Are electronic signatures legal in Rhode Island?

What Rhode Island's act says

Rhode Island adopted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act in 2000 (P.L. 2000, chapters 175 and 259). It's codified at R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 42-127.1-1 to 42-127.1-20, and it applies to electronic records and signatures created, sent or stored on or after July 13, 2000.

The act only applies between parties who have each agreed to transact electronically, judged from the context and their conduct, and anyone can decline the next transaction (§ 42-127.1-5).

What came before

Before UETA, Rhode Island had its own Electronic Signatures and Records Act, the former chapter 127 of title 42. The new chapter replaced it. A record created before UETA took effect, but after the older act did, is still governed by the older act as it stood at the time (§ 42-127.1-4). That only matters if you're relying on very old electronic records.

What's excluded in Rhode Island

• Wills, codicils and testamentary trusts (§ 42-127.1-3(b)(1)).
• Title 6A, Rhode Island's Uniform Commercial Code, except §§ 6A-1-107 and 6A-1-206 and chapters 2 and 2.1 on sales and leases of goods (§ 42-127.1-3(b)(2)).

The act doesn't list notices like utility shutoffs or foreclosures, but the federal ESIGN Act excludes them from its own coverage (15 U.S.C. § 7003), and the Rhode Island laws that require those notices may set delivery rules. If another law requires a record to be sent a specific way, it still has to go that way, though a first-class or regular mail requirement can be varied by agreement where the other law allows (§ 42-127.1-8(b), (d)).

Rhode Island and the federal ESIGN Act

At the federal level, the ESIGN Act does the same job for interstate commerce (15 U.S.C. § 7001). Information a law says a consumer must receive in writing needs ESIGN's consent steps before you send it electronically (§ 7001(c)). Our e-signature law guide explains how the federal and state laws work together.

Remote notarization in Rhode Island

When a law requires notarization, the notary's electronic signature and required details can be attached to the record electronically (§ 42-127.1-11). Since June 30, 2022, a notary located in Rhode Island can also notarize for a remotely located person using communication technology, after confirming identity and making an audio-visual recording of the act (R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-30.1-12.1). See remote online notarization. SignMaster doesn't notarize documents.

Practical notes

• Agree first. Put a line in your contract saying both sides agree to sign electronically.
• Send copies people can keep. A record the recipient can't print or store isn't enforceable against them (§ 42-127.1-8(c)).
• Keep the final version accurate and accessible for as long as you must keep it (§ 42-127.1-12).

Rhode Island's retention rule asks for an accurate copy that stays accessible (§ 42-127.1-12). SignMaster gives each signer a downloadable copy of the completed PDF, with a certificate of completion attached that records each step and when it happened. Consent comes first: every signer agrees to sign electronically, and SignMaster logs it with the disclosure version they saw.