Are electronic signatures legal in Maine?

What Maine's act says

Maine's Uniform Electronic Transactions Act is Title 10, chapter 1051, enacted as Public Law 1999, chapter 762. The Uniform Law Commission records Maine's enactment in 2000. The basic rules are in 10 M.R.S. § 9407:

• An electronic record or signature can't be denied legal effect or enforceability just because it's electronic.
• Using an electronic record to form a contract doesn't cost the contract its legal effect.
• If a law requires a writing, an electronic record satisfies it. If a law requires a signature, an electronic signature satisfies it.

Maine defines an electronic signature as an electronic sound, symbol or process attached to or logically associated with a record and adopted with intent to sign (§ 9402(8)). A typed name, drawn signature or click can qualify.

Paperless billing: customers can say no

Section 9420, added in 2011 and amended in 2025, is Maine's own addition. Unless federal law allows it, a business can't penalize a customer for opting out of electronic billing statements and choosing paper. It can offer an incentive for going paperless.

The rule covers monthly or periodic account statements a business must provide under federal or state law. A business may still charge a reasonable, fully disclosed fee the customer authorizes for extra work, such as a replacement statement or a custom date range.

Agreement, delivery and mail

The act applies only to transactions between parties who have each agreed to deal electronically, judged from context and conduct (§ 9405(2)). Either side can still turn down the next transaction in electronic form, a right § 9405(3) says can't be waived.

When a law requires information in writing, an electronic record works only if the recipient can print or store it (§ 9408(1)). If another law says a record must go by certified mail, return receipt requested, first-class mail or regular mail, that requirement can be varied by agreement only as far as that other law allows (§ 9408(4)(B)).

What's excluded in Maine

• Wills, codicils and testamentary trusts (§ 9403(2)(A)).
• The Uniform Commercial Code, except Title 11, section 1-1306 and Articles 2 and 2-A on sales and leases of goods (§ 9403(2)(B)).

Maine and the federal ESIGN Act

Federal law adds its own layer. The ESIGN Act covers e-signatures in interstate commerce (15 U.S.C. § 7001), leaves out notices like utility shutoffs and primary-residence foreclosures or evictions (15 U.S.C. § 7003), and requires consent steps before a consumer gets required information electronically. Our guide to e-signature law sets the two side by side.

Notarization

When a law requires notarization, the notary's electronic signature with the required information satisfies it (§ 9411). Maine's Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, in effect since July 1, 2023, also allows a notarial act for a remotely located individual by communication technology (4 M.R.S. § 1915). See remote online notarization. SignMaster doesn't notarize documents.

Practical notes

• Get the agreement. A sign-electronically clause in the contract is evidence of the agreement § 9405(2) looks for.
• Offer paper without a penalty. If you send required billing statements, let customers choose paper (§ 9420).
• Keep the final version. It must accurately reflect the document and stay accessible (§ 9412).

Section 9408(1) only counts an electronic record the recipient can print or store. SignMaster lets every signer download the completed PDF, and the certificate of completion at its end lists each event with a timestamp. Consent comes first: each signer agrees to sign electronically, and that agreement is recorded with the disclosure version shown.