Under Fannie Mae’s correction requirements, an eNote correction agreement is permitted for specified clerical errors. Other mistakes require a newly executed note. The process also depends on whether Fannie Mae has acquired the loan and who controls its authoritative electronic record. Editing a downloaded PDF cannot complete that process.

An eNote is an electronic promissory note. Fannie Mae’s process involves an electronically signed original registered with the MERS eRegistry, as its eMortgage FAQs, updated May 14, 2026 explain. Our guide to an eNote versus a scanned note examines that distinction further.

This explanation addresses Fannie Mae’s requirements as of September 30, 2026. Its September 2 Selling Guide retains the correction provisions dated December 13, 2023.

Which eNote errors allow a correction agreement?

Fannie Mae’s error matrix, Exhibit E-2-06, permits correction agreements within these limits:

Hypothetical example: “12 Mapel Lane” instead of “12 Maple Lane” fits the street-spelling category. “21 Maple Lane” instead of “12 Maple Lane” requires a new note.

Which errors require a new note?

The same matrix requires a new note for errors in the MERS Mortgage Identification Number (MIN), note date or Registry Operator Tag. It also requires replacement for errors in the original loan amount, interest rate, maturity, principal-and-interest payment, mortgage margin, first rate-change caps in either direction, or lifetime caps in either direction.

An error’s size is not the test. Record the affected field rather than describing the problem only as a “minor typo.”

Who signs the eNote correction agreement?

Both the lender and borrower must sign. The agreement must identify the clerical error and may be signed electronically or in ink; electronic signatures must meet Fannie Mae’s requirements. Fannie Mae supplies no template, and the lender must ensure enforceability under applicable law.

Signatures are only part of the process. The lender must report a modification to the MERS eRegistry, transmit the agreement to Fannie Mae’s eVault and provide the servicer with a copy for its file. These steps are set out in Fannie Mae’s requirements for correction agreements.

Quality-control staff should distinguish the agreement awaiting signatures from the completed agreement and the evidence of its delivery. That allows the next reviewer to see what remains open.

How acquisition changes the correction process

Before Fannie Mae acquires the loan

When replacement is needed before acquisition, the new note may be an ink-signed paper note or an eNote. After the new note is executed, the original eNote’s registration must be reversed under Fannie Mae’s correction procedure.

Acquisition status alone does not establish who controls the record. Fannie Mae’s delivery process can place an eNote under its Control and Location before purchase. Location tracks where the authoritative copy is held.

If the lender needs the eNote returned before purchase, the guide calls for a Request for Transfer of Control of eNotes, Form 2009e, submitted to Custodian Oversight. Lenders must also monitor transfer requests for successful completion. See Fannie Mae’s delivery and transfer requirements.

Check acquisition status and registry status separately. A copy in a closing team’s document folder does not establish that the team controls the authoritative record.

After Fannie Mae acquires the loan

For a correction after acquisition, the servicer should contact Fannie Mae’s eMortgage Custodian Oversight Department for resolution instructions. Obtain those instructions before arranging an eNote replacement, as directed by the guide’s post-acquisition correction requirements.

In that referral, identify the exact error, show the proposed correction and state whether anyone has already signed replacement documents. Ask which document is required, who is responsible and what evidence will establish completion. These are file-management recommendations, not a substitute correction form.

Why changing a PDF copy is insufficient

The distinction between the authoritative record and an ordinary copy has a legal purpose. The federal E-SIGN Act’s conditions for establishing control distinguish a single authoritative copy from other copies and require revisions to be identifiable as authorized or unauthorized. Possessing an editable reproduction does not itself establish control of the transferable record. 15 U.S.C. § 7021(b)–(c)

Fannie Mae’s technical requirements put that distinction into practice. Its SMART Doc eNotes contain linked document data and displayed content and use a tamper-evident seal. The delivered note’s hash is compared with the value registered with MERS. A hash is a digital fingerprint used to check the record. These requirements appear in the eMortgage Technical Requirements, version 3.2, February 5, 2026.

Editing a downloaded PDF changes that copy. It does not establish borrower execution of a new note, complete a registry transaction or demonstrate delivery of an agreement. When assessing mortgage workflow technology, ask the provider to show the actual record and transaction confirmations. A corrected screen display alone does not prove that those steps occurred.

What borrowers should check before signing again

When reviewing closing documents, request a side-by-side explanation of the original entry and proposed correction. Ask whether the document is a correction agreement or a replacement note, and compare the amount, rate, payment and dates yourself.

Also ask who will coordinate the remaining work, whether another signing creates any charges and when you will receive completed copies. If the proposed correction affects disputed loan terms, consult a qualified attorney before signing.