Are electronic signatures legal in Michigan?

The rules that matter

Michigan enacted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act as 2000 Public Act 305, with immediate effect on October 16, 2000. It's codified at MCL 450.831 to 450.849.

• Electronic equals paperA record, signature or contract can't be denied legal effect just because it's electronic. Electronic records meet writing requirements, and e-signatures meet signature requirements (MCL 450.837).
• Agreement firstThe act applies only between parties who've agreed to transact electronically, judged from context and conduct. Either side can decline the next deal (MCL 450.835).
• Admissible in courtIn a criminal or civil proceeding, evidence of a record or signature can't be excluded just because it's electronic (MCL 450.843).
• Retention works electronicallyA record kept electronically satisfies a retention law if it accurately reflects the final version and stays accessible (MCL 450.842).

A short exclusion list

Michigan kept the uniform act's two exclusions and added no others (MCL 450.833):

• Laws governing the creation and execution of wills, codicils and testamentary trusts.
• The Uniform Commercial Code, except sections 1206 and 1306 and Articles 2 and 2A (sales and leases of goods).

That's narrower than the federal ESIGN Act, which also carves out family law, court documents and notices like utility shutoffs and foreclosures (15 U.S.C. § 7003). Michigan's act doesn't exclude those by name, but it doesn't override other laws either. If a Michigan statute says a notice must be posted, formatted or sent a specific way, you still have to follow it (MCL 450.838(2)).

Michigan and the federal ESIGN Act

ESIGN sets the national baseline (15 U.S.C. § 7001), and Michigan's act works alongside it. When a law requires you to give a consumer information in writing, ESIGN adds consent and disclosure steps before you can deliver it electronically (§ 7001(c)). For the two laws side by side, see our plain-English guide.

Remote notarization in Michigan

When a law requires notarization, the notary's electronic signature satisfies it if the required details are attached (MCL 450.841). Michigan notaries may also perform remote electronic notarizations on platforms approved by the Secretary of State and the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget, under a 2018 law (MCL 55.286b). See remote online notarization. SignMaster doesn't notarize documents.

Practical notes

• Get the agreement in writing. Conduct can show agreement, but a clear e-sign clause is easier to point to.
• Never lock the copy. If you stop a recipient from printing or saving a record, it isn't enforceable against them (MCL 450.838(3)).
• Keep proof of who signed. MCL 450.839 lets you show who signed by any means, such as the security procedure you used.

Michigan won't keep a record out of a civil or criminal case just because it's electronic (MCL 450.843), so the details of how a document was signed are worth keeping. With SignMaster, each signer agrees to sign electronically before signing, and that consent is recorded with the disclosure version they saw. The signed PDF closes with a certificate of completion that timestamps each event, and every signer can download a copy.