The short answer: yes — electronic signatures are legally binding in most of the world. In the US they're recognized under the ESIGN Act and UETA; in the EU under eIDAS. A signature is enforceable when there's intent to sign, consent to do business electronically, association of the signature with the record, and a retained audit trail — all of which OpenSign™ captures automatically.
The laws that make eSignatures valid
United States — ESIGN Act & UETA
The federal ESIGN Act (2000) and the state-adopted UETA establish that a signature, contract or record may not be denied legal effect simply because it's electronic. Together they make eSignatures enforceable across nearly all US transactions.
European Union — eIDAS
The eIDAS regulation governs electronic signatures across the EU, defining three levels: simple, advanced (AES) and qualified (QES). Standard electronic signatures are admissible and enforceable; higher tiers add stronger identity guarantees for specific use cases.
What makes an electronic signature enforceable
- Intent to sign — the signer clearly meant to sign.
- Consent — both parties agree to transact electronically.
- Attribution — the signature is linked to the signer (email, IP, timestamp).
- Association — the signature is bound to the specific document.
- Record retention — a copy and audit trail are retained.
OpenSign records all of these and issues a certificate of completion as evidence.
When you might need more than a standard eSignature
Some documents — certain wills, specific notarized deeds, or family-law matters in some jurisdictions — may require handwritten signatures or notarization. When in doubt, check local requirements or consult a lawyer.
This page is informational, not legal advice.
How OpenSign ensures enforceability
- Captures intent and consent during signing.
- Logs signer identity, timestamp and IP in a tamper-evident audit trail.
- Binds the signature cryptographically to the document.
- Issues a certificate of completion for your records.
Ready to try it? Create a free OpenSign account and start signing documents in minutes — no credit card required. Prefer to run it yourself? OpenSign is 100% open source on GitHub.