Mrthfx

How do you respond to a colleague from another team when they're wrongly expecting that you'll help them?

What was this official D&D 3.5e Lovecraft-flavored rulebook?

Melting point of aspirin, contradicting sources

Symbol used to indicate indivisibility

It grows, but water kills it

Start making guitar arrangements

Offered money to buy a house, seller is asking for more to cover gap between their listing and mortgage owed

What does routing an IP address mean?

Does a 'pending' US visa application constitute a denial?

Redundant comparison & "if" before assignment

Lowest total scrabble score

Biological Blimps: Propulsion

Are the IPv6 address space and IPv4 address space completely disjoint?

Electoral considerations aside, what are potential benefits, for the US, of policy changes proposed by the tweet recognizing Golan annexation?

Is it possible to have a strip of cold climate in the middle of a planet?

Did Swami Prabhupada reject Advaita?

What is this called? Old film camera viewer?

Is it improper etiquette to ask your opponent what his/her rating is before the game?

Why does the Sun have different day lengths, but not the gas giants?

Is it better practice to read straight from sheet music rather than memorize it?

What should you do if you miss a job interview (deliberately)?

Is this toilet slogan correct usage of the English language?

What is Cash Advance APR?

Are paving bricks differently sized for sand bedding vs mortar bedding?

Must Legal Documents Be Siged In Standard Pen Colors?

Can I sign legal documents with a smiley face?Does an illegal clause create liability, or just invalidate the contract?Using US currency within a webpage designDoes an email constitute a binding contract with regard to LLC Ownership Transfer?Can apartment management terminate leases over a rule tenants never signed?Automated analysis of potentially illegal material using a web spiderHow legally enforceable are documents giving up paternity?Lease dispute, over email and text messageThe order of operations for getting a trade secret document signedHow to prevent the problem of a document changing its content after you signed itCan a copyrighted work be asigned via an adhesion contract?

3

I have a question as to whether or not legal documents signed in non standard pen colors (Anything other than blue or black) are valid.

I carry a purple pen around that use for everyday writing tasks, and when I was going to sign a document, someone told me that writing in purple is not valid on legal documents.

If the document does not specify that a certain pen color be used, is this true?

united-states contract-law new-york

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

David Siegel

14k2754

asked 7 hours ago

Sarah SzaboSarah Szabo

1161

New contributor

Sarah Szabo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

3

I have a question as to whether or not legal documents signed in non standard pen colors (Anything other than blue or black) are valid.

I carry a purple pen around that use for everyday writing tasks, and when I was going to sign a document, someone told me that writing in purple is not valid on legal documents.

If the document does not specify that a certain pen color be used, is this true?

united-states contract-law new-york

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

David Siegel

14k2754

asked 7 hours ago

Sarah SzaboSarah Szabo

1161

New contributor

Sarah Szabo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

I have a question as to whether or not legal documents signed in non standard pen colors (Anything other than blue or black) are valid.

I carry a purple pen around that use for everyday writing tasks, and when I was going to sign a document, someone told me that writing in purple is not valid on legal documents.

If the document does not specify that a certain pen color be used, is this true?

united-states contract-law new-york

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

David Siegel

14k2754

asked 7 hours ago

Sarah SzaboSarah Szabo

1161

New contributor

Sarah Szabo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

David Siegel

14k2754

asked 7 hours ago

Sarah SzaboSarah Szabo

1161

New contributor

Sarah Szabo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

David Siegel

14k2754

asked 7 hours ago

Sarah SzaboSarah Szabo

1161

New contributor

Sarah Szabo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

edited 24 mins ago

David Siegel

14k2754

edited 24 mins ago

David Siegel

14k2754

asked 7 hours ago

Sarah SzaboSarah Szabo

1161

New contributor

Sarah Szabo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 7 hours ago

Sarah SzaboSarah Szabo

1161

4 Answers
4

active

oldest

votes

3

No, Specific Ink Colors are not Required

That is not correct. If the purple will not photocopy well, the other party might reasonably ask for a color that will. But a signature is normally only evidence of agreement to the provisions, and it is the agreement that is legally important. The color of the ink used does not change the agreement.

It is normal to expect a signature to be in a permanent ink. A signature in pencil or erasable ink might be legal, but the other party will not want to accept it, and it would be reasonable to comply.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

14k2754

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I'd like to point out that it's probably a bad idea to sign in pencil anyway, since it might smudge. If you want to prove something was definitely you later, you're going to want something immutable.
  
  – Riker
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  4
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  It might be a good idea to rehash the heading of your answer. While you do answer the statement at the end of the question, right now at a glance when reading the question title and this answer, it reads as "Can legal documents be signed in non-standard pen colors?" "No".
  
  – Nit
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  If the question contains contradictory statements as to whether a yes or no answer is correct, then it's the question that needs its title fixed.
  
  – Nij
  27 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Nij done! Question fixed
  
  – David Siegel
  22 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

1

someone told me that writing in purple is not valid on legal documents.

