What is an electronic signature?
An electronic signature is data attached to a document that shows a person’s intent to agree to it — for example, drawing or typing your name and clicking to sign. The law generally cares less about how the mark looks and more about the surrounding evidence: intent, consent, attribution, and integrity of the signed record.
United States — ESIGN Act and UETA
The federal ESIGN Act (2000) and the state-level UETA provide that a signature, contract, or record may not be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic. The usual requirements are that the signer intended to sign, consented to do business electronically, the signature is attributable to them, and the record is retained and reproducible.
European Union — eIDAS
The EU eIDAS regulation defines three tiers: simple electronic signatures (SES), advanced (AES), and qualified (QES). It states that a signature is not denied legal effect merely for being electronic. Everyday business agreements typically use SES; QES — which carries the equivalent of a handwritten signature by law — requires a qualified certificate and is used for specific high-assurance cases.
United Kingdom — ECA and retained eIDAS
The UK recognizes electronic signatures under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and UK-retained eIDAS. As in the EU, electronic signatures are admissible and their evidential weight depends on the reliability of the surrounding process.
India — Information Technology Act, 2000
India’s IT Act recognizes electronic signatures and provides for specific reliable methods. Certain instruments listed in its schedules — such as wills and some property and negotiable instruments — are excluded and still require traditional execution.
What makes a signature defensible
Across all of these frameworks, the same evidence matters: proof of the signer’s intent and consent, attribution to a specific person, a timestamped record of their actions, and proof the document was not changed after signing. Evenseal captures each signer’s consent, records their actions with timestamps, IP address, and device, and seals every completed document with a tamper-evident audit certificate and an externally anchored hash — so the record is verifiable rather than just asserted.