Have run across an interesting question. Am using an electronic authentication process (electronic signature) on most all my maps lately. But I'm starting to get into multi page maps. Per board rules, the seal and signature is to be put on the first page of those and just the seal with initials and date on subsequent pages. But with an electronic signature authentication process, there isn't any way to do that.
I don't worry about that for reports and things I know the client is going to keep in their electronic form. But what about when the client prints the 7 pages of maps that form one plat? Once back in paper form there isn't anything anywhere except on the first page that indicates that I "signed" the document(s).
Anyone with similar experience care to share your thoughts on the best way to handle?
Larry P
I gave up on the "authenticated" signature a while ago and just sign my pdfs with a sketch pad. Then I make tiffs of the pages and add them back in so that my signatures are raster not vector. May not be the best way to go, but, they are real signatures and look like them as well. The bad part is since these drawings are no longer vector they are bigger and of course the other reason is they are no longer vector ...
This doesn't answer your question, but I do not use electronic authentication and my signature never leave my office copied or scanned on a plat. The only signed plats that leave my office are original signature.
Sure, I will send out PDF's of a plat for review, but no signature.
This is in part because Virginia recording laws for plats state that the signature must be original.
Many states allow documents to be signed electronically. The laws or rules that provide for this usually indicate that every electronic copy that is identical to the original is an original. There really isn't any choice, considering that at the instant the document is signed, it can be spread around processor registers, the level 1 cache, the level 2 cache, main memory, paging store, the disk, and the cloud backup. The so-called original exists as several copies right from the very first instant, so it make sense to treat every identical digital file as an original.
It's an open question about whether a paper printout is considered signed. You would have to read your state rules carefully to see if this question is answered. (This is regardless of whether there is something that looks like a seal, or something that looks like your hand-written signature, on the paper.)
>and just the seal with initials and date on subsequent pages
Does the rule state that the initials have to be wet? Why not just create an image of your seal with your initials and put that on the appended pages?
I use two separate processes to sign multiple page documents. I digitally sign each sheet with a scanned image of my seal with signature, then certify the last sheet (sheet one) using the same image. You can apply multiple signatures on a single pdf, but only one certification using the authentication process. Just certify the last one. The image you use for your signature can be anything you want. In keeping with the state licensing requirements, my signature includes the seal image.
JBS
Dave, you're living in the past, man. 21st century laws protect you from fraud and forgery when using an electronic signature. There's nothing magic about ink on paper any more. In fact, you have fewer protections when using pen and ink than you do using a digital signature. Check out your state's (and 47 other states') UETA laws.
Code of Virginia
Title 59.1 - TRADE AND COMMERCE.
Chapter 42.1 - Uniform Electronic Transactions Act
§ 59.1-485. Legal recognition of electronic records, electronic signatures, and electronic contracts.
(a) A record or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form.
(b) A contract may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because an electronic record was used in its formation.
(c) If a law requires a record to be in writing, an electronic record satisfies the law.
(d) If a law requires a signature, or provides for certain consequences in the absence of a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law.
(2000, c. 995.)
This is what happens when someone from Utah tries to tell me about plat standards for recording in Virginia. Here's what is really important:
Records Management Standards for Plats
17VAC15-60-10, et. seq.
Sec. 1. Statement of Applicability:
These standards shall apply to all plats and maps submitted for recordation in the circuit courts of the Commonwealth.
Sec. 2. Recording Medium:
Documents size shall be between 8 1/2 x 11 and 18 x 24 inches, and the scale shall be appropriate to the size of the paper. Original plats shall be inscribed on either translucent or opaque paper, polyester or linen. The background quality for opaque paper shall be uniformly white, smooth in finish, unglazed, and free of visible watermarks or background logos. Only the original or first generation unreduced black or blue line copy of the original plat drawing, which meets the quality inscription standards noted below and has the stamp and original signature of the preparer, shall be submitted for recordation. NOTE: [A plat prepared prior to 1986 which is being entered as reference can be recorded if the current landowner's notarized signature appears on the plat. Changes or alterations made to any original plat must be accompanied by the stamp and signature of the preparer who did the changes/alterations. Any plats exempted from these regulations under the Code of Virginia can be recorded with the notarized signature of the original preparer.]
Sec. 3. Quality Inscription Standards:
Color of original inscription shall be black or blue and be solid, uniform, dense, sharp, and unglazed. Signatures shall be in dark blue or black ink. Lettering shall be no less than 1/1O inch or 2.54 mm. in height. Lettering and line weight shall be no less than .O13 inches or .33O2 mm. Letter and line spacing for control pencil drawings shall be no less than .O5O inches and for ink drawings no less than .O4O inches. Drawing substance must be either wet ink or control pencil but not a combination thereof. Good drafting practices shall be followed when eliminating ghost lines and when doing erasures, and all shading and screening shall be eliminated over written data. Inscriptions shall meet standards established herein, and Engineering Drawing and Related Documentation Practices - Line Conventions and Lettering (ANSI Y14.2M-1987), Technical Drawing - Lettering - Part I: Currently Used Characters (ISO 3098/1-1974) and Technical Drawings - Sizes and Layout of Drawing Sheets ISO 5457-1980 shall be consulted as guidelines.
