Authority Clause
Precisely name the individual or office authorised to sign, including any delegate hierarchy and whether the authority is role-based or person-specific.
A clear Signatory Authorisation Form reduces contract risk, clarifies internal approval paths, creates an auditable record of delegated authority, and helps recipients verify that signatures are valid and enforceable under ESIGN and UETA.
Organizations use signatory authorisations wherever delegated signing authority must be documented and verified before contracts or filings are accepted.
Use this form whenever authority could be questioned or when third parties require written proof of signatory scope and limits.
Precisely name the individual or office authorised to sign, including any delegate hierarchy and whether the authority is role-based or person-specific.
List categories of documents covered (contracts, NDAs, financial instruments), and explicitly exclude item types if necessary to avoid ambiguity.
Specify dollar thresholds per transaction and whether single-signature authority requires secondary approval for amounts above thresholds.
State the start and end dates or an event-based termination (for example, 'until revoked in writing' or 'while serving as CFO').
Note whether notarization, witness signatures, or a specific authentication method (SMS code, KBA) is required for the signature to be accepted.
Indicate where the executed form will be stored, retention period, and who maintains the authoritative copy for audits.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Signer Role | Assign role-based signer and alternates |
| Authentication | Email + SMS code or KBA where required |
| Expiration | Set link expiry (e.g., 30 days) for security |
| Audit Trail | Enable IP, timestamp, and action log |
Ensure the signing platform supports required authentication, file formats, and audit logs before e-submitting the form.
Provide the form prior to contract signature or as requested.
Many e-signed forms return within 24 hours with proper authentication.
Allow 2–5 business days for scheduling and completion.
Third parties typically verify within 1–2 weeks.
Allow reasonable processing time, commonly 7–14 days.
| 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 | Yes, 7-day trial | Varies by vendor | Varies by vendor | Varies by vendor | Varies by vendor |
| Bulk Send | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Envelope Cap | No cap | 100 envelopes/user/year | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Optica moved to documented signatory delegations to reduce vendor onboarding friction.
A real estate operator replaced paper authorisations with signed digital forms for leasing approvals.