--- title: "Electronic signatures in Colombia · Attest" description: "Colombian e-signature law in plain language: Ley 527 de 1999, Decreto 1074 de 2015, firma electrónica and firma digital, agreed methods and public deeds." url: https://attest.datahubz.com/legal/electronic-signatures-colombia updated: 2026-10-12 --- [Attest](https://attest.datahubz.com/)/[Legal](https://attest.datahubz.com/legal) # Electronic signatures in Colombia Electronic signatures are valid for most business agreements in Colombia: Ley 527 de 1999 says a contract can't be denied validity just because data messages were used to form it (article 14), and its regulation, Decreto 1074 de 2015 (which incorporated Decreto 2364 de 2012), gives a firma electrónica the same validity and legal effects as a handwritten signature when it is as reliable as it is appropriate for its purpose (articles 2.2.2.47.3 and 2.2.2.47.5). Methods the parties agree on are presumed to meet that standard unless shown otherwise (Decreto 1074 article 2.2.2.47.7), so a signing clause in the contract plus strong evidence, which Attest records with each signer's own passkey signature, is the practical route; sales of real estate still need an escritura pública. By DataHubz · Updated October 12, 2026 · 8 min read · General information, not legal advice ## The laws: Ley 527 and Decreto 1074 **[Ley 527 de 1999](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley%5F0527%5F1999.html)** (Diario Oficial No. 43.673 of August 21, 1999) governs data messages, electronic commerce and digital signatures. Its core rules: - Information may not be denied legal effect, validity or binding force solely because it is in the form of a data message (article 5). - Where a rule requires information in writing, a data message that is accessible for later consultation satisfies it (article 6). - Where a rule requires a signature, it is met if a method identifies the originator of the data message and indicates that they approve its content, and the method is "tanto confiable como apropiado" (both reliable and appropriate) for the purpose for which the message was generated or communicated (article 7). - An offer and its acceptance may be expressed by data message, and a contract can't be denied validity or binding force solely because data messages were used to form it (article 14). The law doesn't apply to the Colombian State's obligations under international treaties, or to written warnings that must by law be printed on certain products (article 1). It has no general exclusion for wills, family law or real estate: those limits come from other laws. **[Decreto 1074 de 2015](https://www.funcionpublica.gov.co/eva/gestornormativo/norma.php?i=76608)**, of May 26, 2015, the single regulatory decree of the trade sector, regulates the electronic signature of article 7 in articles 2.2.2.47.1 to 2.2.2.47.8. Those rules were first issued as [Decreto 2364 de 2012](https://www.funcionpublica.gov.co/eva/gestornormativo/norma.php?i=50583) (Diario Oficial 48.622 of November 22, 2012); Decreto 1074 incorporated its text, article for article, and repealed the sector's earlier regulations on the same matters (article 3.1.1). Merchants may also contract "verbalmente, por escrito o por cualquier modo inequívoco", unless a law requires a particular solemnity ([Código de Comercio](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/codigo%5Fcomercio%5Fpr025.html) article 824). ## Firma electrónica and firma digital Colombia has two kinds of electronic signature, and no separate "advanced" tier ([electronic vs digital signatures](https://attest.datahubz.com/legal/electronic-vs-digital-signatures) explains the general difference). | | Firma electrónica | Firma digital | | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **What it is** | Methods such as codes, passwords, biometric data or private cryptographic keys that identify a person in relation to a data message, if reliable and appropriate for its purpose (Decreto 1074 article 2.2.2.47.1, numeral 3) | A numerical value attached to a data message that shows it was obtained only with the originator's key and that the message wasn't changed (Ley 527 article 2(c)), with a certificate from a certification entity accredited by the Organismo Nacional de Acreditación de Colombia (ONAC) (article 29) | | **Reliability** | Reliable if the signature creation data, in context, correspond exclusively to the signer, and any unauthorized change to the data message after signing is detectable (Decreto 1074 article 2.2.2.47.4). Anyone may show it is reliable in another way, or that it isn't | Unique to the person, verifiable, under their exclusive control, invalidated if the message changes, and "conforme a las reglamentaciones adoptadas por el Gobierno Nacional" (Ley 527 article 28) | | **Effect** | The same validity and legal effects as a handwritten signature, if it meets the reliable-and-appropriate standard (Decreto 1074 articles 2.2.2.47.3 and 2.2.2.47.5) | The same force and effects as a handwritten signature, with a presumption that the signer intended to authenticate the message and be bound by its content (Ley 527 article 28) | ## Agreed methods: the presumption and its condition Decreto 1074 rewards an agreement between the parties on how they will sign: 1. **The presumption.** Unless proven otherwise, the identification or authentication methods the parties agree to use are presumed to meet the requirements of an electronic signature (article 2.2.2.47.7). 2. **The condition.** The party that provides the signing method by agreement must make sure it is technically secure and reliable for its purpose, and must prove it if needed (article 2.2.2.47.7, parágrafo). 3. **How security is judged.