This is likely a misconception since most forms say use blue or black ink, but there is no law regulating a valid signature. In the US you can sign with an "X", a fingerprint, a yellow crayon if so inclined, a wax stamp, pencil, or even invisible ink* as long as it is meant to show valid acceptance. The objective is to demonstrate that you have agree to the terms in the agreement. Now the contract could stipulate blue or black in for valid acceptance of the agreement but this is on part of the offering party and must be stipulated prior to acceptance, not part of the law.

*Invisible ink may fail the communication requirement for contracts unless the other party is made aware of how to inspect the signature such as examination under UV light.

Also see a related answer for a related question.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

TTETTE

1,2321127

add a comment | 

0

Contracts, as a general rule, don`t even have to be written to be valid. But, some have to be because a law very often exists requiring this. The color ink used is normally irrelevant to its validity, unless the contract states otherwise or a statute (law). Courts usually have local rules requiring signatures on all documents be in either blue or black ink, but most banks will accept a signature on a check signed in any color.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

1

New contributor

John is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

-1

A contract is a meeting of the minds. If your mind hasn't met theirs, then do not sign it simple as that.*

Pen color is part of the "meeting of the minds". If they don't accept your signature as valid, then you don't have an agreement and you don't have a contract. However, they need to object at a relevant time, i.e. when they first see the contract.

So purple ink is fine, unless they object, then find a color you both agree to.

---

* Particularly with stock contracts where you cannot haggle the wording, such as a cellphone contract. I mention that because sometimes people do passive-aggressive weird stuff instead of refusing to sign. They should refuse to sign if that's how they feel.

share

answered 5 mins ago

HarperHarper

2,6451214

add a comment | 

Your Answer

StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "617"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});

function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});


}
});

Sarah Szabo is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.

draft saved

draft discarded

Sign up or log in

StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});

Sign up using Google

Sign up using Facebook

Sign up using Email and Password

Post as a guest

Name

Email

Required, but never shown

StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2flaw.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f38356%2fmust-legal-documents-be-siged-in-standard-pen-colors%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);

Post as a guest

Name

Email

Required, but never shown

3

No, Specific Ink Colors are not Required

That is not correct. If the purple will not photocopy well, the other party might reasonably ask for a color that will. But a signature is normally only evidence of agreement to the provisions, and it is the agreement that is legally important. The color of the ink used does not change the agreement.

It is normal to expect a signature to be in a permanent ink. A signature in pencil or erasable ink might be legal, but the other party will not want to accept it, and it would be reasonable to comply.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

14k2754

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I'd like to point out that it's probably a bad idea to sign in pencil anyway, since it might smudge. If you want to prove something was definitely you later, you're going to want something immutable.
  
  – Riker
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  4
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  It might be a good idea to rehash the heading of your answer. While you do answer the statement at the end of the question, right now at a glance when reading the question title and this answer, it reads as "Can legal documents be signed in non-standard pen colors?" "No".
  
  – Nit
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  If the question contains contradictory statements as to whether a yes or no answer is correct, then it's the question that needs its title fixed.
  
  – Nij
  27 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Nij done! Question fixed
  
  – David Siegel
  22 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

3

No, Specific Ink Colors are not Required

That is not correct. If the purple will not photocopy well, the other party might reasonably ask for a color that will. But a signature is normally only evidence of agreement to the provisions, and it is the agreement that is legally important. The color of the ink used does not change the agreement.

It is normal to expect a signature to be in a permanent ink. A signature in pencil or erasable ink might be legal, but the other party will not want to accept it, and it would be reasonable to comply.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

14k2754

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I'd like to point out that it's probably a bad idea to sign in pencil anyway, since it might smudge. If you want to prove something was definitely you later, you're going to want something immutable.
  
  – Riker
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  4
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  It might be a good idea to rehash the heading of your answer. While you do answer the statement at the end of the question, right now at a glance when reading the question title and this answer, it reads as "Can legal documents be signed in non-standard pen colors?" "No".
  
  – Nit
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  If the question contains contradictory statements as to whether a yes or no answer is correct, then it's the question that needs its title fixed.
  
  – Nij
  27 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Nij done! Question fixed
  
  – David Siegel
  22 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

No, Specific Ink Colors are not Required

That is not correct. If the purple will not photocopy well, the other party might reasonably ask for a color that will. But a signature is normally only evidence of agreement to the provisions, and it is the agreement that is legally important. The color of the ink used does not change the agreement.

It is normal to expect a signature to be in a permanent ink. A signature in pencil or erasable ink might be legal, but the other party will not want to accept it, and it would be reasonable to comply.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

14k2754

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

14k2754

answered 6 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

14k2754

answered 6 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

14k2754

1

someone told me that writing in purple is not valid on legal documents.

This is likely a misconception since most forms say use blue or black ink, but there is no law regulating a valid signature. In the US you can sign with an "X", a fingerprint, a yellow crayon if so inclined, a wax stamp, pencil, or even invisible ink* as long as it is meant to show valid acceptance. The objective is to demonstrate that you have agree to the terms in the agreement. Now the contract could stipulate blue or black in for valid acceptance of the agreement but this is on part of the offering party and must be stipulated prior to acceptance, not part of the law.

