I recently came across a situation where I needed to get a contract signed by emailing a PDF to the other party then having them email me back so that I can sign it to make the contract official. Is this okay? Short answer is yes! Though like any contract, they are still capable of being rejected if proven unrelieble. Be sure to leave a Digital Paper Trail for your record.
An excerpt from http://law.freeadvice.com:
Copies of electronic contracts, faxed versions of contracts, and scanned or electronically stored versions, are all “good” contracts and enforceable: although still capable of being rejected if proven unreliable. Contracts are now very commonly executed (or signed) electronically, at least partially, by fax or scanned copy, with one person signing, then transmitting the contract in some form to the other, who then signs it and transmits a countersigned version back.
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
There are some services that specialize in contract signing but sometimes the simplicity of emailing a PDF to a client is the way to go without the extra compexity (regardless if it’s as easy as registering). After all – the customer’s experience is in important element to consider when conducting business.
Suggested reading: Digital Paper Trails: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly