UETA — Uniform Electronic Transactions Act state-by-state
UETA is the state-level e-signature law in 49 US states. Here's which states adopted it, when, and the key variations to know.
The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) was drafted by the Uniform Law Commission in 1999 and has been adopted, in some form, by 49 of 50 US states + DC.
The one holdout: New York
New York uses its own Electronic Signatures and Records Act (ESRA), enacted 1999. Functionally similar to UETA but with different wording and one notable restriction: ESRA explicitly excludes certain real estate documents and orders of protection from e-signing.
UETA's core rule
UETA § 7:
> "If a law requires a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law."
Same floor as the eSIGN Act, but state-level and applies to intrastate transactions.
When UETA vs eSIGN Act applies
- Interstate commerce — eSIGN Act (federal)
- Intrastate, UETA state — UETA preempts eSIGN Act for that state's transactions
- Intrastate, New York — ESRA applies
- If in doubt — comply with both; they're nearly identical in practice
States with notable UETA variations
Most states adopted the model UETA with minor changes. A few worth noting:
- California — added explicit consumer protection language; carves out notarization (wet ink + notary seal still required for most notarized documents).
- Illinois — adopted UETA with additional record-retention specifics for certain regulated industries.
- Washington — added Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act (URPERA) for electronic land title.
- Texas — adopted UETA in 2001; combined with RON law for notarized e-signing.
- Florida — adopted UETA in 2000; early RON adopter.
The 4 UETA requirements for valid e-signatures
UETA § 5 requires:
1. Both parties agree to transact electronically (can be established by conduct, not just written) 2. The record is attributable to the person (via the act of the person or their authorized agent) 3. Record retention — the record can be retained and accurately reproduced 4. Integrity — unless otherwise agreed, the record must be capable of being retained for later reference
Attribution — the key concept
UETA § 9 addresses attribution. An e-signature is attributable to a person if it was:
- Made by the person, OR
- Made by the person's authorized agent, OR
- Made by a process (automated system) the person set up
Attribution can be shown "in any manner" — including:
- Security procedures used to create the signature
- Context surrounding the transaction
- Testimony
SignBolt generates attribution evidence automatically: email verification + IP logging + optional MFA + optional ID check. Courts have consistently accepted this evidence package.
State adoption dates (selected)
| State | UETA Adopted | |---|---| | California | 1999 | | Texas | 2001 | | Florida | 2000 | | Illinois | 2000 | | Washington | 1999 | | Massachusetts | 2004 | | Georgia | 2000 | | Arizona | 2000 | | Colorado | 2000 | | Washington DC | 2001 |
Full adoption timeline at the Uniform Law Commission.
What to check when signing across state lines
- Confirm UETA or ESRA covers the transaction type in both states
- Use a platform with interstate-valid audit trails
- Retain the signed PDF + audit trail for the longer of the two states' retention periods
SignBolt's audit trail meets both UETA and ESRA requirements.
Next
Free, no signup, 5 ops per day.
All 6 tools, 25 MB files, zero ads. Go Pro for 100 MB + batches + unlimited.