Signing for someone else: when it's allowed and how to write it

Words you will come across

Principal and agent: The principal is the person on whose behalf someone acts. The agent is the person authorised to act for them; in the US an agent under a power of attorney is also called an attorney-in-fact.

Power of attorney: A legal document in which someone gives another person authority over their money, property or health decisions. The type and rules depend on the country or state.

pp (mainly British): written before someone's name when another person signs a business letter for them, meaning "from this person, but signed by someone else".

Forgery: Creating or altering a legal document with intent to defraud. Signing someone's name as if you were them, without authority, can fall into this.

Signing with a power of attorney

If you are the agent under a power of attorney, you sign with your own name and state that you are acting as agent. The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's guide for agents gives the model: sign "Juan Doe, as agent for Martina Roe", and never just "Martina Roe". The same guide sets out the four duties that come with the role: act only in the person's best interest, manage their money and property carefully, keep it separate from your own, and keep good records.

Expect to show your authority. The CFPB advises giving copies of the power of attorney to banks and others the person deals with, and never giving away the original; certified copies can be made instead. In England and Wales, the government's guidance says an attorney under a lasting power of attorney can prove it by showing the registered LPA, a certified copy, or, for LPAs registered from 1 January 2016, an online summary that the organisation views with an access code.

Signing with someone's permission

Without a formal power of attorney, a person can still authorise you to act for them in a particular matter; in legal terms you become their agent, someone authorised to act on another person's behalf. For everyday paperwork, such as a parcel collection slip, a club membership renewal or a reply to a neighbour's planning letter, the other side often accepts this if they know about it. Get the permission in writing, even a short text or email, name the specific document, and sign as "Your Name, on behalf of Their Name".

Informal permission has limits. It stops the moment the person withdraws it, and it cannot replace a power of attorney for bank accounts, property or anything the organisation says must be signed by the account holder. If the person can no longer understand what they are agreeing to, their permission is not enough at all. That is the situation a lasting power of attorney (England and Wales) or a durable power of attorney (in many US states) is made for, and without one a court appointment may be needed.

Signing for someone at work: pp and titles

In British business letters, "pp" in front of a name means the letter comes from that person but was signed by someone else, typically while they are away. Write your own signature, then "pp" and their name underneath, so the reader can see who actually signed. For contracts, signing on behalf of a company is different again: you sign your own name with your job title and the company's name, and you need the authority to bind the company; if you are not sure you have it, ask before signing.

Documents you should not sign for someone else

Some documents are personal by nature: a will, anything that must be witnessed or notarised as the person's own act, sworn statements and many government applications. Tax returns, benefit claims and similar forms often have their own rules for representatives. When in doubt, contact the organisation that sent the document and ask two questions: can a representative sign, and what proof of authority do you need?

Adding a representative's signature to a PDF

Once you know you may sign, you can do it electronically like any other signature. In the BigSignPDF signer, draw or type your own signature, place it on the line, then use Add Text next to it for the wording, for example "as agent for Martina Roe under power of attorney dated 3 March 2025", and Add Date for the date. Don't create a signature in the other person's name or handwriting style; the whole point is that the document shows who really signed. Keep a copy of the signed PDF with the power of attorney or the written permission.

Sources (checked 29 September 2026)

• CFPB: guides for managing someone else's money
• CFPB: help for agents under a power of attorney (PDF)
• GOV.UK: prove you're an attorney on a lasting power of attorney
• GOV.UK: make, register or end a lasting power of attorney
• Legal Information Institute: agent
• Legal Information Institute: forgery
• Oxford Learner's Dictionaries: pp