Electronic Signature Guidelines Published

RCW 19.360 authorizes state agencies to use electronic signatures to conduct their business unless otherwise prohibited. However, the decision to use or rely on electronic signatures is one that each agency must make on their own, based on a business assessment and risk analysis.

To support state agencies in their evaluations, Electronic Signature Guidelines have been published and are available for use. The guidelines were developed with the support of a cross-agency work group and are intended to:

  • Help agencies determine if, and to what extent, their agency will implement and rely on electronic records and electronic signatures,

  • Provide agencies with information they can use to establish policy or rule governing their use and acceptance of electronic signatures, and

  • Provide direction to agencies for sharing their policies with the Office of the Chief Information Officer as required by state law.