Skip to main content
DocuSign Standards-Based Signatures

Easy-to-use digital signatures

Solutions that support all levels of digital signatures.

Contact Sales
woman signing web form on mobile device

Digital signatures from DocuSign

Electronic signatures are widely accepted as part of a modern system of agreement. But some businesses, regions and specific use cases may require digital signatures, which offer a heightened level of identity assurance through digital certificates.

DocuSign supports digital signatures to local standards, no matter where you are or what your use case is. Based on our robust eSignature, DocuSign Standards-Based Signatures offers easy-to-use solutions that support all levels of digital signatures:

• Electronic signatures
• Advanced Electronic Signatures (AES)
• Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES)

Learn More about Digital Signatures
A phone showing a signaure in front of a laptop showing a home screen within DocuSign eSignature that prompts users to drop in documents to get started

Standards-Based Signature benefits

  • Offer a cloud-based signing experience

    Deliver a simple, easy-to-use signing experience from the cloud. Let signers use the digital signature options integrated with the eSignature interface without downloading plug-ins or software.

  • Support unique compliance standards

    Meet QES standards by combining eSignature with our ID Verification Premier offering or partner solutions. QES is the only signature legally equivalent to a handwritten signature in the EU, and is preferred for highly regulated use cases or cross-border transactions.

  • Get started quickly

    Digital signature capabilities are embedded into your existing DocuSign eSignature and Identify workflows. Use our pre-built integrations or APIs to quickly connect to the systems you already use.

Learn how Standards-Based Signatures work

Ask Questions About Digital Signatures

DocuSign supports all levels of signature

Combine the power of eSignature and Identify to easily and quickly complete digital signatures.

  • A document with a signature and a notice saying ‘Document Signed’

    Electronic Signature

    DocuSign eSignature is trusted by hundreds of millions of users worldwide and meets electronic signature regulations, including eIDAs.

  • A document with a prompt to adopt an electronic signature before signing.

    Advanced Electronic Signature

    Add DocuSign ID Verification to your electronic signature process to validate signer identity and support AES. This is needed in use cases that require stricter identity assurance.

  • A prompt to review and act on documents within DocuSign eSignature.

    Qualified Electronic Signatures

    Meet EU and UK QES standards by combining eSignature with our ID Verification for the EU Qualified offering or partner solutions. QES is the only signature legally equivalent to a handwritten signature in the EU, and is preferred for highly regulated use cases or cross-border transactions.

Read Whitepaper

Global Network of Trust Service Provider partners

DocuSign integrates with a global network of ID and trust services. As all digital signatures include a digital certificate issued by a Trust Service Provider, these integrations support your efforts to comply with digital signature standards around the globe from a single cloud-based solution.

Find out more
Woman holding phone with screen showing a document signed with DocuSign

One million customers from over 180 countries

In the EU, DocuSign delivers all of the signature types defined under the eIDAS regulation, including EU Advanced and EU Qualified electronic signatures. These Standards-Based Signatures were launched as part of DocuSign’s “Invest for Europe” initiative (along with three EU data centers), in order to empower European organizations to make the digital transformation with trust and confidence today.

  • 1 billion
    users and more than one billion eSignature transactions
  • 3,000+
    state and local government agencies use DocuSign
  • 44
    languages can be used for signing and 14 languages can be utilised for sending

Customers use digital signatures for many types of agreements

    • Account openings

    • Investment and private banking

    • Trusts and pensions

    • Medical records and evidence

    • Partner and vendor agreements

    • Insurance agreements

    • Clinical research portals

    • HR documents (terminations, temp worker agreements)

    • Consumer loans

    • Contracts or inheritance

    • Manufacturing quality management

    • Engineer change process/approvals

Resources

Learn more about digital signatures

  • Digital Signatures for the EU

    Learn more about DocuSign solutions for digital signatures.

    View the Datasheet
  • New: ID Verification for EU Qualified

    Learn how to enhance your security and achieve EU- and UK-compliant QES in minutes with our new ID Verification for EU Qualified offering.

    Explore ID Verification Premier
  • Implementing Electronic Signatures and Digital Signatures with DocuSign

    Learn more about the different types of digital signatures and which ones are relevant for your specific use case.

    Read the Implementation Whitepaper

Standards-Based Signature FAQs

  • Electronic signatures, or e-signatures, are a broad category of methods for signing a document. A digital signature is a type of electronic signature that offers additional verification of the identities of the parties involved in a transaction.

    Digital signatures are based on a technology standard called Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). PKI is used to create a unique, tamper-evident ‘digital certificate’ that associates a signer with a document and guarantees that the electronic document is authentic. Digital certificates indicate that the signers have completed extra steps to confirm their identities. A signer’s digital certificate is used to create the signature and then attach it to the signed document.

  • Advanced Electronic Signatures (AES) add ID verification to the electronic signature signing process. Signatures must be uniquely linked to, and able to identify, the signer. Signature records are capable of showing evidence of tampering.

    Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) have more stringent requirements mandating face-to-face identity verification. (The face-to-face identification can be live and in-person or via an audio/video connection.)  A QES is unique in that it’s considered legally equivalent to a handwritten signature.

  • In the U.S., digital signatures are typically used in regulated industries like life sciences for compliance with the FDA’s requirements for electronic signatures, often referred to as 21 CFR Part 11. Another example is the US Federal Government, where federal employees can be issued a personal identity verification (PIV) card that contains a PKI digital certificate for signing that complies with the US Federal Processing Standards.

    Around the world, there are international standards that specify requirements for digital signatures and the methods used to authenticate a signer. Regulations include the Code of Civil Procedure in Brazil and Section 1803 of the Civil Code in MexicoElectronic IdentificationAuthentication and Trust Services regulation (eIDAS) in the EU and the Electronic Transactions Acts in Australia.

  • DocuSign works with Trust Service providers from around the world to offer digital certificates and digital signatures through the DocuSign platform. 

    See the global list of Trust Service Providers.

Digital signatures are available worldwide with DocuSign Standards-Based Signatures