Electronic or DIGITAL SIGNATURE GUIDELINE

Revised: April 10, 2025

  1. The standard method for signing agency forms is with an original hand signature and should be done when possible. An electronic signature (E-signature) or a digital signature are also authorized to facilitate approvals across multiple locations and more timely processing.
  2. For purposes of this guideline, the following definitions are used:
    1. E-signature – a digital image of an employee’s original hand signature.
    2. Digital signature – a certificate-based signature in Adobe Acrobat that certifies the employee signed it. Note: Adobe Acrobat is the approved source for digital signatures.
Is an example of what a digital signature looks like

This is what a Digital signature looks like

  1. Restrictions: E-signatures and digital signatures may not be used for contracts, checks, or other legal documents, including those that must be notarized.
  2. Since agency forms in Microsoft Word or Excel are protected, employees must save the completed form as a PDF document to allow an e-signature or a digital signature to be applied.
  3. To add a digital signature to an agency form:
    1. Open the saved PDF form and select “certificates” from the Tools menu bar.
    2. Select “Digitally Sign” icon (looks like a pen tip with a certificate) to attach a digital signature to the document. Use your mouse to click and drag to draw the area where you would like the signature to appear. Once you select the desired area, you will be taken to the next step of the signing process. Note: For your initial digital signature, you will be directed to configure your digital ID. Once you have successfully completed the initial setup of your digital signature in Adobe Acrobat, you can reuse it for any PDF you need to digitally sign.
    3. In the Sign with a Digital ID dialog box, choose your Digital ID and select Continue.
    4. Enter your Digital ID PIN or Password and select sign.
    5. Save the file with a new name.
  4. To add an E-signature to an agency form:
    1. Open the saved PDF form and select “Fill & Sign” from the Tools menu bar.
    2. Select the “Sign Yourself” icon (looks like a pen tip with a signature).
    3. Insert your E-signature. The first time you do this, you will need to select the file containing your E-signature. For subsequent times, Adobe Acrobat should remember your signature and allow you to click it without browsing for the file.
    4. Drag signature to the area to sign and adjust the size as needed.
    5. To insert the date, select Add Text, place cursor above the Date line, and type the date.
    6. Save the file with a new name.

Contact

Get in touch with the Chief Administrative Officer.

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