17 CFR 1.4 – Electronic signatures, acknowledgments and verifications
For purposes of complying with any provision in the Commodity Exchange Act or the rules or regulations in this Chapter I that requires a swap transaction to be acknowledged by a swap dealer or major swap participant or a document to be signed or verified by a customer of a futures commission merchant or introducing broker, a retail forex customer of a retail foreign exchange dealer or futures commission merchant, a pool participant or a client of a commodity trading advisor, or a counterparty of a swap dealer or major swap participant, an electronic signature executed by the customer, retail forex customer, participant, client, counterparty, swap dealer, or major swap participant will be sufficient, if the futures commission merchant, retail foreign exchange dealer, introducing broker, commodity pool operator, commodity trading advisor, swap dealer, or major swap participant elects generally to accept electronic signatures, acknowledgments or verifications or another Commission rule permits the use of electronic signatures for the purposes listed above; Provided, however, That the electronic signature must comply with applicable Federal laws and other Commission rules; And, Provided further, That the futures commission merchant, retail foreign exchange dealer, introducing broker, commodity pool operator, commodity trading advisor, swap dealer, or major swap participant must adopt and use reasonable safeguards regarding the use of electronic signatures, including at a minimum safeguards employed to prevent alteration of the electronic record with which the electronic signature is associated, after such record has been electronically signed.
