Are electronic signatures legal in Missouri?
Yes. Missouri's Uniform Electronic Transactions Act makes an electronic signature satisfy any law that requires a signature, for records created on or after August 28, 2003, as long as the parties agreed to transact electronically.
Updated October 13, 2026 · 3 min read
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Missouri: at a glance
MO- E-signature law
- Missouri Uniform Electronic Transactions Act
- Citation
- RSMo §§ 432.200–432.295
- In effect since
- 2003
- Based on UETA
- Yes
- Remote notarization
- AllowedRSMo §§ 486.1100–486.1205
- Doesn't cover
- Wills, codicils and testamentary trusts (RSMo 432.210.2(1))
- The UCC, except sections 400.1-107 and 400.1-206 and Articles 2 and 2A (RSMo 432.210.2(2))
Missouri's act in brief
Missouri enacted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act in 2003 through House Bill 254. It's codified at RSMo 432.200 to 432.295 and applies to electronic records and signatures created on or after August 28, 2003 (RSMo 432.215).
| Rule | Where |
|---|---|
| A record or signature can't be denied legal effect just because it's electronic. | RSMo 432.230.1 |
| An electronic record satisfies a law that requires a writing. | RSMo 432.230.3 |
| An electronic signature satisfies a law that requires a signature. | RSMo 432.230.4 |
| The act applies only between parties who agreed to transact electronically, judged from context and conduct. | RSMo 432.220.2 |
| Evidence can't be excluded in a proceeding just because it's electronic. | RSMo 432.260 |
Two exclusions, nothing more
Missouri kept the uniform act's short list (RSMo 432.210.2). The act doesn't apply to the extent a transaction is governed by:
- A law governing the creation and execution of wills, codicils or testamentary trusts.
- The Uniform Commercial Code, other than sections 400.1-107 and 400.1-206 and Articles 2 and 2A (sales and leases of goods).
Excluded documents aren't automatically paper-only. If another law governs them, that law decides whether an electronic version works (RSMo 432.210.3). And if another statute says a notice must be posted, formatted or sent a particular way, the act doesn't change that (RSMo 432.235.2).
What federal law adds
The federal ESIGN Act covers transactions in interstate commerce (15 U.S.C. § 7001) and carves out more than Missouri does: family law, court documents, and notices such as utility shutoffs, foreclosures, evictions and health or life insurance cancellations (15 U.S.C. § 7003). If you send consumers any notice like those, get advice first. When a law requires you to give a consumer information in writing, follow ESIGN's consent steps before delivering it electronically (§ 7001(c)). Our plain-English guide walks through those consumer steps.
Remote online notarization in Missouri
Since August 28, 2020, Missouri notaries who register as remote online notaries can perform two kinds of notarial acts over audio-video communication: acknowledgments and jurats, and by no other method (RSMo 486.1140). The rules run from RSMo 486.1100 to 486.1205. See remote online notarization. SignMaster doesn't notarize documents.
Before you send
- Get agreement. Agreement can be inferred from conduct, but a sentence in your contract saying both sides will sign electronically is clearer.
- Respect the right to say no. A customer who signed electronically once can refuse to do the next deal that way, and that right can't be waived (RSMo 432.220.3).
- Let them keep it. If you stop a recipient from printing or saving a record, it isn't enforceable against them (RSMo 432.235.3).
- Retain the final record. An electronic copy meets a retention rule if it accurately reflects the final version and stays accessible (RSMo 432.255).
Under RSMo 432.255, the copy you keep has to reflect the final version. SignMaster's completed PDF closes with a certificate of completion that logs every event with its time, and every signer can download it. Before signing, each signer agrees to sign electronically, and SignMaster records that agreement with the disclosure version they saw.
Questions? Answers.
Can I sign a lease electronically in Missouri?
Yes. A lease isn't one of the two things RSMo 432.210.2 leaves out, so RSMo 432.230.4 applies once both sides agree to sign electronically. A separate statute may still say how a notice to a tenant must be posted or sent, and RSMo 432.235.2 leaves that rule alone.
Can a Missouri notary notarize my document online?
A registered Missouri remote online notary can take an acknowledgment or administer a jurat over audio-video communication (RSMo 486.1140). Other notarial acts can't be done that way.
Can a will be signed electronically in Missouri?
Missouri's e-signature act doesn't apply. RSMo 432.210.2(1) excludes the laws on creating and executing wills, codicils and testamentary trusts, so those laws alone decide how a will is signed. A Missouri estate attorney can tell you what they require.
Sources
- RSMo 432.200–432.295, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act · revisor.mo.gov
- RSMo 432.210 (scope and exclusions) · revisor.mo.gov
- RSMo 486.1140 (permissible remote online notarial acts) · revisor.mo.gov
- Uniform Law Commission, Electronic Transactions Act (enactment history) · uniformlaws.org
- 15 U.S.C. § 7001, ESIGN Act general rule of validity (govinfo) · govinfo.gov
- 15 U.S.C. § 7003, ESIGN Act exceptions (govinfo) · govinfo.gov
General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and how they apply depends on your situation. For advice about a specific document, talk to a lawyer licensed in your state.