Sign a PDF

How to sign PDF

1. Open the PDF you need to sign.
2. Draw your signature with your finger or mouse, or type your name in a handwriting-style font.
3. Tap the page to place it, then drag and resize. Add the date if you need it.
4. Download the signed PDF.

Is a signature added this way valid in the UK?

This creates a simple electronic signature: an image of your signature placed on the document. Electronic signatures are widely used and accepted in the UK for many everyday documents, such as tenancy renewals, job offers, consent forms, supplier agreements and school forms. What usually matters is that you intended to sign and the other side can see who signed.

Some documents have extra rules. Deeds, for example, typically need a witness who sees you sign, and some official forms and property transactions have their own requirements. If the document is a deed, a will or anything involving land or a lasting power of attorney, check GOV.UK or ask a solicitor before signing electronically.

This is different from a certificate-based digital signature, which uses a cryptographic certificate to prove identity and detect later changes. This tool does not create those.

Your signature stays with you

Contracts, offer letters and tenancy agreements contain names, addresses and sometimes salaries or bank details. The document is opened and signed inside your browser, and nothing is uploaded. Your signature is not kept either, unless you choose "remember on this device", which saves it in your browser only. You can clear it at any time.

Tips for a neat signature

• On a phone, turn it sideways for more room to draw.
• Sign slowly. A signature drawn fast with a finger often looks shaky.
• Place it on the signature line, then shrink it to fit. Signatures usually look too big at first.
• The signature is flattened into the page, so it cannot be lifted off and moved to another document.

Questions people ask