What does “countersigned” mean? Countersign, explained

The short definition

Dictionaries define the verb as adding your signature to a document after another person has signed it, to confirm it. The second signature itself is the countersignature, and the person who adds it is the countersigner or countersignatory.

All three are written as one word: countersign, countersigned, countersignature. (A separate meaning of "countersign" is a military password given in reply to a challenge; it has nothing to do with documents.)

What it means in a contract

In a contract, countersigning is the second party signing the same document the first party has signed. Once the last required signature is on it, the contract is fully executed. "Countersigned by" followed by a name tells you who signed second.

You'll meet it in a few typical situations. An employer sends an offer letter signed by a manager with a line reading "Accepted and agreed" for you to countersign. A supplier or law firm sends terms asking you to "countersign a copy and return it". A landlord signs a lease and passes it to the tenant, or the other way round. In each case, your countersignature is your acceptance of the document as written.

That's why you read before you countersign: you're not witnessing their signature, you're agreeing to the same terms. If something is wrong, ask for a corrected version rather than signing and adding a note.

Countersign, sign, co-sign and counterpart

Sign: any signature, including the first one on a document.

Countersign: the second (or later) signature on the same document, accepting or confirming what's already signed.

Co-sign: to sign alongside a borrower and take on the obligation to pay if they can't — the familiar example is a parent co-signing a loan or a lease. A co-signer takes on liability; a countersigner in an ordinary contract is simply the other party.

Counterpart: a separate, identical copy of a contract signed by one party. Signing in counterparts means each side signs its own copy instead of countersigning one shared document.

Countersigning outside contracts

Passport applications. In the UK, a paper passport application for some applicants needs a countersignatory, who signs the form and a photo to confirm the applicant's identity. They must have known the applicant for at least two years and be a person of good standing in the community or work in a recognised profession, and they can't be related to the applicant, be in a relationship with them or live at the same address. Other countries have their own rules, so read the guidance on the form.

Approvals. Managers countersign timesheets, expense claims and reports to show they've checked and approved them; schools and colleges countersign certificates. Here the countersignature adds authority rather than a second party to an agreement.

Cheques. Some organisations require two authorised signatures on payments above a limit; the second signer countersigns to confirm the payment is approved.

Who can countersign — and does it have to happen?

In a contract, the countersigner is the other party, or someone with authority to sign for it — a director or authorised employee for a company. On official forms, only the people the form's rules allow can countersign, which is why passport rules spell out who qualifies.

Whether a contract is binding without its countersignature depends on the law and the document's wording; some offers say they only become binding once countersigned. The guide on contracts signed by both parties goes into that question.

Sources

• Merriam-Webster — countersign
• Merriam-Webster — countersignature
• GOV.UK — Countersigning passport applications and photos
• Cornell LII Wex — Cosigner
• Cornell LII Wex — Counterpart