{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/59.1-485.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/59.1-485.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/59.1-485.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/59.1-485.html"}],"law_id":373200,"edition_id":2,"section_id":373200,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-485","catch_line":"Legal recognition of electronic records, electronic signatures, and electronic contracts","history":"2000, c. 995.","full_text":"a\n\nA record or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form.\n\nb\n\nA contract may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because an electronic record was used in its formation.\n\nc\n\nIf a law requires a record to be in writing, an electronic record satisfies the law.\n\nd\n\nIf a law requires a signature, or provides for certain consequences in the absence of a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1392314,"text":"A record or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form.","type":"section","prefixes":["a"],"prefix":"a","entire_prefix":"a","prefix_anchor":"a","level":1,"next_prefix":"b"},"1":{"id":1392315,"text":"A contract may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because an electronic record was used in its formation.","type":"section","prefixes":["b"],"prefix":"b","entire_prefix":"b","prefix_anchor":"b","level":1,"prior_prefix":"a","next_prefix":"c"},"2":{"id":1392316,"text":"If a law requires a record to be in writing, an electronic record satisfies the law.","type":"section","prefixes":["c"],"prefix":"c","entire_prefix":"c","prefix_anchor":"c","level":1,"prior_prefix":"b","next_prefix":"d"},"3":{"id":1392317,"text":"If a law requires a signature, or provides for certain consequences in the absence of a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law.","type":"section","prefixes":["d"],"prefix":"d","entire_prefix":"d","prefix_anchor":"d","level":1,"prior_prefix":"c"}},"ancestry":[{"id":53118,"edition_id":2,"name":"Uniform Electronic Transactions Act","identifier":"42.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":79,"parent_id":53010,"metadata":{"child_laws":20,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:11:03","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:36:34","permalink":{"id":1488805,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53118,"identifier":"42.1","token":"59.1\/42.1","url":"\/59.1\/42.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53010,"edition_id":2,"name":"Trade and Commerce","identifier":"59.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":127,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":861,"child_structures":141},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:09:52","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:36:19","permalink":{"id":1486523,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53010,"identifier":"59.1","token":"59.1","url":"\/59.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":373194,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-479","catch_line":"Title","url":"\/59.1-479\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-479","metadata":false},{"id":373195,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-480","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/59.1-480\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-480","metadata":false},{"id":373196,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-481","catch_line":"Scope","url":"\/59.1-481\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-481","metadata":false},{"id":373197,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-482","catch_line":"Prospective application","url":"\/59.1-482\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-482","metadata":false},{"id":373198,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-483","catch_line":"Use of electronic records and electronic signatures; variation by agreement","url":"\/59.1-483\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-483","metadata":false},{"id":373199,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-484","catch_line":"Construction and application","url":"\/59.1-484\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-484","metadata":false},{"id":373200,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-485","catch_line":"Legal recognition of electronic records, electronic signatures, and electronic contracts","url":"\/59.1-485\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-485","metadata":false},{"id":373201,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-486","catch_line":"Provision of information in writing; presentation of records","url":"\/59.1-486\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-486","metadata":false},{"id":373202,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-487","catch_line":"Attribution and effect of electronic record and electronic signature","url":"\/59.1-487\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-487","metadata":false},{"id":373203,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-488","catch_line":"Effect of change or error","url":"\/59.1-488\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-488","metadata":false},{"id":373204,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-489","catch_line":"Notarization and acknowledgment","url":"\/59.1-489\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-489","metadata":false},{"id":373205,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-490","catch_line":"Retention of electronic record","url":"\/59.1-490\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-490","metadata":false},{"id":373206,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-491","catch_line":"Admissibility of evidence","url":"\/59.1-491\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-491","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":373207,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-492","catch_line":"Automated transactions","url":"\/59.1-492\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-492","metadata":false},{"id":373208,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-493","catch_line":"Time and place of sending and receipt","url":"\/59.1-493\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-493","metadata":false},{"id":373209,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-494","catch_line":"Transferable records","url":"\/59.1-494\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-494","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":373210,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-495","catch_line":"Creation and retention of electronic records and conversion of written records by public bodies of the Commonwealth","url":"\/59.1-495\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-495","metadata":false},{"id":373211,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-496","catch_line":"Acceptance and distribution of electronic records by public bodies; electronic filing of information permitted","url":"\/59.1-496\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-496","metadata":false},{"id":373212,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-497","catch_line":"Interoperability","url":"\/59.1-497\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-497","metadata":false},{"id":373213,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-498","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/59.1-498\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-498","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}}],"previous_section":{"id":373199,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-484","catch_line":"Construction and application","url":"\/59.1-484\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-484","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":373201,"structure_id":53118,"section_number":"59.1-486","catch_line":"Provision of information in writing; presentation of records","url":"\/59.1-486\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-486","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/59.1-485\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2000. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 995<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1488831,"object_type":"law","relational_id":373200,"identifier":"59.1-485","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-485","url":"\/59.1-485\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/59.1-485\/","token":"59.1\/42.1\/59.1-485","dublin_core":{"Title":"Legal recognition of electronic records, electronic signatures, and electronic contracts","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 59.1-485","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

a.<\/span> A record<\/span> or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic<\/span> form. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

b.<\/span> A contract<\/span> may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because an electronic record<\/span> was used in its formation. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

c.<\/span> If a law<\/span> requires a record to be in writing, an electronic record<\/span> satisfies the law<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

d.<\/span> If a law<\/span> requires a signature, or provides for certain consequences in the absence of a signature, an electronic signature<\/span> satisfies the law<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nLEGAL RECOGNITION OF ELECTRONIC RECORDS, ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES, AND ELECTRONIC\nCONTRACTS (\u00a7 59.1-485)\n\na. A record or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely\nbecause it is in electronic form.\n\nb. A contract may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because an\nelectronic record was used in its formation.\n\nc. If a law requires a record to be in writing, an electronic record satisfies\nthe law.\n\nd. If a law requires a signature, or provides for certain consequences in the\nabsence of a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law.\n\nHISTORY: 2000, c. 995.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}