Sec. 4. Format for Copies:
Margins shall be at least l/4 inch on all sides, and inscriptions are to be made on only one side of the paper. All drawings shall have centering marks on each side, adjacent and outside the margins. Match lines or grid tics delineating 8 1/2 x 11 inch sections shall be inscribed on all plats larger than 8 l/2 x 11 inches, to create the least number of grid blocks possible and be located adjacent and inside the margins. Continuation sheets of multi-sheet drawings shall be the same size as the first sheet.
Sec. 5. Recording Standards:
Recordation inscriptions shall be by clerk's printed certificate, stamping, typing or handwriting and shall conform to the quality inscription standards noted above.
Sec. 6. Exclusion:
A first generation copy of an original plat drawing dated prior to July 1, 1986 shall be admitted to record subject to the requirements in the Note in section 2 above.
Sec. 7. Note:
Where a plat is submitted as part of an instrument, these plat standards shall apply to such plat.
Larry,
I ran into the same problem with my software 'PDF Converter Pro'. The software gives you two options, to sign or certify. I'm not sure what the difference is but the sign option lets me sign in multiple places while the certify only allows one. You still need to verify the signature with your password and it still does not allow the editing of the documents without the removal of the digital signature.
Dave, same thing in Texas. The legislation allowing electronic commerce/signatures allows the definition of "original signature" to include electronic signatures. I looked at it a few months back. I'm not sure how the TBPLS feels about that, but I believe it could be shown that if it comes to brass tacks, the electronic commerce law would require TBPLS to accept the electronic signature.
> Dave, same thing in Texas. The legislation allowing electronic commerce/signatures allows the definition of "original signature" to include electronic signatures. I looked at it a few months back. I'm not sure how the TBPLS feels about that, but I believe it could be shown that if it comes to brass tacks, the electronic commerce law would require TBPLS to accept the electronic signature.
Andy,
I believe the way that the Board looks at it is that you can use an electronic signature as long as you have an original hard copy with wet signature in your file.
Adobe Acrobat allows creating and electronically signing individual pages then inserting multiple pdf files, both digitally signed and unsigned, into a new file. The new file may then be either digitally signed or certified. With Acrobat the certification allows setting the file to allow or prohibiting additional signatures and locking the file to prevent addition/insertion of other pdf files or electronic signatures.
I'm not currently signing surveys. If I was using Acrobat to combine the files with an external "Certificate Authority” and certifying the file to lock it would by my choice. There are several Certificate Authorities, Verisign or Symantec Corporation ( http://www.verisign.com/ ), Entrust ( http://www.entrust.com/ ), IdenTrust ( http://www.identrust.com/ ) and GlobalSign ( http://www.globalsign.com/ ) with each providing multiple levels of ID security. There are also several ways to certify and lock various CAD file formats to prevent alteration and include an electronic signature. I personally would not provide an unsecured CAD file to a client.
How do you know what to buy?
I have a digital signature through IdenTrust, but I found it difficult to figure out what to buy to get a digital signature. What I ended up with was a ACES unaffiliated individual certificate and it works for what I do. But these Certificate Authorities have so many different products, it is difficult to figure out what you need.
There are certainly things plats and plans can be used for other than recording so for those the electronic signature would be OK. But this is specifically about recordable documents.
And there are some things I admit I do not understand about an electronic signature, but this question comes to mind. How do you include an electronically signed document within an electronically signed document? In Virginia some clerk's offices allow deeds and other documents to be filed electronically. So can you have an electronically signed plat within an electronically signed deed? I don't know.
How do you know what to buy?
> I have a digital signature through IdenTrust, but I found it difficult to figure out what to buy to get a digital signature. What I ended up with was a ACES unaffiliated individual certificate and it works for what I do. But these Certificate Authorities have so many different products, it is difficult to figure out what you need.
Adobe Acrobat will produce a digital signature on its own no need for external Certificate Authorities (CA). However, if a client needs to insure that the document and an email are signed by the person the individual CA signature is needed to work with email programs. The individual signatures only verify the person using the email address has/had a valid credit card when the digital signature was purchased. Who that individual actually is is not verified by the signature.
The higher levels are required by government agencies. These higher levels require the purchaser to provide full identity and citizenship. This allows the agency to verify the person sending the email, documents, programs or contracts is actually a person qualified to transact business at that level. For more information I'll refer you to "Electronic Information Transfer Requirements"(pdf file) a 2009 article prepared for the Professional Land Surveyors of Ohio newsletter.
