Electronic signatures and legality in the United Kingdom, European Union, and United States

Electronic signatures are legally binding for nearly every business or personal transaction in the United Kingdom and around the world.

United Kingdom

Not all eSignature solutions are created equally. In the United Kingdom, Docusign warrants that its electronic eSignature solution complies with the definition of an electronic signature under the Electronic Communications Act 2000.

European Union (EU)

In 2014, the European Parliament repealed the eSignature Directive (1999/93/EC), with the goal of creating a more uniform, pan-EU market for electronic transactions. The replacement was the EU Regulation No 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market, also known as eIDAS. Electronic signatures are actively in use in Europe, and Docusign eSignatures are compliant with eIDAS and EU electronic signature technical standards.

United States

In the United States, the Docusign electronic signature solution complies with the definition of an electronic signature under the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (ESIGN) Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA).

Rest of the world

Many countries in the world have adopted an electronic signature law or recognize electronic signatures. The Docusign form of electronic signature meets the definition of a valid electronic signature under the vast majority of those laws.