Signature

Use: Deployed

Use this pattern when you need a user to provide their signature as a statement of truth.

Usage

When to use this pattern

Certification statement or statement of truth. Some forms will require the user to certify their submission by signature. The VA has a directive to use electronic signatures (PDF) and follows guidance from OMB on “Modernizing Access to and Consent for Disclosure of Records Subject to the Privacy Act” as well as the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) and Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN).

Under laws such as the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), 44 U.S.C. 3504 note, the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), … and the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN), 15 U.S.C. 7001, et seq., an e-signature has the same legal weight as a handwritten signature and cannot be considered invalid simply due to being electronic. The laws establish criteria for valid e-signatures, along the following lines: Intent to sign, consent to do business electronically, association of the signature with the record, attribution to the person signing, and a record of the digital transactions. The United States practices an open technology approach, meaning there’s no law requiring use of a specific signing technology for an e-signature to be legally binding, as long as it meets the criteria.

Federal register Vol. 87, No. 60

Examples

Example of the statement of truth signature pattern. — The Statement of truth component captures a digital signature from the user.

How to design and build

This patterns is used at the end of a form review page.

Layout details

Instructions for the user around signing the certification
Card
Heading: Veteran’s statement of truth
Content (specific to form)
Link to privacy policy page
Text input for signature
Checkbox for certification

How this pattern works

Place the pattern underneath the accordions on the review section. Do not hide this component inside an accordion.
Signature pattern does not exist in every form. If your form needs a certification statement or statement of truth, we recommend using this pattern.
When using this pattern, do not add the privacy policy checkbox at the end of the form. The user does not need to check another checkbox for privacy policy.

Content considerations

Error message templates

When a user doesn’t enter the name they entered previously in the form

Your signature must match your first and last name as previously entered.

When a user doesn’t check the checkbox for certification

Must certify by checking box

Live application examples:

VA Form 10-10CG (Application for Family Caregiver Benefits)