The Uniform Electronic Transaction Act (UETA) of 1999 gives states the jurisdiction to decide whether an electronically signed document is valid. The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) modernized the law in 2020. Currently, all states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, D.C., give electronic signatures the same legal status as handwritten signatures. However, some states have certain situations that mandate an original signature.