One of the most common questions we hear from new Tenrion users is: “Is this actually legal?” The short answer is yes — in most of the world. Here’s the long answer.

Three major laws govern the legality of electronic signatures in most of the countries where businesses operate.

eIDAS (European Union)

The Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services regulation came into force across all EU member states in 2016. It established a unified legal framework for electronic signatures, creating three tiers of legal validity:

  • Simple Electronic Signature (SES) — a broad category covering any electronic indication of consent, including clicking “I agree” or typing your name.
  • Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) — uniquely linked to the signer, capable of identifying them, and detects any subsequent document changes.
  • Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) — the highest level, requiring a qualified certificate issued by a trust service provider. Legally equivalent to a handwritten signature in every EU member state.

Tenrion signatures qualify as AES and can be upgraded to QES on request.

ESIGN Act (United States)

The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, signed into law in 2000, gives e-signatures the same legal standing as handwritten signatures for commercial transactions in the US. The law requires only that:

  1. Each party has consented to do business electronically
  2. The signature is linked to the signed document
  3. The record is retained and accessible

UETA (United States)

The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act is a model law adopted by 49 US states. It operates alongside the ESIGN Act and covers intrastate transactions that the federal ESIGN Act might not reach.

What Makes a Signature “Legally Binding”?

Courts generally look for:

  1. Intent to sign — Did the person deliberately complete the signing action?
  2. Consent to do business electronically — Did they agree to use e-signatures?
  3. Association with the document — Is the signature linked to the specific document at the time of signing?
  4. Record retention — Can the signed document and audit trail be produced later?

Tenrion’s signed envelopes satisfy all four requirements by default.

Exceptions — When E-Signatures Aren’t Enough

Some document types require wet ink or qualified signatures:

  • Wills and testamentary trusts (in most jurisdictions)
  • Family law documents (adoption, divorce in some jurisdictions)
  • Notarised documents (unless using a qualified e-signature service)
  • Real estate deeds (varies by jurisdiction — many now accept e-signatures)
  • Court filings (specific court rules apply)

When in doubt, check with local legal counsel.

The most important aspect of any e-signature platform is the audit trail — a tamper-proof log of every step in the signing process. Tenrion’s audit trail records:

  • Email and IP address of each signer
  • Timestamp of every event (invite sent, opened, signed)
  • Device and browser information
  • Geolocation (when permitted)
  • Document hash before and after signing

This evidence package is embedded in every signed PDF and is independently verifiable without relying on Tenrion’s servers.

Bottom Line

If you’re signing NDAs, employment contracts, sales agreements, subscription agreements, service contracts, or similar commercial documents, Tenrion signatures are legally binding and court-admissible in 180+ countries. Start your free trial and sign your first document today.