** Factors include a technical opinion from an expert or an independent specialized body, and a specialized, periodic and independent audit of the methods a party supplies to others (article 2.2.2.47.8). Signers must also keep control of their signature creation data and warn those who rely on their signatures if it is compromised (article 2.2.2.47.6). ## Proving an electronic signature - **Admissibility.** Data messages are admissible as evidence (Ley 527 article 10). - **Weight.** The court applies "sana crítica" (reasoned judgment) and looks at the reliability of how the message was generated, archived or communicated, the reliability of how its integrity was kept, the way its originator is identified, and any other relevant factor (article 11). - **Authenticity.** Under the [Código General del Proceso](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley%5F1564%5F2012%5Fpr008.html), "\[l\]os documentos en forma de mensaje de datos se presumen auténticos" (article 244). A party can challenge a document as false (tacha de falsedad) or disown one it didn't sign ([articles 269 and 272](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley%5F1564%5F2012%5Fpr009.html)), and a disowned document whose authenticity isn't established has no probative effect (article 272). - **Retention.** A duty to keep documents is met by a data message that stays accessible, in its original format or one that reproduces it accurately, with its origin, destination, date and time kept (Ley 527 article 12), directly or through third parties (article 13). ## Documents with their own rules - **Real estate.** The sale of real estate, servitudes and an inheritance isn't perfected until an escritura pública is executed ([Código Civil](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/codigo%5Fcivil%5Fpr057.html) article 1857), and acts and contracts that dispose of or encumber real estate must be executed by escritura pública before a notary ([Decreto 960 de 1970](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/decreto%5F0960%5F1970.html) article 12). Where the law requires a public instrument, no other evidence can replace it ([Código Civil article 1760](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/codigo%5Fcivil%5Fpr054.html)). - **Wills.** A solemn open will is executed before a notary and three witnesses ([Código Civil article 1070](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/codigo%5Fcivil%5Fpr032.html)). - **Other solemnities.** Where a law makes a solemnity essential to a business, it isn't formed until that solemnity is met (Código de Comercio article 824). - **Powers of attorney for lawsuits**, on the other hand, can be conferred by data message, without a handwritten or digital signature, and are presumed authentic ([Ley 2213 de 2022](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley%5F2213%5F2022.html) article 5). ## How to make an electronic signature hold up 1. **Write the signing method into the contract**, so that the presumption for agreed methods applies (Decreto 1074 article 2.2.2.47.7). 2. **Use a method that ties the signature to one person and detects changes**, the two reliability tests of article 2.2.2.47.4. 3. **Keep evidence of the factors in Ley 527 article 11**: how the signature was made, how integrity was kept and how each signer was identified. 4. **Keep the signed record** in a form that meets Ley 527 article 12. ## How Attest fits ordinary business agreements Attest signatures are firmas electrónicas, a method based on private cryptographic keys, one of the methods the definition in Decreto 1074 article 2.2.2.47.1 names. They are not firmas digitales in the legal sense, which need a certificate from an ONAC-accredited certification entity. For everyday agreements such as service contracts, statements of work, NDAs and supplier agreements, each signature carries evidence aimed at the regulation's tests: | What Decreto 1074 and Ley 527 look at | What Attest records | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Creation data that correspond exclusively to the signer** (article 2.2.2.47.4, numeral 1) | Each signature is made with a passkey registered to the signer's email address. A passkey is a cryptographic key only the signer controls, unlocked with Face ID, Touch ID, Windows Hello or the device PIN, and it must confirm the signer is present and verified. Attest confirms control of the email address and the passkey, not a government ID | | **Approval of the content** (Ley 527 article 7) | The signer reviews the document, and their passkey signs a statement that begins "I have reviewed and I sign", naming the document by its fingerprint. Attest checks each signature against the passkey's public key | | **Changes after signing are detectable** (article 2.2.2.47.4, numeral 2) | The statement includes the SHA-256 fingerprint of the exact document and of the signer's entries, and the signed state is anchored on the Horizen public blockchain. Change one byte and verification fails | | **Retention** (Ley 527 article 12) | Every party downloads the same sealed PDF: the signed pages, with a "Signed with Attest" stamp on each signature and a seal line at the foot of every page, a certificate of completion, the audit trail up to completion in UTC and a "Verify it yourself, without us" page, with the full evidence, the original document and a standalone verifier attached inside | A **fingerprint** (SHA-256 hash) is a short code calculated from a file's contents that changes if a single byte changes. If you are the party that provides the signing method (article 2.2.2.47.7), you can point to evidence built on open standards (WebAuthn and SHA-256), which an expert can check with the open-source verifier inside the copy: it runs in any browser without any Attest service and checks each signer's passkey signature, the original document, the pages you see and Attest's anchored record on Horizen. For a real estate sale, a will or another act that needs an escritura pública or a firma digital, use a notary or an ONAC-accredited certification entity. Every document is end-to-end