*Invisible ink may fail the communication requirement for contracts unless the other party is made aware of how to inspect the signature such as examination under UV light.

Also see a related answer for a related question.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

TTETTE

1,2321127

add a comment | 

1

someone told me that writing in purple is not valid on legal documents.

This is likely a misconception since most forms say use blue or black ink, but there is no law regulating a valid signature. In the US you can sign with an "X", a fingerprint, a yellow crayon if so inclined, a wax stamp, pencil, or even invisible ink* as long as it is meant to show valid acceptance. The objective is to demonstrate that you have agree to the terms in the agreement. Now the contract could stipulate blue or black in for valid acceptance of the agreement but this is on part of the offering party and must be stipulated prior to acceptance, not part of the law.

*Invisible ink may fail the communication requirement for contracts unless the other party is made aware of how to inspect the signature such as examination under UV light.

Also see a related answer for a related question.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

TTETTE

1,2321127

add a comment | 

someone told me that writing in purple is not valid on legal documents.

This is likely a misconception since most forms say use blue or black ink, but there is no law regulating a valid signature. In the US you can sign with an "X", a fingerprint, a yellow crayon if so inclined, a wax stamp, pencil, or even invisible ink* as long as it is meant to show valid acceptance. The objective is to demonstrate that you have agree to the terms in the agreement. Now the contract could stipulate blue or black in for valid acceptance of the agreement but this is on part of the offering party and must be stipulated prior to acceptance, not part of the law.

*Invisible ink may fail the communication requirement for contracts unless the other party is made aware of how to inspect the signature such as examination under UV light.

Also see a related answer for a related question.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

TTETTE

1,2321127

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

TTETTE

1,2321127

answered 5 hours ago

TTETTE

1,2321127

answered 5 hours ago

TTETTE

1,2321127

0

Contracts, as a general rule, don`t even have to be written to be valid. But, some have to be because a law very often exists requiring this. The color ink used is normally irrelevant to its validity, unless the contract states otherwise or a statute (law). Courts usually have local rules requiring signatures on all documents be in either blue or black ink, but most banks will accept a signature on a check signed in any color.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

1

New contributor

John is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

0

Contracts, as a general rule, don`t even have to be written to be valid. But, some have to be because a law very often exists requiring this. The color ink used is normally irrelevant to its validity, unless the contract states otherwise or a statute (law). Courts usually have local rules requiring signatures on all documents be in either blue or black ink, but most banks will accept a signature on a check signed in any color.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

1

New contributor

John is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

Contracts, as a general rule, don`t even have to be written to be valid. But, some have to be because a law very often exists requiring this. The color ink used is normally irrelevant to its validity, unless the contract states otherwise or a statute (law). Courts usually have local rules requiring signatures on all documents be in either blue or black ink, but most banks will accept a signature on a check signed in any color.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

1

New contributor

John is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

1

New contributor

John is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

1

New contributor

John is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

1

-1

A contract is a meeting of the minds. If your mind hasn't met theirs, then do not sign it simple as that.*

Pen color is part of the "meeting of the minds". If they don't accept your signature as valid, then you don't have an agreement and you don't have a contract. However, they need to object at a relevant time, i.e. when they first see the contract.

So purple ink is fine, unless they object, then find a color you both agree to.

---

* Particularly with stock contracts where you cannot haggle the wording, such as a cellphone contract. I mention that because sometimes people do passive-aggressive weird stuff instead of refusing to sign. They should refuse to sign if that's how they feel.

share

answered 5 mins ago

HarperHarper

2,6451214

add a comment | 

-1

A contract is a meeting of the minds. If your mind hasn't met theirs, then do not sign it simple as that.*

Pen color is part of the "meeting of the minds". If they don't accept your signature as valid, then you don't have an agreement and you don't have a contract. However, they need to object at a relevant time, i.e. when they first see the contract.

So purple ink is fine, unless they object, then find a color you both agree to.

---

* Particularly with stock contracts where you cannot haggle the wording, such as a cellphone contract. I mention that because sometimes people do passive-aggressive weird stuff instead of refusing to sign. They should refuse to sign if that's how they feel.

share

answered 5 mins ago

HarperHarper

2,6451214

add a comment | 

A contract is a meeting of the minds. If your mind hasn't met theirs, then do not sign it simple as that.*

Pen color is part of the "meeting of the minds". If they don't accept your signature as valid, then you don't have an agreement and you don't have a contract. However, they need to object at a relevant time, i.e. when they first see the contract.

So purple ink is fine, unless they object, then find a color you both agree to.

---

* Particularly with stock contracts where you cannot haggle the wording, such as a cellphone contract. I mention that because sometimes people do passive-aggressive weird stuff instead of refusing to sign. They should refuse to sign if that's how they feel.

share

answered 5 mins ago

HarperHarper

2,6451214

share

answered 5 mins ago

HarperHarper

2,6451214

answered 5 mins ago

HarperHarper

2,6451214

answered 5 mins ago

HarperHarper

2,6451214