--- title: "Electronic signatures in the United Kingdom · Attest" description: "UK e-signature law in plain language: the Electronic Communications Act 2000, UK eIDAS, the intent test, deeds and witnesses, wills, Land Registry and Scotland." url: https://attest.datahubz.com/legal/electronic-signatures-united-kingdom updated: 2026-10-12 --- [Attest](https://attest.datahubz.com/)/[Legal](https://attest.datahubz.com/legal) # Electronic signatures in the United Kingdom Electronic signatures are valid for most business agreements in the United Kingdom: UK eIDAS says an electronic signature can't be denied legal effect or admissibility just because it is electronic, and English law asks only whether the signer intended to authenticate the document and whether any required formalities were met. Deeds that need a witness, wills, lasting powers of attorney, Land Registry deeds and some Scottish documents follow their own rules, and for everyday agreements Attest records each signer's intent with their own passkey signature over the exact document. By DataHubz · Updated October 12, 2026 · 8 min read · General information, not legal advice ## The laws Neither law lists excluded documents: the limits come from other laws that require a particular form. - **The [Electronic Communications Act 2000](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/7/section/7), section 7.** In legal proceedings, an electronic signature is admissible "in relation to any question as to the authenticity of the communication or data or as to the integrity of the communication or data" (s 7(1)). An electronic signature is anything in electronic form that is "incorporated into or otherwise logically associated with any electronic communication or electronic data" and "purports to be used by the individual creating it to sign" (s 7(2)). - **UK eIDAS**, Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 as it forms part of UK law after Brexit, amended with effect from December 31, 2020. Under [Article 25(1)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2014/910/article/25), an electronic signature "shall not be denied legal effect and admissibility as evidence in legal proceedings solely on the grounds that it is in an electronic form or that it does not meet the requirements for qualified electronic signatures". The EU's 2024 amendments are not part of the UK text. - **The Law Commission's statement of the law.** In its 2019 report [Electronic execution of documents](https://cdn.websitebuilder.service.justice.gov.uk/uploads/sites/54/2025/12/Electronic-Execution-Report.pdf) (Law Com No 386), the Law Commission of England and Wales concluded that "An electronic signature is capable in law of being used to execute a document (including a deed) provided that (i) the person signing the document intends to authenticate the document and (ii) any formalities relating to execution of that document are satisfied." The Government endorsed its conclusions on March 3, 2020 and agreed that primary legislation was not needed. This page covers mainly England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland where their rules differ. ## What counts as a signature Unless legislation, a contract or document-specific case law provides otherwise, the common law "does not prescribe any particular form or type of signature", and courts take "an objective approach considering all of the surrounding circumstances" to decide whether a method shows an intention to authenticate (Law Com No 386, statement of the law, para (4)). For statutory signing requirements that are silent on electronic signatures, courts have accepted (para (7)): - a name typed at the bottom of an email: in [Golden Ocean Group v Salgaocar Mining Industries](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/2012/265) (2012), the Court of Appeal held that a typed first name authenticated a guarantee; - clicking an "I accept" tick box on a website; - the header of a SWIFT message. Intent decides: an email address the internet service provider inserted automatically was not a signature ([J Pereira Fernandes v Mehta](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/ch/2006/813), 2006), while an automatic email footer satisfied the signing rule for a land contract on the facts of [Neocleous v Rees](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/ch/2019/2462) (2019). UK eIDAS keeps the EU's three tiers: | Tier | What it requires | Effect in UK law | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Electronic signature** (Article 3(10)) | Data in electronic form attached to or logically associated with other data and used by the signatory to sign | Can't be refused legal effect or admissibility for being electronic or not qualified (Article 25(1)); valid where the intent and any formalities are met | | **Advanced electronic signature** ([Article 26](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2014/910/article/26)) | Uniquely linked to and capable of identifying the signatory, created with data the signatory can, "with a high level of confidence, use under his sole control", and linked to the data so any later change is detectable | No extra statutory effect in English law; it matters where a rule requires it, as in Scotland | | **Qualified electronic signature** (Article 3(12)) | An advanced signature created by a qualified signature creation device and based on a qualified certificate | "The equivalent legal effect of a handwritten signature" (Article 25(2)); EU qualified signatures are treated as qualified in the UK (Article 24A) | ## Documents with their own formalities - **Deeds signed by individuals (England and Wales).** A deed must be signed "in the presence of a witness who attests the signature" and delivered as a deed ([Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989, s 1(3)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/34/section/1)). The Law Commission's view is that this "requires the physical presence of that witness", even when both sign electronically (statement of the law, para (8)). Northern Ireland has the same witness rule ([2005 Order, art 3(2)(b)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/2005/1452/article/3)). - **Company documents.