Yes, someone can sign a document for you — but only in specific, documented ways. Done correctly, a signature applied by an authorized person is fully valid. Done wrong — signing someone's name without proper authority — it ranges from unenforceable to forgery. Here are the legitimate ways one person signs for another, and what makes each one hold up.

This is general information, not legal advice. Powers of attorney and corporate signing authority carry requirements that vary by state and entity type — confirm specifics with a lawyer for your situation.

1. Power of attorney (POA)

A power of attorney is a legal document in which one person (the principal) authorizes another (the agent, or attorney-in-fact) to act on their behalf. With a valid POA, the agent can sign covered documents for the principal.

The key is how the agent signs: they sign in a way that shows they're acting as agent, not impersonating the principal — for example, "Jane Doe, by John Smith, Attorney-in-Fact." A POA can be broad or limited to a single transaction, and high-stakes documents (like real estate) often require the POA itself to be notarized and on file.

2. Corporate or business signing authority

When a document is signed "for" a company, the signer is acting as the company's representative, not personally. Validity here turns on whether that person actually has authority to bind the entity:

Officers (CEO, CFO) and designated signatories usually have authority within their role.
Larger commitments may need board approval or a specific resolution authorizing the signer.
The signature block should show the capacity: name, title, and the company — e.g., "Acme LLC, by Maria Lopez, Chief Operating Officer."

If the signer lacks authority for that commitment, the company may later dispute being bound — which is why counterparties on big deals sometimes ask for evidence of signing authority.

3. Procuration — signing "p.p."

Procuration is the formal term for signing on someone's behalf with their authorization, most familiar from the abbreviation "p.p." (from the Latin per procurationem) used in business correspondence. The format places the agent's signature next to "p.p." and the principal's name — signaling the agent signed for the principal with permission. It's common for routine documents and letters, but it still depends on the agent genuinely having that permission.

4. Delegated signing in an e-signature workflow

Many e-signature platforms support delegation: a recipient who can't or shouldn't sign can reassign the request to the correct person, and the handoff is recorded. This matters because the audit trail captures who actually signed, the email and timestamp behind it, and that the document is unchanged. If a delegate signs, the record reflects that accurately — which is exactly the transparency you want when someone signs on another's behalf.

What makes a signature-by-another valid

Across all four routes, three things separate a valid delegated signature from a problem:

Documented authority — a POA, a corporate resolution, or clear written permission exists.
Disclosed capacity — the signer indicates they're signing as agent/officer, not posing as the principal.
Within scope — the signing falls inside what the authority actually covers.

Miss these and you drift toward the failure cases: signing someone's name with no authority (potentially forgery), exceeding the scope of a limited POA, or a company disowning a deal an unauthorized employee signed. (For the broader picture of what makes any signature enforceable, see our guide to legally binding e-signatures.)

Frequently asked questions

Can I sign my spouse's or relative's name for them? Not by simply writing their name. You'd need their authorization — a power of attorney for significant documents, or at least clear permission — and you should sign showing you're acting as their agent, not as them.

What does "p.p." mean before a signature? It stands for per procurationem — signing on behalf of someone else with their authorization. The agent signs next to "p.p." and the principal's name.

Who can sign a contract on behalf of a company? Someone with authority to bind the entity — typically an officer or a designated signatory, and for large commitments possibly only with board approval. The signature should state the person's title and the company.

Is a signature signed under power of attorney legally binding? Yes, when the POA is valid, covers the document in question, and the agent signs in their agent capacity. Some documents additionally require the POA to be notarized or recorded.

Can Someone Else Sign a Document for You? Authorized Signers and Power of Attorney