Is a typed name a valid signature?

Generally yes. Under eIDAS, ESIGN, and UETA, a typed name entered with intent to sign is a simple electronic signature and is legally effective. As with any simple signature, its strength in a dispute depends on the surrounding evidence of who typed it and what they saw.

Can a contract be rejected just because it was signed electronically?

No. eIDAS art. 25 (EU), the ESIGN Act (US), and UK law all state an electronic signature cannot be denied effect or admissibility solely for being electronic. A court can still weigh how convincing the signature evidence is, form is not the issue; proof is.

Is pasting a scanned image of my signature valid?

As a signature type, yes, it is a simple electronic signature. The common criticism is evidential: a floating image can be copied. Flattening it into the document and keeping evidence of the signing (emails, an audit trail, the final hash) addresses that weakness.

Do I need a digital certificate to sign a PDF?

For everyday private documents, leases, quotes, NDAs, approvals, no; a simple electronic signature is sufficient and routinely used. Certificates (advanced/qualified signatures) are needed for some government filings and for documents where the law or counterparty demands them.

What makes an electronic signature stronger as evidence?

Anything tying the act of signing to a person and freezing the content: identity checks, a tamper-evident audit trail with timestamps, a cryptographic hash of the signed file, and ordinary context like email threads and subsequent performance. Weight comes from evidence, not from how the mark looks.

Is a drawn signature on a PDF legally valid?

In most cases, yes. A signature you draw, type, or photograph onto a PDF is a “simple electronic signature”. Under the EU's eIDAS regulation, the US ESIGN Act and UETA, and UK law, it cannot be denied legal effect merely for being electronic. What varies is its evidential weight, and a few document types are excluded.

Last updated: July 17, 2026

What counts as a simple electronic signature

A simple electronic signature (SES) is any data in electronic form that a person attaches to a document with the intent to sign it: a drawn squiggle, a typed name, a photographed wet signature, even clicking “I accept”. It is the everyday tier of electronic signing, distinct from advanced and qualified signatures, which bind the signature cryptographically to an identity certificate.

Most e-signature vendors sell certificate-based products, which is why so many of their articles conclude that a drawn signature “isn't valid”. The law says something more nuanced: the form of the signature matters far less than the signer's intent and the evidence around the act of signing.

What the law says, by jurisdiction

European Union — eIDAS Regulation (EU) 910/2014, art. 25
An electronic signature “shall not be denied legal effect and admissibility as evidence in legal proceedings solely on the grounds that it is in an electronic form”. Only the qualified tier is automatically equivalent to a handwritten signature; simple signatures are weighed as evidence like any other.
United States — ESIGN Act (2000) and UETA (1999)
A signature “may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form”. The tests are intent to sign, consent to do business electronically, attribution, and record integrity, not whether the mark was drawn with a mouse or a pen.
United Kingdom — Electronic Communications Act 2000; Law Commission report (2019)
The Law Commission confirmed in 2019 that an electronic signature is valid for the great majority of documents, provided the signer intends to authenticate and any execution formalities are satisfied.

Valid vs. provable: what matters in a dispute

Validity and evidential strength are different questions. A drawn signature is legally effective, but if the other party denies signing, you need evidence: who signed, what exactly they signed, and that the document wasn't altered afterwards. This is where a bare image pasted on a page is weakest, and where context (emails around the signing, delivery of the signed copy, subsequent performance of the contract) does most of the work.

Purpose-built tooling can strengthen this: flattening the signature into the document, hashing the signed file, and keeping a tamper-evident audit log of who did what and when. Sign Simplified's paid tier records exactly that, a hash-chained audit trail alongside each signed document, while the free signer produces a clean flattened PDF. When a request completes, every party receives a certificate of completion summarizing those records.

For most everyday documents, the realistic dispute risk is low and a simple signature plus surrounding evidence is proportionate. For high-value or high-litigation-risk agreements, consider an advanced or qualified signature.

When a simple signature is not enough

Every jurisdiction excludes some categories: wills and codicils, many real-estate deeds, documents requiring notarization or witnessed execution, and certain family-law and court filings. These need the specific formalities their law prescribes, sometimes paper, sometimes a qualified electronic signature.

Dealings with public administrations often require a specific government-issued credential rather than any drawn signature, for example, filings that must be signed with an official digital certificate. Check the receiving body's requirements before assuming any electronic signature will be accepted.

Documents where a simple signature is commonly used

Residential leases and rental agreements
Quotes, proposals, and purchase orders
Freelance and services contracts
Non-disclosure agreements
HR forms, expense approvals, and internal sign-offs
Permission slips and consent forms
Delivery notes and acceptance reports
Invoices and payment authorizations

Frequently asked questions

Is a typed name a valid signature?: Generally yes. Under eIDAS, ESIGN, and UETA, a typed name entered with intent to sign is a simple electronic signature and is legally effective. As with any simple signature, its strength in a dispute depends on the surrounding evidence of who typed it and what they saw.
Can a contract be rejected just because it was signed electronically?: No. eIDAS art. 25 (EU), the ESIGN Act (US), and UK law all state an electronic signature cannot be denied effect or admissibility solely for being electronic. A court can still weigh how convincing the signature evidence is, form is not the issue; proof is.
Is pasting a scanned image of my signature valid?: As a signature type, yes, it is a simple electronic signature. The common criticism is evidential: a floating image can be copied. Flattening it into the document and keeping evidence of the signing (emails, an audit trail, the final hash) addresses that weakness.
Do I need a digital certificate to sign a PDF?: For everyday private documents, leases, quotes, NDAs, approvals, no; a simple electronic signature is sufficient and routinely used. Certificates (advanced/qualified signatures) are needed for some government filings and for documents where the law or counterparty demands them.
What makes an electronic signature stronger as evidence?: Anything tying the act of signing to a person and freezing the content: identity checks, a tamper-evident audit trail with timestamps, a cryptographic hash of the signed file, and ordinary context like email threads and subsequent performance. Weight comes from evidence, not from how the mark looks.

Primary sources

This page is general information, not legal advice. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and document type; for significant agreements, consult a lawyer.

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