HelloSign's Guide to Electronic Signatures
Start Signing Today.
SIgn up freeFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is an electronic signature?
According to the U.S. Federal ESIGN Act passed in 2000, an electronic signature is an "electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record."In layman's terms, an electronic signature, often referred to as an e-signature, is a person's electronic expression of his or her agreement to the terms of a particular document.
What are electronic signatures used for?
Electronic signatures are used on every sort of document you can imagine. For instance, HelloSign users use electronic signatures to:
Esign NDAs, timesheets, and employee onboarding paperwork
Esign sales contracts, invoices, and approve proposals
Fill out and sign leases and other rental and housing agreements
Electronically sign tax documents, bank forms, and insurance paperwork
Fill out and sign permission slips, school forms, and release
How do electronic signatures work with HelloSign?
There are 4 ways to create an electronic signature using HelloSign.
1
Draw your signature using your computer mouse or touchpad
2
Take a photo of your signature using your smartphone and upload it to HelloSign
3
Type your name and select any one of our fonts to give your typed signature an authentic touch
4
Sign using your finger either on our mobile app for iOS and Android, or using our in-person signing feature on the iPad
Once created, an electronic signature can be added to any document along with other annotations such as check marks or freeform text.

Are electronic signatures legal?
Yes, electronic signatures are valid and legal in the United States, Canada, the European Union, the UK, and many other areas of the world. View more about the legality of electronic signatures here.
What are the benefits of electronic signatures?
There are many benefits to using an electronic signature. Using electronic signatures through HelloSign you can:
Get documents signed fast
Sign documents from anywhere
And many more