Most signatures on legal documents follow the same guidelines: they feature prominent initials, resemble the signer’s name, and are written in cursive. While having your signature look like your name can arguably be useful, writing in cursive seems to have no specific purpose. So, does a signature have to be cursive or not? Are there rules regarding what your signature can and cannot look like?
Let’s find out.
What Counts as a Legal Signature?
A signature is valid when it can be linked to its signer. A handwritten “wet” signature can be a stylized version of your legal name, initials, or even a symbol, as long as it’s distinctive enough to be identified as yours. Here are a ton of signature ideas. Although ink is the preferred way of signing, signatures written with a pencil can be just as legally binding.
In the past, comparing signatures on papers and identifications was necessary to determine whether they were valid. Electronic signatures offer a faster, safer, and more versatile alternative.
An online signature is the electronic form of a wet signature used on digital documents. Electronic signature software allows users to sign and request signatures from anywhere, giving users more control over the signing process.
Electronic signature platforms like Signaturely allow you to upload your documents, add signature fields, and send the documents to be signed by others. They ensure all signatures are legally binding by abiding by international laws and acts like the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act of 2000, which establishes guidelines for the validity of signatures on electronic contracts and records.
Online signature platforms allow you to store your business documents online and request multiple signatures simultaneously. They can also remind users that their signature is needed and trigger processes as soon as it is received.
Does a Signature Have to Be Cursive?
Traditionally, signatures on legal documents have been in cursive. However, writing in cursive doesn’t have anything to do with the legality of the signature.
As mentioned above, the most important factor to determine a signature’s validity is whether or not it authentically indicates the signer’s agreement.
Although signatures can technically be any identifying mark, writing your signature in cursive may have advantages over simply using a generic mark or symbol as a signature.
You can make the signature more identifiable by writing your name and including your middle initial. Flowing, cursive handwriting can help ensure that the same version of your signature appears across various signed documents since it is easier to replicate than a generic symbol.
Writing your name in a stylized fashion can also showcase your style and personality. For these reasons, although there’s no requirement to write a signature in cursive, most signees prefer to use this style.
Do Signatures have to be in cursive? What Are the Rules?
Whether you’re creating a wet or digital signature, there are a few rules you’ll need to follow to ensure it’s legally valid and make it simple to authenticate.
Generally speaking, any mark can be considered a legal signature regardless of how closely it resembles the person’s printed name or how stylized it is. This frees people to sign a document with their name, drawing, unique marking, or even an “x.”
However, if questions of validity arise, your wet signature may be compared to one on an ID or another official document, such as your driver’s license. To avoid any problems with certifying your signature, it’s important to update your forms of identification with your current signature.
Electronic signature rules make it easy to check for validity regardless of the signature’s appearance. Online signing software often captures a timestamp of the signature with identifiable information to prove its authenticity.
This makes online signing quite versatile and affordable since signing takes less time and resources. Online signature software also lets you handle and keep track of multiple documents and signature requests simultaneously, ensuring your signatures’ legal validity. It also allows for more flexibility regarding the appearance of a digital signature, allowing you to have a separate signature for online documents without worrying if the signature looks like the one on your government-issued ID.
You can create a new signature for each document online or keep a variety of signatures, from ones with just your initials to stylized versions of your name. You can choose the most appropriate for your business documents and online agreements.
FAQs About Cursive Signatures
Here are some answers to common questions about signatures:
A signature’s main purpose is to certify that the signer has read a document and agrees with its stipulations. To keep it simple, most people use stylized variations of their names as signatures, making it easier to certify their authenticity. However, as long as the signature is identifiable, it will likely serve its purpose, regardless of the signature style or consistency.
Yes, a signature not written in cursive is just as legally binding as one written in cursive. Ideally, the signature should resemble the signer’s name to make it easier to authenticate. However, as long as the intention and authenticity can be proven, a signature’s style doesn’t affect its legal validity.
Yes, a signature can be typed, drawn, or written. However, for some physical documents, a signature should match the one on an official document, like a driver’s license, to be legally binding.
What You Need to Remember About Signing Your Name in Cursive
As we’ve seen, signing your name in cursive isn’t legally required for your signatures to be valid. As long as a signature can be used to prove the intent of the person involved to fulfill the contract, it doesn’t matter if the signature is written in cursive, shortened to initials, or even expressed as a mark or drawing.
Signaturely can help you take document signing to the next level. Within minutes, you can free yourself from printed documents and create and collect valid online signatures.
With Signaturely’s comprehensive software, you can transform your files into documents ready to be signed, send signature requests, manage your contracts, and more.
Sign up for free today.
