Signing a document is the start of its life as a record. A contract signed today may matter in five years, when a client disputes an invoice, a tax authority asks questions or an employee's terms are challenged. Keep it too briefly and you have no evidence; keep everything for ever and you may break data protection rules. This guide sets out the main time limits and how to store electronically signed documents so they still hold up when you need them.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Retention rules differ by country, industry and document; check the rules that apply to you.
The three clocks that decide how long
How long to keep a signed document depends on three separate questions:
- Could someone bring a claim? Keep it for at least the limitation period, the time within which a court claim can be made.
- Does a tax or regulatory rule require it? Tax authorities and regulators set their own minimum periods.
- Does it contain personal data? Data protection law sets a maximum: no longer than necessary.
The longest of the first two is your minimum. The third is your upper limit.
Limitation periods: how long a claim can be brought
- England and Wales: under the Limitation Act 1980, a claim on an ordinary contract must usually be brought within 6 years of the breach, and on a deed within 12 years.
- United States: each state sets its own period for written contracts, commonly between three and ten years.
- Other countries: periods vary widely; check the law where the contract is governed.
Because the clock usually starts at the breach, not the signing, a sensible rule is: keep a contract for the life of the agreement plus the limitation period, with a margin.
Tax and accounting records
Contracts, invoices and receipts that support your accounts are also tax records:
- United States (IRS): generally 3 years from filing a return, 6 years if income was substantially under-reported, 7 years for a claim for a bad debt or worthless securities, and at least 4 years for employment tax records.
- United Kingdom (HMRC): limited companies keep records for 6 years from the end of the financial year they relate to; sole traders keep them for at least 5 years after the 31 January filing deadline.
- Elsewhere: most tax authorities require five to ten years. Your accountant will know the local rule.
Employment records
Offer letters, employment contracts, policy acknowledgements and similar documents often need keeping for the length of employment plus several years, and some (such as pension or health and safety records) for much longer. The rules depend on the country and the type of record, so set them with your HR adviser.
Personal data: the upper limit
Signed documents usually contain personal data: names, addresses, signatures, sometimes salaries or ID numbers. Under the EU and UK GDPR, personal data must be kept "no longer than is necessary" for its purpose, and similar principles apply in many other countries. That means:
- Set a retention period for each kind of document, based on the clocks above.
- Delete or anonymise documents when it ends, unless a dispute or legal hold applies.
- Write it down in a simple retention schedule, so the decision is consistent.
Electronic records are valid records
Many businesses still print signed PDFs "to be safe". There is no need. In the US, the ESIGN Act allows a legal requirement to keep a record to be met with an electronic record, provided it accurately reflects the information and remains accessible to everyone entitled to it, in a form that can be reproduced. The EU, UK and most other jurisdictions take the same approach.
What matters is keeping the right electronic record:
- The signed PDF itself, not a screenshot or a print-and-scan copy.
- Its audit trail: who signed, when, from where, and the consent they gave. Our guide to creating a legally binding electronic signature explains why each part matters.
- A way to prove it hasn't changed. A sealed PDF carries a fingerprint (hash) that shows if anything was altered; see how to verify a signed PDF.
How to store signed documents well
- Keep the original file. Don't rename the contents, print it, re-save it in an editor, or compress it: any change breaks the fingerprint.
- Keep the audit trail with it. A signed PDF without its record of signing is weaker evidence.
- Back it up somewhere you control, not only inside one vendor's account.
- Name files consistently, for example "2026-10 Supply agreement, Osei Hotel, signed.pdf", so you can find them in five years.
- Review once a year and delete what is past its retention date.
In Salsox, every signed PDF and audit trail stays in your account, and you can export all of them in one ZIP at any time, on any plan, including after cancelling. On the Business plan, the signed PDF carries a certificate page with its audit trail and fingerprints, so the record and the document travel together. See the e-signature audit trail guide for what is recorded.
A simple retention schedule to start from
| Document | Keep for at least |
|---|---|
| Client and supplier contracts | Life of the contract + limitation period (6 years in England and Wales) |
| Deeds | Life of the deed + 12 years (England and Wales) |
| Invoices, receipts, quotes accepted | Your tax authority's period (e.g. 6 years HMRC, 3 to 7 years IRS) |
| Employment contracts and offer letters | Length of employment + local limitation period |
| Consent and release forms | As long as the use they consent to, plus a margin |
| Declined or expired documents | Long enough to show what was offered, then delete |
Treat this as a starting point to adapt with your accountant or lawyer, not a rule.
Keep a complete record from day one
Create a free account and every document you send keeps its signed PDF and audit trail, exportable at any time; the free plan sends 3 documents a month. Paid plans are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I keep signed contracts?
At least as long as someone could bring a claim under them, plus a margin: in England and Wales that is 6 years after a breach for an ordinary contract and 12 for a deed. Many businesses keep contracts for the life of the agreement plus 6 to 7 years.
Is an electronically signed document valid as a stored record?
Yes, under laws such as the US ESIGN Act, provided the electronic record accurately reflects the signed document and stays accessible and reproducible for everyone entitled to it.
Should I print and file electronically signed documents?
No. The electronic original, with its audit trail, is better evidence than a printout. Keep the signed PDF and its audit trail together, backed up.
Can I keep signed documents forever?
Not always. Documents containing personal data fall under data protection laws such as the GDPR, which require keeping personal data no longer than necessary. Set a retention period and delete what is past it.
General information, not legal advice. Retention periods differ by country, industry and document and change over time; check with your accountant or lawyer.