Can you fax a signature?

In legal and financial documents that require a signature, there are terms called a wet signature and a dry signature. A wet signature is the original signature, so-called because it was once, albeit briefly, wet from the ink on the document. A dry signature is a copy or a faxed version of a wet signature.

Is a faxed signature legally binding?

Under contract law, signatures are needed to confirm an agreement between two parties. ... To get a legally binding wet ink signature, fax is often used to send documents from one party to another. A faxed signature is legally recognised as valid and is often used to confirm or approve many business and financial deals.

Is a faxed copy of a signature legally binding?

A faxed copy of a document is not the original and, obviously, neither is a copy of an original document. ... In other words, is a contract still legally binding if the only signatures on record are faxed copies? The short answer is that it depends.

Can you fax legal documents?

Are Fax Copies of Signed Documents Legally Enforceable and Acceptable? Facsimile (fax for short) versions of legal documents or scanned and emailed documents or PDF files are generally acceptable for use in legal proceedings to enforce contracts or obligations and, as such, can be relied upon by the recipient.

Is an image of a signature legally binding?

However, federal law mandates that no record, contract, or signature may be unenforced or denied because a signature comes in digital form. ... Each state has its own similar brand of law. For digital signatures to be enforceable and valid, the digital document must be enforceable and valid.

Can legal documents be signed electronically?

The ESIGN Act is a federal law passed in 2000. It grants legal recognition to electronic signatures and records if all parties to a contract choose to use electronic documents and to sign them electronically. ... No contract, signature, or record shall be denied legal effect solely because it is in electronic form.

Is it illegal to photocopy a signature?

Perfectly legal to sign someone else's signature, with permission. Forgery is only a crime if the signing is with the intent to defraud. ... Now, if your signature is going to be notarized, it *is* a crime to pretend to be someone you are not.

Is a photocopy of a signature valid?

Having a scanned signature(s) on a document is valid. This has to be the case in a world where we are more likely to work with someone geographically far, than local. ... To reiterate, having a scanned signature on a contract is perfectly acceptable under law. But acceptance isn't the issue.

Is copying a signature illegal?

Perfectly legal to sign someone else's signature, with permission. Forgery is only a crime if the signing is with the intent to defraud. ... Now, if your signature is going to be notarized, it *is* a crime to pretend to be someone you are not.

Is a picture of a signature legally binding?

This answer is not a substitute for professional legal advice. ... A photo of your signature applied to a digital document is not legally binding as it doesn't have the required legal information such as an audit trail and signer's identity validation.

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Last updated on Jan 16, 2026

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