases, vendor agreements, consulting contracts, freelance work, and more. This has been settled law in the US since 2000 (the ESIGN Act) and similarly in the EU, UK, Canada, and Australia.
What makes an e-signature enforceable
Three things, per the ESIGN Act and equivalent laws elsewhere:
- Intent to sign — the signer demonstrably meant to sign (clicking a 'sign' button counts)
- Consent to do business electronically — both parties agreed to electronic transactions (opening the document and signing implies this)
- Attribution — the signature is associated with the signer, typically through email + audit trail
Standard electronic signatures vs. qualified
There are tiers. A 'standard electronic signature' (typed name, drawn signature, click-to-sign) is enforceable for almost all commercial agreements. A 'qualified electronic signature' (eIDAS QES in the EU, equivalent elsewhere) requires a hardware certificate from a trust service provider — only required for narrow regulated cases like signing official EU documents. For 99% of business use, a standard signature is fine.
When you still need a wet signature
- Wills, codicils, and testamentary trusts
- Family law documents (adoption, divorce, child custody) in many states
- Court orders and notices of court action
- Some real-estate transactions (deeds, mortgage documents in select states)
- Notarized documents where the notarization itself requires a physical seal (some states allow remote online notarization)
- Documents specifically requiring a wet signature by contract (rare; check your agreement)
What an audit trail provides
Modern e-signature tools record an audit trail with the signer's email, IP address, view timestamp, and sign timestamp. This is what courts look at if there's ever a dispute — it establishes intent, attribution, and the order of events. A signed PDF without an audit trail is harder to defend.
International recognition
- USA: ESIGN Act (2000) + Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (state-level, 49 of 50 states)
- EU: eIDAS Regulation (2014) — standard, advanced, and qualified tiers
- UK: Electronic Communications Act 2000 + post-Brexit retention of eIDAS principles
- Canada: Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
- Australia: Electronic Transactions Act 1999
- India: Information Technology Act 2000