Before consenting to an eClosing, confirm how to request paper copies, whether fees apply and how you will keep the final documents. Under E-SIGN, the federal electronic-signature law, consent disclosures must explain paper-copy options and withdrawal procedures. Copies are not necessarily free, and withdrawal does not undo records properly delivered before it takes effect. 15 U.S.C. § 7001(c)

For a U.S. mortgage closing, start with the lender’s electronic-delivery notice and the device you expect to use. Check both the delivery terms and your ability to keep readable copies outside the portal.

Check which records your consent covers

E-SIGN’s consumer-consent rules address electronic delivery of information that the law requires to be provided to a consumer in writing. Regulation X permits its required disclosures to be delivered electronically subject to E-SIGN compliance; other disclosure requirements still apply. Regulation X, § 1024.3

Before agreeing, find these items in the consent notice. The lender must explain them clearly and conspicuously. FDIC’s E-SIGN examination guidance

Save the notice itself. If the lender and settlement company present separate notices, check each notice’s scope and contact procedure. Ask the loan team to identify any documents handled outside the portal. Our coverage of electronic mortgage workflows provides broader context.

Confirm paper-copy costs before ordering

E-SIGN requires disclosure of whether a paper-copy fee will be charged; it does not promise that every requested copy is free. Check the notice before ordering. E-SIGN, § 7001(c)(1)(B)

A disclosed fee does not override other protections. For example, Regulation Z prohibits a creditor or servicer from charging for preparing or delivering the required Closing Disclosure. Ask the lender to distinguish that required delivery from any charge for an additional copy request. Regulation Z, § 1026.19(f)(5)

Confirm whether the quoted amount covers the complete package, printing and mailing, and whether faster delivery changes the cost. If you are requesting only a paper set, say so and ask whether the request changes future electronic delivery.

Test the document format before agreeing

The provider must disclose hardware and software requirements for accessing and retaining records. You must consent or confirm consent electronically in a way that reasonably demonstrates access to the electronic format the provider will use. FDIC’s E-SIGN guidance

Check the listed browser, document reader and other requirements against your device. Complete the provider’s access demonstration, then test your own retention process: open a sample in the intended format, download it, sign out and reopen the saved file. If you intend to print, check that all pages print legibly. Report any failure before confirming that the format works.

Later technology changes can trigger renewed protections. If changed requirements create a material risk that you cannot access or retain subsequent records, the provider must disclose the new requirements, repeat the access and consent steps, and allow withdrawal without a withdrawal fee. Previously disclosed non-fee consequences may still apply. E-SIGN, § 7001(c)(1)(D)

Know how withdrawal works

Before consenting, read the disclosed conditions, consequences and fees for withdrawal. E-SIGN contemplates consequences that may include termination of the parties’ relationship, so ask the lender what its notice means for your closing. E-SIGN, § 7001(c)(1)(B)

If you decide to withdraw consent, send the request through the specified channel and keep evidence of receipt. Ask for the effective date and future delivery method. Withdrawal must take effect within a reasonable period after the provider receives it; E-SIGN does not set one universal number of days. E-SIGN, § 7001(c)(4)

Withdrawing delivery consent is not a loan-cancellation procedure. The statute preserves the legal effect of electronic records properly provided before withdrawal is implemented. If you intend to cancel or challenge a signed obligation, consult a qualified attorney about the separate rights and deadlines that may apply.

Arrange access after the closing session

Ask the lender or settlement team to confirm the retrieval plan in writing:

• When will the complete signed package be ready?
• How long will your login and download links work?
• Can you download everything together, and will the files reopen without portal authentication?
• Who supplies missing documents or replacement copies after portal access ends?
• How will you receive documents finalized later?

Keep the contact name and request method outside the portal so you can use them if access ends.

E-SIGN’s retention provisions tie accessibility to applicable legal requirements; they do not specify a universal lifetime for a borrower’s portal account. Confirm the provider’s access terms and keep your own usable copies. E-SIGN, § 7001(d)

Save and check the completed package

Request the entire final package, including completed signature pages and attachments where applicable. Keep it separate from unsigned review drafts.

The CFPB’s document guidance, reviewed April 3, 2024, identifies the Closing Disclosure, promissory note, mortgage or security instrument, initial escrow statement and applicable lender and government documents. Use those categories to check your package with the closing team. CFPB closing-document guidance

For your personal archive, check off:

• The final Closing Disclosure, if applicable to your loan, and any corrections you receive. Ask the closing team to identify any alternative required disclosures.
• Your signed promissory-note copy and signed mortgage or deed-of-trust copy, including applicable riders.
• Escrow disclosures, if your loan has an escrow account.
• Other signed closing documents and their attachments.
• Electronic-delivery consent notices, copy requests and any withdrawal confirmation.

Ask the settlement team whether a recorded deed, recorded security instrument or final title policy remains to be delivered. Add those items to a follow-up list with the contact responsible for supplying them.

For the separate question of what constitutes an electronic note, see an eNote versus a scanned note. Broader preparation steps are in our homebuying and closing guides.

Before treating your archive as complete, open each download and check the borrower names, property, page sequence and completed signatures. Keep a second protected backup. Leave any missing or unreadable item on your follow-up list until you receive a usable copy.