What Is an Electronic Signature, and Is a Drawn Signature Legal?
In many countries, yes: a signature you draw on a screen and place on a PDF can count as a valid electronic signature for everyday documents such as rental agreements, permission slips and many business contracts. In the United States, the federal ESIGN Act says a signature or contract can't be denied legal effect just because it's electronic. In the European Union, the eIDAS Regulation sets a similar rule for electronic signatures in general.
There are real exceptions, though. Some documents still need a wet-ink signature, a witness or a stronger, certificate-based signature, and the rules differ by country and by the type of document. This article explains the terms in plain language. It's general information, not legal advice. If a lot is riding on a document, ask the organisation that sent it, or a lawyer, what they accept.
What "electronic signature" means
An electronic signature is a broad term for any electronic way of showing you agree to a document. That can include:
- a signature you draw with a finger, stylus or mouse and place on a PDF;
- typing your name into a signature box;
- ticking an "I agree" box on a website;
- a signature created through an e-signing service that emails you a link.
The EU's eIDAS Regulation describes the most basic kind as data in electronic form that's attached to or logically associated with other electronic data and used by the signer to sign. In everyday terms: something electronic that links you to the document and shows you meant to sign it.
Electronic signature vs digital signature
People often use these words as if they're the same. They aren't.
| Simple electronic signature | Certificate-based digital signature |
|---|
| What it is | An image of your signature, a typed name, or a click to accept | A cryptographic seal tied to a certificate that identifies the signer |
| Proves who signed? | Only through surrounding evidence, such as the email it came from | Yes, through the certificate |
| Shows if the file was changed later? | No | Yes, changes after signing are detectable |
| Typical uses | Leases, consent forms, timesheets, many contracts | Some government filings, banking, regulated industries |
In the EU, eIDAS defines three levels. A simple electronic signature is the basic kind above. An advanced electronic signature must be uniquely linked to the signer, able to identify them, under their sole control, and must make later changes to the document detectable. A qualified electronic signature is an advanced signature made with a qualified signature-creation device and based on a qualified certificate from an approved trust service provider.
What the law says in the US
The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN), passed in 2000, covers transactions in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce. Its core rule, in 15 U.S.C. § 7001, is that a signature, contract or other record relating to such a transaction may not be denied legal effect, validity or enforceability solely because it's in electronic form, and a contract can't be denied effect solely because an electronic signature or record was used to form it.
That doesn't mean every electronic signature is automatically valid. It means being electronic isn't, by itself, a reason to reject it. Other questions, such as whether the person really signed and whether they agreed to do business electronically, still matter.
ESIGN also lists exceptions in 15 U.S.C. § 7003. It doesn't apply to records governed by laws on wills, codicils and testamentary trusts, or by state laws on adoption, divorce and other family matters, among others. It also excludes court orders and official court documents, and certain notices, such as utility shut-offs, foreclosure or eviction notices, and cancellation of health or life insurance.
What the law says in the EU
Under eIDAS (Regulation (EU) No 910/2014), an electronic signature can't be refused legal effect or rejected as evidence in court solely because it's electronic or because it doesn't meet the requirements for a qualified signature. A qualified electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten one.
Beyond that, each member state decides what effect simple and advanced signatures have and which documents need a qualified signature or paper. Countries may exclude areas such as contracts that create or transfer rights in real estate (other than rental), suretyship, and family or succession law.
Other countries have their own electronic signature laws, with their own exceptions. If you're outside the US and EU, check the official government guidance where you live.
So is a drawn signature on a PDF legal?
For many everyday documents, a drawn signature is treated as a simple electronic signature and accepted. Typical examples are a tenancy agreement, a freelance contract, a supplier quote, a school trip form or a timesheet.
It's likely not enough when:
- the document is a will, a deed, or something that must be witnessed or notarised;
- it's a court filing or a government form that specifies a particular signing method;
- a bank, regulator or employer requires a certificate-based or qualified signature;
- the sender simply says they need wet ink.
The fastest way to know is to ask the person or organisation who sent the document what they accept. Many will say a signed PDF by email is fine.
How to sign a PDF with a drawn signature
If a simple electronic signature is acceptable, PDF Sign lets you do it without printing:
- Click Choose PDF and pick the document.
- Draw your signature in the box with a mouse, trackpad, finger or stylus. The ink is dark blue. Click Clear signature to try again.
- Under Position on PDF, enter the page number, then set X (from the left edge) and Y (from the top edge) in PDF points. An A4 page is about 595 by 842 points, so a signature line near the bottom of A4 is usually around Y 700 to 780.
- Set Width and Height. The defaults are 200 by 60.
- Click Embed Signature, then Download Signed PDF, and check the placement.
The tool places an image of your handwritten signature on the page, which is a simple electronic signature. It is not a certificate-based digital signature. The PDF and your signature are processed in your browser with the pdf-lib library and aren't uploaded to our server.
To add the date or your printed name beside the signature, use Add Text to PDF. If you need to return several signed files as one, join them with PDF Merge.
Keeping a record
Because a simple electronic signature doesn't prove identity by itself, the surrounding trail helps. Keep the email the document came in, send the signed copy back from your usual email address, and save a copy of what you sent. If the other side countersigns, ask for the final version too.
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