Digital Signature With Time Stamp for SignNow

Award-winning eSignature solution

What a digital signature with time stamp means

A digital signature with time stamp is an electronic signature that uses cryptographic methods to prove who signed a document, when they signed it, and whether the record changed afterward. In practice, the signer’s identity is verified, the document is hashed, and the signature is linked to that hash along with a trusted time stamp. That creates a tamper-evident record that supports document integrity, auditability, and later verification in U.S. business and legal workflows.

Why time stamps matter for enforceability

A digital signature with time stamp helps show intent, timing, and integrity, which supports business records, dispute handling, and compliance review. Under ESIGN and UETA, it can be legally effective when attribution, consent, and record integrity are established.

Why teams look for DocuSign alternatives

Common issues with signed time stamps

Weak identity checks can make it harder to prove who actually signed the document.
Missing or inconsistent time stamps can create disputes about when consent was given.
Poor retention practices may leave the audit trail incomplete when records are reviewed later.
Unsigned attachments or edited files can break the integrity of the signed record.

Healthcare

Healthcare teams use signed forms, consent records, and HIPAA-related documents that need clear timing and traceability.

Business operations

Real estate, finance, and legal teams use leases, approvals, and agreements that benefit from documented signing order and timestamps.

Users who benefit most

A director of NetSuite operations at Xerox can route approvals through connected systems while preserving a clear signing record for internal controls and downstream review.
A founder at a property firm like Martin Properties can execute lease and closing documents online, then keep a time-stamped record for compliance and file retention.

be ready to get more

Get legally-binding signatures now!

Start free trial

Request a call

Best ROI. Our customers achieve an average 7x ROI within the first six months.
Scales with your use cases. From SMBs to mid-market, airSlate SignNow delivers results for businesses of all sizes.
Intuitive UI and API. Sign and send documents from your apps in minutes.

Identity proof

Verifiable identity links each signature to a specific signer, which helps support attribution and later review in business disputes or compliance checks.

Time stamps

Trusted time stamps record when each action occurred, helping establish sequence, consent timing, and document history.

Tamper evidence

Tamper-evident sealing makes post-signing edits detectable, so the signed file can be checked against its original state.

Audit trail

Audit trails capture signer activity, delivery events, and completion history in one record for internal or legal use.

Mobile access

Mobile signing works on phones and tablets, which helps teams complete approvals without waiting for desktop access.

Reusable templates

Reusable templates reduce repeated setup for recurring agreements, forms, and approval packets that need the same signature flow.

Connected systems for signed workflows

Connected systems move signed documents into the tools your team already uses, while keeping timing, routing, and recordkeeping aligned.

How the signing process works

A time-stamped digital signature follows a clear sequence from identity check to final record preservation.

Verify signer: The signer opens the document and confirms identity.
Capture time: The system captures the signing time automatically.
Create hash: The document hash locks the signed version.
Record history: The audit trail stores the full event history.

Quick steps to get started

Use a simple workflow to prepare, send, and review a signed document with a time stamp.

Prepare file:
Upload the document and assign the signer.
Set routing:
Choose the signing order and fields.
Send request:
Send the document for signature.
Check record:
Review the completed audit trail.

Setting	Recommendation
Authentication method	SMS OTP
Signature type	Digital signature
Audit trail	Enabled
Document retention	6 years (HIPAA 45 CFR 164.530(j)(2))
Encryption	AES-256 and TLS 1.2/1.3

Browser and device requirements

Use a modern browser or mobile app with TLS 1.2 or 1.3 support to sign and review documents securely on desktop or mobile devices.

Desktop browsers Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari
Supported systems Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
Mobile access Mobile apps on iPhone and Android

For regulated or enterprise deployments, managed Windows or macOS devices, SSO provisioning, API access, and certificate-based validation may be required. Teams should also confirm browser updates, mobile app access, and retention policies before rollout.

Security and compliance controls

Encryption:

TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit

Storage protection:

AES-256 at rest

Independent assurance:

SOC 2 Type II available

Security management:

ISO 27001 certified

Healthcare compliance:

HIPAA support with BAA

Regulated records:

21 CFR Part 11 controls

Enterprise operations

A Xerox operations leader needed flexible routing across systems and document formats.

NetSuite-connected workflows
Right signatures, right format

The team kept approval records aligned with system data while preserving a clear signing history for internal control and review.

Real estate

A real estate founder needed online execution for property documents with traceable timing.

Online execution
Built-in security and compliance

The workflow supported remote signing, preserved document history, and reduced paper handling while keeping a time-stamped record for file retention.

Best practices for reliable signing

A reliable signing process depends on identity, sequence, retention, and access controls that match the document’s risk level.

Match authentication to risk

Use stronger authentication for documents that carry higher legal or financial risk, and keep the method consistent across the workflow so the audit trail stays easy to review.

Define signing order

Keep the signing order clear when multiple people must approve the same record, especially for legal, healthcare, or finance documents that depend on sequence.

Retain the full record

Store completed files with the audit trail and retention policy together, so records remain usable during disputes, audits, or internal reviews.

Check controls before launch

Review encryption, access control, and user provisioning before rollout, especially when the workflow includes PHI, financial data, or regulated records.

FAQ and troubleshooting

These answers focus on plan limits, compliance requirements, and recordkeeping details that affect time-stamped digital signatures in U.S. workflows.

signNow Business starts at $8/user/mo billed annually. It includes legally binding eSignatures, audit trails, templates, mobile apps, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and GDPR support.

The 7-day free trial requires no credit card. It lets you test signing, routing, and document completion before choosing a paid plan.

Bulk send is included in Business Premium. If you need one document sent to many recipients, that plan adds the feature without changing the audit trail model.

signNow provides audit trails on paid plans, and those records help support ESIGN and UETA enforceability by documenting signer activity and timing.

For HIPAA workflows, signNow supports compliance use with a BAA. You still need proper access controls, retention, and internal policy alignment.

DocuSign has a 100-envelope-per-user-per-year cap on some plans, while signNow’s paid plans do not use that envelope cap.

Recommended	DocuSign	Adobe Acrobat Sign	PandaDoc
Audit trail	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA support	Yes	Yes	Yes
Envelope cap	No cap	100/year	Not verified
Starting price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$15/user/mo

Setup day:

Create the workflow, assign roles, and confirm retention rules before the first send.

First send:

Send the first document after identity checks and routing are confirmed.

Team onboarding:

Train reviewers and senders during the first week of rollout.

Free trial:

7 days, no credit card required.

HIPAA retention:

6 years from creation or last effective date, per 45 CFR 164.530(j)(2).

UETA adoption:

49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have adopted UETA.

Part 11 records:

Keep secure, time-stamped audit trails for FDA-regulated records.

Policy review:

Recheck access, retention, and encryption after each workflow change.

Risks of poor signature handling

Weak evidence

Documents may be harder to defend in court.

Intent dispute

Signer intent may be disputed later.

Record failure

Audit records may fail compliance review.

Retention gap

Retention gaps can trigger policy violations.

Signer authentication:

Verifies the signer before the record is accepted.

Timestamp capture:

Captures UTC time for each signing event.

Document hashing:

Generates a hash that locks the document state.

Tamper-evident sealing:

Applies a tamper-evident seal after signing.

Audit logging:

Stores event details in the audit trail.

Retrieval and export:

Exports the record for review or evidence.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free trial	7 days	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified
Bulk send	Business Premium	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified
Audit trail	Included	Included	Included	Included	Included
HIPAA compliance	BAA available	BAA available	BAA available	Not verified	Not verified

28M+Documents signed

13+Years in business

4.6/5Average G2 rating