** Besides fixing its common seal, a company executes a document by the signatures of two "authorised signatories" (every director, and the secretary where the company has one), or of a director "in the presence of a witness who attests the signature" ([Companies Act 2006, s 44(1) to (3)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/44)). Two authorised signatories need no witness, so they can sign electronically; only the director-and-witness route raises the physical-presence point of a deed. - **Contracts for the sale of land.** They must be in writing, with all the expressly agreed terms in one document signed by or on behalf of each party ([LP(MP)A 1989, s 2](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/34/section/2)). This is a form, not an exclusion, and an electronic signature can meet it: in Neocleous v Rees (above), an automatic email footer satisfied it on the facts. - **HM Land Registry.** For registration, [Practice Guide 82](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electronic-signatures-accepted-by-hm-land-registry-pg82/practice-guide-82-electronic-signatures-accepted-by-hm-land-registry) accepts electronically signed deeds through a conveyancer-controlled process (signers enter a one-time code sent by text message and sign in the physical presence of their witness, and a conveyancer certifies it), or qualified electronic signatures on the documents and channels it specifies. It treats an advanced electronic signature as a simple one. - **Wills.** A will must be signed, with the signature made or acknowledged "in the presence of two or more witnesses present at the same time" ([Wills Act 1837, s 9](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4and1Vict/7/26/section/9)). Witnessing by video was allowed only for wills made from January 31, 2020 to January 31, 2024. The Law Commission recommended allowing electronic wills in May 2025 (Law Com No 419); until the law changes, section 9 applies. - **Lasting powers of attorney.** [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney/make-lasting-power): "Everyone must sign the same original document. They cannot sign copies or use digital signatures." - **Scotland.** Contracts for real rights in land, gratuitous unilateral obligations outside the course of business, certain trusts and wills need a written document ([Requirements of Writing (Scotland) Act 1995, s 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/7/section/1)). An electronic one is valid only with an advanced electronic signature ([SSI 2014/83, reg 2](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2014/83/regulation/2)), and it is presumed authenticated only with a qualified one (reg 3). Scottish wills can't be made as electronic documents under that Act ([SSI 2021/472](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/472/made)). ## Proving an electronic signature - **Admissibility.** An electronic signature is admissible on the authenticity and integrity of what it signs (ECA 2000, s 7(1)), and the Law Commission adds that it is admissible "to prove or disprove the identity of a signatory and/or the signatory's intention to authenticate the document" (para (3)). - **No presumption.** No statutory presumption of authenticity attaches to a simple or advanced signature. In civil proceedings, a party is deemed to admit the authenticity of a document disclosed to it unless it serves notice that it wants the document proved at trial (CPR 32.19(1)). If it does, the party relying on the signature proves it with ordinary evidence, such as the audit trail, technical evidence and witnesses. - **Time.** An electronic time stamp is admissible on whether data existed at that time (ECA 2000, s 7B), and only a qualified time stamp is presumed accurate as to its date and time and the integrity of its data (UK eIDAS Article 41(2)). ## How to make an electronic signature hold up 1. **Check the formalities first**, using the list above. 2. **Make the intent unmistakable:** the signer reviews the document and takes a deliberate signing step. 3. **Tie the signature to the signer and to the exact document**, so identity and integrity can be shown. 4. **Keep the record:** a copy every party can produce and the history of each step. ## Where Attest fits Under UK law, Attest signatures are electronic signatures (UK eIDAS Article 3(10); ECA 2000, s 7(2)). They are not qualified electronic signatures, and Attest doesn't claim the advanced tier. For contracts that need no particular form, such as client contracts, statements of work, NDAs, offer letters and vendor agreements, the question is authenticating intention, and Attest records it with each signer's own key: | What English law looks at | What Attest records | | -------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Intention to authenticate** (Law Com No 386, para (1)) | 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. The passkey must confirm the signer is present and verified | | **Identity of the signatory** (para (3)) | 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. Attest checks each signature against the passkey's public key before recording it. Attest confirms control of the email address and the passkey, not a government ID | | **Integrity** (ECA 2000, s 7(1)) | 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 | | **A record to produce in court** | 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 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. The open-source verifier inside the copy 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. As with any evidence, the court decides how much weight it carries. For a deed that needs a witness physically present, a will, a lasting power of attorney, a Land Registry disposition or a Scottish document under section 1(2), use the form that law requires. 