I-9 Form

Use a I 9 Form Fillable template to make your document workflow more streamlined.

What the I-9 Form does

The I-9 Form records an employee’s identity and authorization to work in the United States. The employee completes Section 1, and the employer or authorized representative completes Section 2 after reviewing acceptable original documents; reverification may apply in specific circumstances. Employers retain the form rather than routinely filing it with USCIS. Using signNow, an authorized sender can upload the I-9, detect fillable fields, assign employee and employer fields, send the document, capture signatures, and preserve the completed record with an audit trail. Retention follows 8 CFR §274a.2(b)(2)(i)(A).

Human resources

Human resources teams use signNow to route Section 1 to employees, assign Section 2 to an employer representative, and preserve the completed I-9 with its audit trail. The workflow supports distributed onboarding while keeping access limited to authorized personnel and maintaining a retrievable employment-eligibility record.

Employers and agencies

Staffing agencies and employers use I-9 workflows for newly hired workers, including remote onboarding arrangements. They can assign separate employee and employer responsibilities, capture signatures, and store evidence while applying the federal retention rule under 8 CFR §274a.2(b)(2)(i)(A).

How electronic I-9 completion works

The signNow workflow separates preparation, employee completion, employer review, and evidence retention for the I-9 Form.

Upload form: Upload the current I-9 template to signNow.
Assign fields: Auto-detect fields and assign employee or employer roles.
Route document: Send each person only their required signing tasks.
Preserve record: Store the completed I-9 with its audit trail.

Steps to complete an I-9 online

Prepare the I-9 in signNow by assigning each section to the person responsible for completing it.

Upload form:
Upload the current I-9 PDF.
Assign employee:
Assign Section 1 to the employee.
Assign employer:
Assign Section 2 to the employer representative.
Complete record:
Send, sign, and retain the completed record.

be ready to get more

Get legally-binding signatures now!

Start free trial

Request a call

Best ROI. Our customers achieve an average 7x ROI within the first six months.
Scales with your use cases. From SMBs to mid-market, airSlate SignNow delivers results for businesses of all sizes.
Intuitive UI and API. Sign and send documents from your apps in minutes.

Authenticate signer:

Email link, SMS OTP, or configured identity verification associates the signer with the event.

Capture timestamp:

The platform records signing time, timezone, IP address, and signer activity.

Hash document:

A cryptographic digest identifies the document content at signing completion.

Seal record:

The completed file and event history receive tamper-evident protection against unnoticed changes.

Log actions:

Each field completion, decline, reminder, and authentication event enters the chronological log.

Export evidence:

Authorized users can retrieve the certificate and audit history for export or review.

I-9 setting	Recommendation
Authentication method	SMS OTP for remote signers
Signature type	Typed or drawn electronic signature
Audit trail	Retain certificate and event history
Document retention	Three years after hire or one year after termination, whichever later
Encryption	TLS 1.2/1.3 and AES-256 protection

Field assignment

Upload the I-9 and place employee, employer, signature, and date fields without rebuilding the government form manually.

Role-based routing

Route Section 1 and Section 2 to the correct people, supporting separated employee and employer responsibilities.

Audit trail

Capture signing events, timestamps, IP information, and document history for later compliance review.

Mobile access

Use mobile apps to access assigned I-9 tasks during remote onboarding or distributed workforce administration.

Record storage

Store the completed form and its certificate of completion in an organized electronic workflow.

System integration

Connect HR and enterprise systems to reduce repeated entry during employee onboarding and record management.

Integrations for I-9 administration

Connect signNow with HR, identity, storage, and enterprise systems to route I-9 assignments, preserve records, and coordinate employee onboarding.

Mobile options for I-9 completion

Employees and authorized representatives can use signNow mobile apps on iOS and Android to access I-9 documents, capture supporting records, and complete assigned fields.

