Electronic Document Signing

How to Sign an Electronic Document

Step 1:

Go to Adobe’s website to download their PDF reader from this link https://get.adobe.com/reader/

TIP: Make sure to unclick any boxes in the “Additional Offers” section, to avoid and additional, unwanted, software.

Step 2:

Once you are ready, click “Install now”. Once selected, you will see this:

Step 3:

After Adobe is finished Initializing, your browser will ask you whether you would like to keep the downloaded software. Select “Keep”.

TIP: Pending on your browser, this selection could appear in multiple location, but as shown here in Google Chrome, it appears in the bottom left of the browser window as “Keep”.

Step 4:

After Acrobat is downloaded, click it and open it. After Acrobat is opened, your computer will ask you “Do you want to allow this application to make changes to you device?” Select “Yes”.

TIP: This permission window may be different if you are using Macintosh instead of Windows, but select yes to any permission allowance. Adobe is a trusted company with safe software.

Step 5:

Adobe will begin to download and install Acrobat Reader. Once it is finished, click “Finish” and open Adobe Acrobat.

Step 6:

Once you have Acrobat open, it should look like this:

Step 7:

On the top left of Acrobat, select “File” and then “Open…”. From there, browse and locate the documents you would like to electronically sign, then open your document(s).

Step 8:

Once your document is opened, on the right hand side of Acrobat, find and click the “Fill & Sign” tool.

TIP: You may have to scroll down on the right tool window to find the Fill & Sign tool.

Step 9:

Click the “Sign” button located on the top, center, of Acrobat. A drop down window should appear and in it select “Add Signature”.

Step 10:

Type, draw, or upload a signature image and click “Apply”. In this guide, we chose to type the signature.

Step 11:

Once you click apply, the window will close and your signature will appear on the screen. To move your signature around, simply click it, drag it, and drop it above your name.

Step 12:

Repeat this for all signatures and documents. To create a duplicate signature, click the “Sign” button and then select your signature, a new signature will appear.

Step 13:

If you have multiple individuals signing documents, you will need to remove the first signature. To do this, click the Sign button, shown above, and click the “-“ icon. This will delete the prior signature. To add the new signature, simply repeat the steps above.

Step 14:

Finally, when you have your document fully signed, save your PDF. Once all documents are signed, email the full package back to closings@gotrustedtitle.com with the email subject line as “[your File number] – All fully executed closing documents”.

Electronic Signature Enforceability:

Florida Statutes, section 668.50, states that any document requiring a signature, minus exceptions, may be signed electronically. In regards to enforceability of an electronic signature, “[a] record or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because the record or signature is in electronic form.” Sec. 668.50 (7) (a), F.S.

Thank you, and I hope this guide was helpful. If you have any questions about electronically signing documents, or your closing in general, feel free to email us at closings@gotrustedtitle.com or call us at 904-321-9108.