encrypted, so Attest can't read it. Signers need no account and never pay, and anyone can verify a signed copy for free at [attest.datahubz.com/verify](https://attest.datahubz.com/verify). Your first 2 documents are free, in total, then the Signing plan is $5 a month for 20 documents. ## Questions people ask Are electronic signatures legal in Colombia? Yes, for most agreements. Ley 527 de 1999 says a contract can't be denied validity just because data messages were used to form it (article 14), and a firma electrónica has the same validity and effects as a handwritten signature when it is as reliable as it is appropriate for its purpose (Decreto 1074 de 2015, articles 2.2.2.47.3 and 2.2.2.47.5, from Decreto 2364 de 2012). Acts that need an escritura pública or another solemnity follow their own rules. What is the difference between firma electrónica and firma digital in Colombia? A firma electrónica is any reliable and appropriate method that identifies a person in relation to a data message, such as codes, passwords, biometric data or private cryptographic keys (Decreto 1074 article 2.2.2.47.1). A firma digital is a cryptographic signature backed by a certificate from an ONAC-accredited certification entity, and it carries a presumption that the signer intended to be bound (Ley 527 article 28). Should the contract say how it will be signed? It helps. Methods the parties agree on are presumed to meet the requirements of an electronic signature unless proven otherwise (Decreto 1074 article 2.2.2.47.7). The party that provides the method must be able to prove it is technically secure and reliable if needed. Can I sign a real estate sale electronically in Colombia? Not with a private electronic signature. The sale of real estate isn't perfected until an escritura pública is executed (Código Civil article 1857), and acts that dispose of or encumber real estate are executed by escritura pública before a notary (Decreto 960 de 1970 article 12). Is an Attest signature a firma digital? No. Attest signatures are firmas electrónicas based on private cryptographic keys, a method the definition in Decreto 1074 article 2.2.2.47.1 names; a firma digital in the legal sense needs a certificate from an ONAC-accredited certification entity. Each Attest signature carries evidence aimed at the regulation's reliability tests: the signer's own passkey signature over the document's fingerprint, a public blockchain anchor and an open-source verifier. ## Sources 1. [Ley 527 de 1999 (compilation updated September 30, 2026)](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley%5F0527%5F1999.html), Secretaría General del Senado, Colombia, read October 12, 2026 2. [Decreto 1074 de 2015, Decreto Único Reglamentario del Sector Comercio, Industria y Turismo (integrated version), articles 2.2.2.47.1 to 2.2.2.47.8 and 3.1.1](https://www.funcionpublica.gov.co/eva/gestornormativo/norma.php?i=76608), Función Pública, Gestor Normativo, Colombia, read October 12, 2026 3. [Decreto 2364 de 2012, reglamenta el artículo 7 de la Ley 527 de 1999, sobre la firma electrónica (as issued)](https://www.funcionpublica.gov.co/eva/gestornormativo/norma.php?i=50583), Función Pública, Gestor Normativo, Colombia, read October 12, 2026 4. [Código General del Proceso (Ley 1564 de 2012), articles 243 to 247](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley%5F1564%5F2012%5Fpr008.html), Secretaría General del Senado, Colombia, read October 12, 2026 5. [Código General del Proceso (Ley 1564 de 2012), articles 263 to 290](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley%5F1564%5F2012%5Fpr009.html), Secretaría General del Senado, Colombia, read October 12, 2026 6. [Código Civil, articles 1844 to 1872](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/codigo%5Fcivil%5Fpr057.html), Secretaría General del Senado, Colombia, read October 12, 2026 7. [Código Civil, articles 1748 to 1779](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/codigo%5Fcivil%5Fpr054.html), Secretaría General del Senado, Colombia, read October 12, 2026 8. [Código Civil, articles 1039 to 1072](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/codigo%5Fcivil%5Fpr032.html), Secretaría General del Senado, Colombia, read October 12, 2026 9. [Código de Comercio, articles 815 to 845](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/codigo%5Fcomercio%5Fpr025.html), Secretaría General del Senado, Colombia, read October 12, 2026 10. [Decreto 960 de 1970, Estatuto del Notariado](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/decreto%5F0960%5F1970.html), Secretaría General del Senado, Colombia, read October 12, 2026 11. [Ley 2213 de 2022](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley%5F2213%5F2022.html), Secretaría General del Senado, Colombia, read October 12, 2026 ## Read next - [Are electronic signatures legally binding?](https://attest.datahubz.com/legal/are-electronic-signatures-legally-binding) Yes, for most agreements: ESIGN, UETA, eIDAS and similar laws say a signature can't be refused just for being electronic. The laws, exceptions and evidence. - [Electronic vs digital signatures: the difference](https://attest.datahubz.com/legal/electronic-vs-digital-signatures) An electronic signature is a legal idea; a digital signature is a cryptographic technique. How they relate, where the EU tiers fit and where Attest fits. - [How to prove someone signed a document electronically](https://attest.datahubz.com/guides/prove-someone-signed-electronically) The evidence that proves an electronic signature: intent, identity, integrity and timing. How most services record it, and how Attest makes it checkable. - [Document signing](https://attest.datahubz.com/sign) Electronic signatures with a passkey: no account or password for signers, documents encrypted in the browser, and a signed copy anyone can verify. --- Source: https://attest.datahubz.com/legal/electronic-signatures-colombia