Mobile apps signNow mobile apps support I-9 workflows on iOS and Android.
Offline signing Offline signing supports document completion without continuous connectivity.
Camera capture Device cameras capture identity documents for workflow attachment.

Mobile workflows do not change the employer’s verification responsibilities. Configure access controls, confirm that the assigned user reviews acceptable documents, and retain the completed I-9 and audit evidence under 8 CFR §274a.2(b)(2)(i)(A).

Signer authentication for I-9 workflows

PKI signatures:

PKI authenticates cryptographic signer identity.

X.509 certificates:

X.509 certificates bind signatures to identities.

Two-factor authentication:

Two-factor authentication adds a second verification step.

SMS OTP:

SMS OTP confirms access to a phone number.

ID verification:

ID verification strengthens identity proofing when configured.

Event evidence:

Audit trails document signer actions and timestamps.

Privacy and access risks for I-9 records

I-9 records contain identity and employment information; sending them to unintended recipients can expose sensitive personal data.
A missing electronic-consent disclosure can undermine the process when consumer-facing electronic records require paper-access and withdrawal procedures.
Broad workspace permissions can let unauthorized staff view completed I-9 forms and audit trails beyond their assigned duties.
Saving an I-9 in an unapproved location can separate the form from its audit evidence and weaken retrieval controls.

Best practices for electronic I-9 forms

Accuracy, role separation, controlled access, and retention are the central safeguards for an electronic I-9 workflow.

Review every assigned I-9 field

Use the current USCIS version and compare every field after signNow detects fillable areas. Section 1 belongs to the employee, while the employer or authorized representative completes Section 2 after reviewing acceptable documents. Do not let automated field placement replace a human accuracy check.

Separate employee and employer responsibilities

Require the employee to complete Section 1 no later than the first day of employment when applicable, then schedule employer review within the legally required process. Use signNow routing to separate responsibilities and prevent one person from completing fields assigned to another.

Retain the complete evidence set

Preserve the completed I-9, certificate of completion, and audit trail together. Apply the rule in 8 CFR §274a.2(b)(2)(i)(A): retain the record three years after hire or one year after termination, whichever is later.

Restrict access to I-9 records

Limit access to personnel who administer employment eligibility records. Use role-based permissions, signer authentication, and controlled export so identity documents and audit history do not circulate through unsecured email or unmanaged storage.

I-9 troubleshooting and compliance questions

Use these answers to separate signNow workflow settings from the employer’s independent Form I-9 obligations.

signNow Business includes audit trails and templates, while Business Premium adds bulk send. Use the audit trail to document intent, signer attribution, timestamps, and record access. ESIGN and UETA support electronic signatures when consent, intent, attribution, and reproducible retention requirements are met.

signNow supports SMS-based signer authentication and, on Enterprise, advanced signer authentication. Select an authentication method that matches your risk assessment, then retain the resulting event history. The audit trail strengthens attribution, but it does not replace the employer’s Form I-9 verification duties.

The I-9 retention rule is three years after the employee’s hire date or one year after termination, whichever is later, under 8 CFR §274a.2(b)(2)(i)(A). Configure organizational retention accordingly and preserve the completed form and associated audit evidence.

A signNow electronic signature does not make an incomplete I-9 compliant. The employer must ensure the employee and employer sections are completed correctly and that required identity and work-authorization documents are reviewed under applicable USCIS and Department of Homeland Security requirements.

Business Premium includes bulk send, while Business provides templates and audit trails. If many employees receive the same I-9 workflow, bulk send can reduce repeated preparation; verify recipient identity and review each completed record individually before retention.

For consumer-facing electronic records, ESIGN requires disclosure of the right to receive paper records, access to the electronic format, and procedures for withdrawing consent under 15 U.S.C. §7001(c). Establish the required disclosure process before using electronic I-9 workflows.

28M+Documents signed

13+Years in business

4.6/5Average G2 rating

BE READY TO GET MORE

Get this form now!

If you believe that this page should be taken down, please follow our DMCA take-down process.