Legal Compliance

SignBolt Legal Compliance

SignBolt e-signatures are legally binding under the laws of the United States, Australia, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. This page explains the laws, what they require, and how SignBolt meets each requirement.

ESIGN Act (US)UETA (US)ETA 1999 (AU)ETA 2011 (WA)eIDAS (EU)GDPR (EU)

United States — Federal

Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN Act)

15 U.S.C. § 7001 — Enacted June 30, 2000

What the Law Requires

Intent to sign: The signer must clearly demonstrate intent to execute the document.
Consent to electronic records: Parties must consent to conducting business electronically.
Record association: The signature must be logically associated with the specific document.
Record retention: Signed records must be retained and reproducible by all parties.

How SignBolt Meets It

Signers confirm intent via an explicit checkbox before signing
Terms of Service consent captured at account creation
SHA-256 cryptographic hash links each signature to its exact document
Signed PDFs are immediately available for download and storage
Audit certificate records the full signing event with timestamps
Server-side signature rendering prevents post-signing alteration

United States — 49 States

Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA)

Adopted by 49 states — New York uses equivalent Electronic Signatures and Records Act (ESRA)

What the Law Requires

Attribution: The signature must be attributable to a specific person.
Security procedures: The process used to create the signature must be reliable.
Alteration detection: Any post-signing changes to the document must be detectable.
Electronic records: Records must be capable of being retained and reproduced.

How SignBolt Meets It

Every signature is tied to a verified email address and IP address
Audit trail logs: signer name, email, IP, user agent, and timestamp
SHA-256 document hash detects any change to the signed PDF
Signed documents retain embedded signature data permanently
Complete audit certificate downloadable at any time

Australia — Commonwealth

Electronic Transactions Act 1999 (Cth)

Commonwealth of Australia — Covers all federal transactions and commerce

What the Law Requires

Reliability: The method used to identify the signatory must be reliable and appropriate.
Consent: The person to whom the signature is given must consent to electronic form.
Integrity: The method must indicate the signatory's approval of the document's contents.
Admissibility: Electronic signatures must be admissible as evidence in legal proceedings.

How SignBolt Meets It

Verified email + IP address creates reliable signer identification
SignBolt Terms of Service explicitly cover electronic consent
Signature placement confirms approval of specific document contents
Audit certificates are court-admissible records of the signing event
Document hashing ensures post-signing integrity is verifiable
Hosted in compliant infrastructure with 256-bit TLS encryption

Australia — Western Australia

Electronic Transactions Act 2011 (WA)

Western Australia state legislation — Mirrors Commonwealth ETA with WA-specific provisions

What the Law Requires

Functional equivalence: An electronic signature satisfies any requirement for a signature under WA law.
Signer identification: The method used must adequately identify the signatory.
Consent of recipient: The counterparty must consent to receiving electronic communications.
Document integrity: The information must remain complete and unaltered after signing.

How SignBolt Meets It

Fully compliant with Commonwealth ETA 1999 — WA law mirrors these requirements
Email-verified accounts create legally adequate signer identification
Send-for-signature flow captures recipient consent before signing begins
SHA-256 hashing guarantees document integrity post-signature
Particularly suitable for WA mining, resources, and construction contracts
Supports FIFO contractor agreements and site access permits common in WA

European Union

eIDAS Regulation (EU) No 910/2014

Electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the EU

What the Law Requires

Simple electronic signature (SES): Data in electronic form that is logically associated with other data and used by the signatory.
Advanced electronic signature (AdES): Uniquely linked to and capable of identifying the signatory, detects changes, created with data under signatory's control.
Non-repudiation: The signatory cannot later deny having signed the document.
Cross-border recognition: Signatures must be recognised across all EU member states.

How SignBolt Meets It

SignBolt produces Advanced Electronic Signatures (AdES) under eIDAS
Unique signer identification via verified email and cryptographic document hash
IP address + user agent logging prevents non-repudiation disputes
SHA-256 document hash detects any alteration after signing
Signature data controlled by signer via their verified account credentials
Recognised and enforceable across all 27 EU member states

European Union — Data Protection

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Regulation (EU) 2016/679 — Applies to any service processing EU personal data

What the Law Requires

Lawful basis: Personal data must be processed on a lawful basis (contract, consent, or legitimate interest).
Data minimisation: Only collect personal data that is necessary for the specified purpose.
Purpose limitation: Data must only be used for the purpose for which it was collected.
Data subject rights: Users have the right to access, correct, and delete their personal data.

How SignBolt Meets It

Processing based on contract performance (signing service) and user consent
Only name, email, IP, and document metadata are collected — nothing beyond necessity
Signer data used solely for audit trail and signing verification
Users can request data deletion via /contact — honoured within 30 days
Privacy Policy clearly documents all data collection and processing
No personal data sold to or shared with third parties for marketing

Important Exceptions

Certain document types cannot be executed as electronic signatures under most jurisdictions. SignBolt is not suitable for the following:

Wills and testamentary documents

Most jurisdictions require wet ink signatures for wills.

Family law orders

Court orders for adoption, divorce, custody typically require wet ink.

Real property conveyancing (some states)

Some Australian states still require wet ink for land transfer documents.

Negotiable instruments

Cheques and promissory notes under the Bills of Exchange Act.

Powers of attorney (some jurisdictions)

Check your jurisdiction — requirements vary significantly.

Documents requiring notarisation

Statutory declarations and affidavits may still require a witness.

When in doubt, consult a qualified legal professional in your jurisdiction. This page provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice.

Technical Compliance Measures

Encryption

256-bit TLS for data in transit
AES-256 for data at rest
HSTS enforced on all routes

Audit Trail

Signer name, email, IP, user agent
UTC timestamp per signing event
SHA-256 document hash

Integrity

Server-side signature rendering
Tamper-evident PDF output
Certificate of Completion (downloadable)

Related Legal Pages

E-Signature Legal Guide ESIGN Act & UETA Explained Australian Electronic Transactions Act SignBolt Security Overview Privacy Policy Terms of Service

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Every signature on SignBolt meets the legal requirements of the US, Australia, and the EU. Sign your first document free — no credit card required.

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Important Exceptions

Certain document types cannot be executed as electronic signatures under most jurisdictions. SignBolt is not suitable for the following:

Wills and testamentary documents

Most jurisdictions require wet ink signatures for wills.

Family law orders

Court orders for adoption, divorce, custody typically require wet ink.

Real property conveyancing (some states)

Some Australian states still require wet ink for land transfer documents.

Negotiable instruments

Cheques and promissory notes under the Bills of Exchange Act.

Powers of attorney (some jurisdictions)

Check your jurisdiction — requirements vary significantly.

Documents requiring notarisation

Statutory declarations and affidavits may still require a witness.

When in doubt, consult a qualified legal professional in your jurisdiction. This page provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice.

Technical Compliance Measures

Encryption

256-bit TLS for data in transit
AES-256 for data at rest
HSTS enforced on all routes

Audit Trail

Signer name, email, IP, user agent
UTC timestamp per signing event
SHA-256 document hash

Integrity

Server-side signature rendering
Tamper-evident PDF output
Certificate of Completion (downloadable)