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Documents signed with digital signatures are legally valid and hold the same value as a handwritten signature in most regions. All documents signed with Zoho Sign meet the requirements of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act of 2000 (ESIGN) in the United States, the electronic IDentification, Authentication and Trust Services (eIDAS) regulation in the European Union, and the Information Technology Act of 2000 (ITA) in India, along with several other digital signature laws.

We often receive questions from new users about the legality of digital signatures in their country. This guide aims to provide answers to these common questions.

DISCLAIMER

This digital signature legality guide is the result of comprehensive legal research into digital signatures on a country-by-country basis. Though it has been published with the help of our legal team and technology experts, this guide does not constitute official legal advice and should be used for general information purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your region since laws change frequently.

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What is court-admissible?

This refers to whether documents signed with digital signatures can be submitted as evidence in a court. Nowadays, most countries support digital transactions and digital signatures, but with the consent of the parties involved.

What is a legal model?

A country can either have an open or tiered legal model for digital signatures. Countries with an open legal model don't require any technology standards to receive special legal status for documents signed with digital signatures. This means documents signed with Zoho Sign are automatically considered evidence in a court of law.

Countries with a tiered legal model recognize Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) , or its local equivalent, as a distinct type of digital signature. This means documents signed with QES are presumed authentic and immediately accepted as evidence in court. As such, documents signed with Zoho Sign will also be considered evidence in court along with some kind of proof.

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Frequently asked questions:

  • Are digital signatures legally binding?

    Documents signed with digital signatures are legally valid in many regions, including the United States, the European Union, and India. However, the legal validity differs from country to country, and it’s important to check the laws in your region.

  • Why is it valuable to use e-signatures in legal documents?

    Signing your documents with e-signatures can help prove the authenticity and integrity of legal documents, as the accompanying encryption and audit trails make it difficult for documents to be tampered with.

  • Do all countries recognize digital signatures?

    There are some countries that have not yet adopted digital signatures.

  • Are my documents secure in Zoho Sign?

    Yes. Zoho Sign stores your documents in secure data center and encrypts them with industry-standard encryption algorithms.

  • What kind of signatures does Zoho Sign offer?

    Zoho Sign offers three types of electronic signatures: standard electronic signatures, advanced electronic signatures (AES), and qualified electronic signatures (QES).

  • Does Zoho Sign offer digital signing through Sign with Singpass?

    Yes, you can use your Zoho Sign account to get your documents digitally signed through Sign with Singpass.

  • Does Zoho Sign offer digital signing with Aadhaar eSign?

    Yes, you can use your Zoho Sign account to sign documents with Aadhaar eSign. The app is compliant with the Information Technology Act, 2000. Learn more

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