Step-by-step guide · 5 minutes
How to sign a PDF online
with legal validity in the U.S.
Upload the document, place the fields, send it to whoever signs, and get an evidence report with a SHA-256 audit trail that anyone can verify. Under the ESIGN Act & UETA.
Four steps, from PDF to a legally valid signature.
No printing, no scanning, nothing to install. All in the browser, including on your phone.
- Step 1
Upload the PDF
Drag the document in from your computer or phone. We accept PDFs up to 50 MB. No need to convert it. If it opens in any viewer, it opens in Kligrafia.
- Step 2
Mark the signature fields
Place where each party signs. Name, date, initials, acceptance checkboxes. If you're the only signer, one field is enough. If several people sign, set the order and who goes first.
- Step 3
Send it to your signers
Kligrafia emails a unique link to each signer. They don't need an account. They open the link, see the document, and sign from their phone's or computer's browser.
- Step 4
Get the evidence report
Once everyone has signed, an evidence PDF is generated with a SHA-256 hash, a trusted timestamp, IP, user-agent, device, and each signer's KYC level. Anyone can verify it at /verify without logging in.
Why it matters
Print-sign-scan doesn't make sense anymore.
The traditional flow of printing, signing by hand, scanning, and emailing produces a PDF that any editor can manipulate without leaving a trace. Under the ESIGN Act and UETA, what holds up a signature isn't the image of the ink. It's the ability to prove the document wasn't altered and that whoever signed was who they claimed to be.
An electronic signature with a cryptographic audit trail generates reproducible evidence that an expert witness can recompute. If a single byte of the PDF changes, the hash stops matching and the document is invalidated. In a U.S. court proceeding, that is worth more than a scanned handwritten signature.
| Aspect | Electronic signature on Kligrafia | Print · sign · scan |
|---|---|---|
| Total time | 3-5 minutes | 30-60 minutes |
| Cost per signature | From $0 (Free plan) | Ink, paper, courier |
| Validity under the ESIGN Act & UETA | Cryptographic audit trail + KYC | Risk of scan tampering |
| Future verification | Public hash at /verify | Manual comparison against the original |
| Access from your phone | Works in any browser | Requires a printer + scanner |
Identity
ID-based KYC, in three tiers.
Each signer can verify up to the level the document requires. The evidence report records which level each party reached.
- Level A, verified email + IP + device. Sufficient for low-risk agreements.
- Level B, a driver's license or passport photographed on both sides, OCR, and pattern validation.
- Level C, Level B + a camera-based liveness check, anti-spoofing, and facial comparison against the ID.
Built for the U.S.
Made for how business gets done in the United States.
Transparent USD pricing, standard checkout, and support built around how U.S. teams actually close deals.
- Simple USD billing, major credit cards accepted, no local payment gymnastics to subscribe.
- Free public verifier, anyone can confirm the authenticity of a PDF signed on Kligrafia with no account required, at /verify.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before signing their first PDF.
- Is it legal to sign a PDF online in the United States?
- Yes. The federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001 et seq.) and the state-level UETA — adopted by 49 states, with New York using its own analogous statute, ESRA — recognize the validity and evidentiary force of an electronic signature in private agreements, as long as the signer's identity and the document's integrity can be demonstrated. Kligrafia meets both requirements with KYC and a hash-chained audit trail, and courts weigh that evidence under the Federal Rules of Evidence, including FRE 901.
- Do I need a state-accredited certificate authority?
- No, not for private agreements. A small number of specific, government-facing transactions require a qualified or accredited certificate. For contracts between private parties — leases, services agreements, NDAs, settlement agreements — a simple electronic signature with robust identity verification is valid. Kligrafia operates at this level.
- What if the other party doesn't have a Kligrafia account?
- They don't need one. The signer receives an email with a unique link. Opening it, they see the document, sign from their browser, and the action is recorded in the evidence chain. Only the person sending documents (the sender) needs an account.
- What information ends up in the evidence report?
- The SHA-256 hash of the document before and after signing, a timestamp for every action, the signer's IP and user-agent, device, approximate geolocation, the KYC level reached (A, B, or C), and the internal hash chain that proves nothing changed afterward. All in one downloadable, reproducible PDF.
- Can I sign from my phone?
- Yes. Signing happens in your phone's browser (Chrome, Safari, etc.). You can draw your signature with your finger, upload an image of your signature, or use a typed signature. ID-based KYC also works directly from your phone's camera.
- How much does it cost to sign a PDF?
- The Free plan lets you sign 3 documents a month, no card required. For higher volume, Pro ($9/mo) offers unlimited documents, Teams (from $24/mo, $8 per seat, 3-seat minimum) adds API access and multi-user support, and Enterprise is custom-priced. Details at /us/pricing.
Sign your first PDF in under five minutes.
Free plan, no card required. Your evidence report stays with you — in your account and your inbox.