Wet Signature
A wet signature is a handwritten signature made in ink on a physical paper document, named for the brief period the ink remains wet after application.
What it means
Wet signatures have been the legal standard for centuries and remain required for a narrow set of documents. In most jurisdictions, wills, certain court orders, and some real estate instruments still require wet ink. The term is now primarily used to distinguish physical signatures from electronic ones when both options exist.
Why it matters for e-signatures
Understanding when a wet signature is legally required prevents costly errors. SignOwl covers the vast majority of business documents — but knowing the exceptions helps you route the rare document that genuinely needs physical ink to the right process.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Is a scanned wet signature legally valid for e-signing purposes?
A scanned image of a signature is generally not as robust as a native electronic signature because it lacks metadata, audit trail, and cryptographic integrity. Most platforms advise against it for important documents.
Which documents still require a wet signature in the U.S.?
Wills, codicils, testamentary trusts, adoptions, divorce agreements, and certain court orders are explicitly excluded from ESIGN and UETA and typically still require wet ink.
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