Is a scanned signature legally valid?
Updated
Short answer
A scanned signature isn't automatically invalid. Under the eIDAS regulation even a pasted image of your signature can count as a simple electronic signature. But as evidence it's weak: anyone with a copy can put it under another document, and nothing records who placed it or when.
Two kinds of scans
- An image of your signature pasted into a document. Legally a simple electronic signature, but not linked to you as a person or to this one document.
- A scan of a document signed on paper. That's a copy of a signed original. The copy is usable, but if in doubt the other party can ask for the original.
Why a scanned signature is weak evidence
If someone later denies having signed, you have to show that this person placed the signature. An image doesn't help: there is no time, no verification and no guarantee that the document wasn't changed afterwards.
How to make it strong
Have it signed through a platform that records the process. The signer gets a personal link, optionally with an SMS code or an ID check, and afterwards you have an audit certificate with the document hash and an independent timestamp. See how to create a digital signature and how to check one.
This article is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
- Yes. For your own quote that's often enough. When it's the client's signature, have them sign through a platform so you can prove their agreement.
- It's a copy of a signed document. It can serve as evidence, but carries less weight than an original or an electronically signed document with an audit certificate.