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 legally binding in the UK? Yes, for most business agreements. UK eIDAS says an electronic signature can't be denied legal effect or admissibility just because it is electronic (Article 25(1)), and English law asks whether the signer intended to authenticate the document and whether any formalities were met. Documents with their own formalities, such as deeds, wills and lasting powers of attorney, follow those rules. Can a deed be signed electronically in England and Wales? Yes, in the Law Commission's view, provided the formalities are met. A deed signed by an individual needs a witness who attests the signature, and the Law Commission's view is that the witness must be physically present, even when both sign electronically. HM Land Registry accepts electronically signed deeds only through the routes in its Practice Guide 82. Does the UK still use eIDAS after Brexit? Yes, its own version: UK eIDAS is Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 as it forms part of UK law, with the same three tiers and the same Article 25 rule. The EU's 2024 amendments are not part of it, and EU qualified signatures are treated as qualified in the UK (Article 24A). Are Attest signatures qualified electronic signatures in the UK? No. They are electronic signatures under UK eIDAS Article 3(10) and section 7(2) of the Electronic Communications Act 2000, not qualified ones, and Attest doesn't claim the advanced tier. For ordinary contracts the law looks at intention to authenticate, and each Attest signature records it with the signer's own passkey signature over the document's fingerprint. Where a law requires a qualified signature, a witness or a specific form, use that. ## Sources 1. [Electronic Communications Act 2000, section 7](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/7/section/7), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 2. [Electronic Communications Act 2000, section 7B](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/7/section/7B), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 3. [UK eIDAS, Article 3](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2014/910/article/3), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 4. [UK eIDAS, Article 24A](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2014/910/article/24A), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 11, 2026 5. [UK eIDAS, Article 25](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2014/910/article/25), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 6. [UK eIDAS, Article 26](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2014/910/article/26), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 7. [UK eIDAS, Article 41](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2014/910/article/41), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 8. [Electronic execution of documents, Law Com No 386 (2019)](https://cdn.websitebuilder.service.justice.gov.uk/uploads/sites/54/2025/12/Electronic-Execution-Report.pdf), Law Commission of England and Wales, read October 12, 2026 9. [Government response to the Law Commission report on electronic execution, HCWS143 (March 3, 2020)](https://cdn.websitebuilder.service.justice.gov.uk/uploads/sites/54/2025/12/Government-response-to-electronic-signatures-report.pdf), Ministry of Justice, read October 11, 2026 10. [Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989, section 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/34/section/1), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 11. [Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989, section 2](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/34/section/2), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 12. [Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005, article 3](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/2005/1452/article/3), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 13. [Companies Act 2006, section 44](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/44), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 14. [Practice guide 82: electronic signatures accepted by HM Land Registry (updated June 15, 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electronic-signatures-accepted-by-hm-land-registry-pg82/practice-guide-82-electronic-signatures-accepted-by-hm-land-registry), HM Land Registry, GOV.UK, read October 12, 2026 15. [Wills Act 1837, section 9](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4and1Vict/7/26/section/9), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 16. [Modernising Wills Law, Law Com No 419 (May 16, 2025), project page](https://lawcom.gov.uk/project/wills/), Law Commission of England and Wales, read October 11, 2026 17. [Make a lasting power of attorney](https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney/make-lasting-power), GOV.UK, read October 12, 2026 18. [Requirements of Writing (Scotland) Act 1995, section 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/7/section/1), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 19. [Electronic Documents (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/83), regulations 2 and 3](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2014/83/regulation/2), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 20. [Land Registration etc. (Scotland) Act 2012 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2021 (SSI 2021/472), explanatory note on wills](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/472/made), legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), read October 12, 2026 21. [Civil Procedure Rules, Part 32, rule 32.19](https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part32), Ministry of Justice, read October 11, 2026 22. [Golden Ocean Group Ltd v Salgaocar Mining Industries \[2012\] EWCA Civ 265](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/2012/265), Find Case Law, The National Archives, read October 11, 2026 23. [J Pereira Fernandes SA v Mehta \[2006\] EWHC 813 (Ch)](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/ch/2006/813), Find Case Law, The National Archives, read October 11, 2026 24. [Neocleous v Rees \[2019\] EWHC 2462 (Ch)](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/ch/2019/2462), Find Case Law, The National Archives, read October 11, 2026 ## Read next - [Is a typed name a legal signature?](https://attest.datahubz.com/legal/is-a-typed-name-a-legal-signature) A typed name can be a legal signature under ESIGN, UETA, eIDAS and UK law when typed with intent to sign. Why proof is the weak point, and how a passkey helps. - [Electronic signatures in the European Union (eIDAS)](https://attest.datahubz.com/legal/electronic-signatures-european-union) EU e-signature law in plain language: eIDAS, its simple, advanced and qualified tiers, the national form rules it leaves in place and how to prove a signature. - ["I never signed that": proving an e-signature](https://attest.datahubz.com/guides/i-never-signed-that) When a counterparty denies signing: how e-signature disputes are argued, the evidence to gather, and how Attest's passkey signatures answer the claim. - [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-united-kingdom