Are electronic signatures legal in Connecticut?

Connecticut's law at a glance

What the act does

Section 1-272 holds the UETA's four core rules. A record or signature can't be denied legal effect just because it's electronic, and neither can a contract formed with an electronic record. An electronic record satisfies a law requiring a writing, and an electronic signature satisfies a law requiring a signature.

The act applies only between parties who have each agreed to transact electronically, judged from the context and their conduct, and anyone can decline to do the next transaction electronically (§ 1-270(b)–(c)). If a law requires you to give someone information in writing, an electronic copy counts only if they can print or store it (§ 1-273(a), (c)).

Two extra protections for consumers

First, Connecticut uses the federal ESIGN Act's permission to supersede parts of that law (15 U.S.C. § 7002), but it carves out § 7001(c), the consumer consent rules (§ 1-286). So when a law requires you to give a consumer information in writing, you still need their informed consent to deliver it electronically. Our guide explains how the federal and state laws fit together.

Second, Connecticut added a delivery rule you can't contract around. If you know a consumer didn't receive your electronic record, or couldn't open and read it, the law presumes it was never sent to or received by them (§ 1-284(b)).

What's excluded in Connecticut

• Wills, codicils and testamentary trusts (§ 1-268(b)(1)).
• The Uniform Commercial Code, except sales and leases of goods (articles 2 and 2A) and § 42a-1-306 (§ 1-268(b)(2)).
• Laws requiring notice that utility service will be cut off, which Connecticut defines broadly: water, heat, gas, cable television, oil, telephone and electric power (§ 1-268(c)(2)(A)).
• Notices of default, foreclosure or eviction for an individual's primary residence (§ 1-268(c)(2)(B)).
• Notices canceling health or life insurance, product recall notices and hazardous materials shipping documents (§ 1-268(c)(2)(C)–(E)).
• The rules of court practice and procedure in the Connecticut Practice Book (§ 1-268(d)).

Remote notarization

Since a 2023 law (Public Act 23-28), a Connecticut notary can notarize for someone who isn't in the room, as long as they can see and hear each other in real time and the notary identifies the signer (§ 3-95b(b)). The signer then mails or delivers the signed original to the notary to finish the notarization (§ 3-95b(d)). It can't be used for wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, health care instructions or real estate closings, among others (§ 3-95b(i)). SignMaster doesn't notarize documents.

Practical notes

• Confirm delivery. If a consumer tells you they couldn't open a document, resend it in a form they can open rather than relying on the first send.
• Follow the notice statutes. Shutoff, foreclosure and eviction notices sit outside the act, so use the method the governing law requires.
• Keep the final record. An electronic record satisfies a retention rule if it accurately reflects the final version and stays accessible (§ 1-277).

Section 1-277 asks for a final record that stays accurate and accessible. Signers can download the completed PDF from SignMaster, and it ends with a certificate of completion showing every event and its time. Consent comes first: each signer agrees to sign electronically, and the disclosure version they saw is saved with that agreement.