What is a signatory?

Personal signatories and authorised signatories

A personal signatory signs for themselves: a tenant on a lease, a freelancer on a contract, a parent on a permission slip. They are bound personally.

An authorised signatory signs for an organisation. The organisation is bound, not the individual, provided they had authority. Contracts often show this as 'for and on behalf of Acme Ltd', followed by the person's name and title.

Who can sign for a company

Rules differ by country and by company. In England and Wales, section 44 of the Companies Act 2006 lets a company execute a document by the signature of two authorised signatories (two directors, or a director and the company secretary) or of one director in the presence of a witness who attests the signature. A company can also authorise others to sign ordinary contracts on its behalf.

In the US, officers such as the CEO or president usually have authority by their role, and boards can authorise others by resolution. If you are unsure whether someone can bind a company, ask for a board resolution or a power of attorney.

Signatories, witnesses and other roles

Not everyone who signs a document is a signatory to it in the full sense. A witness signs to confirm they saw the signatory sign, but is not bound by the contract. A notary certifies a signature. A guarantor is a signatory with a separate obligation to pay if the main party does not.

Signatories in Sign PDF

Sign PDF reads the wording around each signature block, such as Landlord, Tenant, Employee or Witness, and assigns the fields to the right signer. You add each signer's name and email, choose the signing order on the Full plan, and send. There is no limit on signers per document on either plan.

Each signatory's details, verification and timestamps appear in the certificate of completion. Signatories can sign on a phone or computer without an account.