Are PDFBetter e-signatures legally valid?
Electronic signatures are generally accepted for most business documents in many countries, but some documents need more. Signature requests give every signer their own device key and a sealed, time-stamped PDF with the evidence built in. Whether that's enough depends on the law that applies to your document.
Updated 2 min read
In the US, the ESIGN Act and state UETA laws generally give electronic signatures the same effect as handwritten ones. The EU's eIDAS Regulation recognizes electronic signatures and reserves some uses for advanced or qualified signatures. Some documents, such as wills and certain court or family-law papers, are commonly excluded or need witnesses or a notary. PDFBetter provides tools and evidence, not legal advice. See e-signature legality for country-by-country rules.
What a signature request gives you
- Each signer signs with their own ECDSA P-256 key, created in their browser and kept on their device, and certified by PDFBetter's certificate authority.
- Each signer's statement binds the document's SHA-256 fingerprint to exactly what they entered, so any change to the document is detectable.
- Signers agree to use electronic records and signatures before they start, and can ask for paper or decline instead.
- The completed PDF and its Certificate of Completion are digitally sealed (PAdES) and, when the service is reachable, independently time-stamped (RFC 3161).
- The evidence (statements, device signatures, key certificates, entered values and the hash-chained audit trail) is embedded in the signed PDF.
Signature requests are designed to the technical requirements of an advanced electronic signature (eIDAS art. 26): a unique key per signer, under their sole control, linked to the document so any change is detectable. Signers are identified by their email address (and an optional emailed code), not by ID documents or SMS.
What they are not
- They are not qualified electronic signatures (QES). Documents that legally require a QES, notarization, wet ink or witnesses still need those.
- The seal shows whether a file changed, not who the signers are. Identity rests on control of the email inbox, plus an optional emailed code or an access code you share.
- Signing a PDF yourself with the Sign tool adds a visual signature only, without the device key, seal or audit trail. Use a request when you need evidence.
Can I use PDFBetter for a contract in my country?
Most commercial contracts can be signed electronically in many countries, but rules differ by country and document type. Check e-signature legality and, for anything high-stakes, ask a lawyer.
What do I give someone who disputes a signature?
The sealed signed PDF and the Certificate of Completion. The certificate lists each event with time, email, IP address and the signer's device-key fingerprint, and the PDF carries the full evidence inside it.
Tools in this article
Did this answer your question?
Related articles
- The signed PDF, Certificate of Completion and audit trailWhen everyone finishes, each person gets the signed PDF and a Certificate of Completion. Both are digitally sealed and, when the time-stamping service is reachable, independently time-stamped. The signed PDF carries the signing evidence inside it, so changing one byte makes PDF readers flag the file.
- Verify signers with an email code or an access codeIn Invite to sign, open a recipient and tick Verify with an email code (every plan) or Require an access code (Pro and Business). A forwarded signing link alone then won't open the document.
- Sign a PDF yourselfOpen the PDF, choose Sign → Add signature, create your signature (type, draw or upload) and select Save and sign, then click where it goes. Download with Done → Download. This adds a visual signature; to collect other people's signatures with evidence, request signatures instead.
- Security certifications, and how to report a vulnerabilityPDFBetter hasn't completed a SOC 2 or ISO 27001 audit, isn't HIPAA compliant and doesn't sign BAAs. To report a vulnerability, email [email protected]; reports are acknowledged within two business days.