Know All Men By These Presents, That, As Principal, Whose Form
Use a KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, That , As Principal, Whose template to make your document workflow more streamlined.
What this principal authority form does
This form identifies a principal and records authority granted to another person for a stated purpose. In practice, the signer completes the principal’s identifying information, the authorized person’s details, the scope or transaction, and the execution fields specified by the form. Uploading it to signNow allows fields to be placed, recipients to be assigned, signatures to be collected, and the completed record to be preserved with an audit trail. ESIGN and UETA generally support electronic signatures, but wills, court orders, family-law decrees, and other statutory exceptions require separate review.
Who completes this authority form
Business principals
Business owners and authorized principals use this form to identify the person granting authority and document the permitted transaction.
Administrative teams
Legal, finance, and operations teams use it to route approvals, preserve signatures, and maintain an auditable authority record.
Legal standing of this authority form
For a U.S. business transaction, this form can provide evidence when the principal’s intent, consent to electronic records, signer attribution, and reliable retention are documented. ESIGN, 15 U.S.C. ch. 96, and UETA generally recognize qualifying electronic signatures, but exclude wills, codicils, testamentary trusts, court orders, and certain family-law documents.
Features for this authority form
signNow connects field preparation, signer routing, authentication, and audit evidence for a completed principal-authority record.
Field detection
Upload the form and review detected fields before adding any missing principal, agent, signature, or date fields.
Signer routing
Route the document to the principal and any required recipient in a defined signing order.
Audit trail
Capture the signing event, timestamps, and action history in an audit trail for later review.
Reusable template
Use signNow templates to preserve the approved wording and recurring authority fields across transactions.
Signer authentication
Apply SMS or other available signer authentication when the authority details require stronger attribution.
Secure records
Keep the completed authority form with its audit trail in an approved records repository.
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How to complete this form
Use this workflow to prepare the principal’s authority record, obtain signatures, and preserve evidence of the completed transaction.
Upload form:
Upload the completed authority form to signNow. Check fields:
Review detected fields and add missing signature or date fields. Add signers:
Enter the principal and authorized recipient details. Send request:
Send the form for signature through signNow. Store records:
Download the completed form and audit trail.
Recommended setup for this form
Use a controlled signing workflow that confirms the principal’s identity, captures intent, and preserves the authority record with its audit evidence.
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Authentication method | Email link with SMS verification |
| Signature type | Typed or drawn electronic signature |
| Audit trail | Detailed completion certificate and action history |
| Document retention | Apply the underlying transaction rule |
| Encryption | TLS 1.2/1.3 and AES-256 protection |
What the signNow audit trail records
The audit trail preserves technical evidence around this form’s signing event, separate from the substantive authority granted by the principal.
Authenticate signer:
Capture timestamp:
Seal document:
Record events:
Verify completion:
Export evidence:
Privacy and disclosure pitfalls
Personal names, addresses, and authority details can remain visible to every recipient unless access permissions match the signing workflow. A principal may sign without understanding electronic-record consent, weakening evidence that the person intended to execute this authorization. Sending the form through an unapproved mailbox can expose the principal’s authority details and the agent’s identifying information. Shared administrator accounts make it difficult to attribute edits, signer invitations, and completed-form access to a specific person.
Signer authentication and certificates
PKI support:
X.509 certificates:
Two-factor authentication:
SMS OTP:
ID verification:
Audit evidence:
Best practices for completing this form
Accuracy starts with the principal’s authority and ends with a complete, retrievable record of the specific transaction.
Confirm the principal’s authority
Review every detected field
Capture electronic-record consent
Check state execution requirements
Retention periods for signed authority records
Retention depends on the transaction supported by this form; apply the controlling recordkeeping rule and your organization’s approved schedule.
Policy-defined business retention
Three years from filing
Six years for understatement
Six years for HIPAA records
Later of three or one years
Questions about completing this form
These answers address field preparation, electronic-signature evidence, signer authentication, retention, and state-law limits affecting this authority form.
signNow Business includes templates and audit trails, allowing you to upload this authority form, place required fields, and preserve the signing history. Confirm every principal and recipient field before sending because signNow cannot determine the legal scope of the authority granted.
A typed, drawn, or uploaded signature can evidence intent under ESIGN and UETA when consent, attribution, and record retention requirements are satisfied. If this transaction falls within a statutory exception, such as a will or court filing, obtain legal guidance instead of relying on electronic signing.
Use signNow’s signer authentication options, including SMS-based verification where enabled, when email-only attribution is insufficient. Authentication supports identity evidence but does not replace state-required notarization, witnesses, or in-person execution.
Business Premium includes bulk send, while Business provides templates and audit trails. If multiple principals receive individualized copies, confirm the plan’s bulk-send capability and review each generated document before distribution.
Keep the completed form and certificate of completion together with the audit trail. signNow supports electronic records under ESIGN and UETA, but the applicable business, tax, healthcare, or state schedule determines how long records must remain available.
If the form grants authority over a deed, family-law matter, will, or court filing, electronic signing may not satisfy the governing procedure. Check the relevant state statute, recorder, court, or notary requirements before sending it through signNow.
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