An email address can deliver a signing link, but it does not by itself show who is using it. For agreements where signer identity matters, DottSign lets teams add a government ID verification step to the contract signing process.
When to require identity verification
Not every agreement needs the same level of assurance. A routine document may need a straightforward signing flow, while a sensitive agreement or transaction with a higher impersonation risk may call for an additional identity check.
The contract owner can require verification from signers on an eligible plan. Paid users can also verify their own identity. Organizations on Business and Enterprise plans can include identity verification in a workflow, alongside other contract steps.
What the checks involve
The verification flow is provided by Didit and can include three checks:
- Identity document: the signer submits an eligible government-issued ID.
- Liveness: the flow checks that a live person is present.
- Face match: the person's face is compared with the portrait associated with the submitted document.
When the verification is approved, the signer can continue if all other contract requirements are met. A pending or declined result does not satisfy a required check, so the signer cannot complete signing until the requirement is resolved. Provider review or an interruption can also delay the process.
How it fits into signing
The owner sets the requirement for the contract, and the signer receives a path to complete verification as part of the signing journey. DottSign links the verification result to that signer's requirement and checks the requirement before accepting the signature.
If a signer is asked to verify more than once, DottSign can reuse an eligible approved verification under the applicable account and time-window rules. This can reduce repeated checks while keeping the requirement tied to the correct signer.
If a requirement cannot be completed, an eligible contract owner can skip that individual requirement. The decision and any reason are recorded and appear in the contract evidence, so the record reflects that verification was waived.
Privacy and signer notice
KYC uses sensitive personal and biometric information. Didit hosts the verification flow and processes the evidence submitted there. DottSign retains limited metadata needed to operate the feature, such as verification status, session identifiers, document type, timestamps, and signer linkage. DottSign does not store raw identity-document images, selfie images, document numbers, or dates of birth as part of the contract record.
Before requesting verification, the organization should have the authority and legal basis to do so and provide any notices required by applicable law. Signers should understand why the check is needed and that an unresolved required verification may prevent them from signing. The provider's identity verification terms and verification privacy notice explain Didit's handling of verification data.
Add an identity check where it matters
An electronic signature records a signer's action. Identity verification adds evidence about the person completing that action, when the agreement calls for it. With DottSign, teams can add that checkpoint to an individual contract or a broader workflow and keep the verification outcome connected to the signing record.