---
id: KB-CO-012
url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/consigne/who-should-sign-for-a-company
idioma: en
categoria: consigne
subcategoria: firmantes
audiencia: usuario
nivel: intermedio
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-CO-007, KB-CO-009]
citadoPor: [KB-LE-005, KB-CS-009]
---

# Who should sign for a company

_Signing without authority is the costliest mistake, and it does not show until it matters._

**Responde a:** who can sign on behalf of a company · authorised signatory contract · the signer had no authority · verify signing authority

Someone from a company signing does not mean the company is bound. If the signer lacks authority for that act, the document may not hold — and you find that out exactly when you need it, not before.

**En corto**

- A job title is not enough: they need authority for that kind of act.
- Authority has limits by amount and by subject matter.
- Checking once, when onboarding the company, covers every contract that follows.

## Who usually can

| Who | Normally |
| --- | --- |
| Sole or joint company director | Yes, broadly |
| Authorised signatory | Yes, within what their authority says |
| A managing director without authority | No, however it looks |
| A department head | Only if they hold authority for it |

_This is indicative: what governs is that company's actual power of attorney._

## How to check without going mad

1. **Ask once, when onboarding the company: the power of attorney or a registry certificate.**
2. **Note who can sign what, and up to what amount.**
3. **On each contract, check against that note rather than asking again.**

> [!IMPORTANT]
> If the amount exceeds what the authority covers, someone who does hold it must sign. A contract signed beyond authority is exactly the one that gets disputed later.

> [!WARNING]
> Authority gets revoked. What was valid three years ago may not be today, and on an important deal a recent certificate is worth asking for.

> [!NOTE]
> Adding an authority check to supplier or client onboarding turns this into a one-off step instead of a doubt on every contract.

**Can two people sign jointly?**

Yes, by making both mandatory signers.

**What if the wrong person signed?**

The document can be challenged. Better to redo it with the right person.

**Is this legal advice?**

No. It is the practical criterion; the specifics come from your adviser.

## Ejemplos

**A company discovers three significant contracts were signed by a director without authority.**

- Starts requesting authority documents at client onboarding
- Redoes the three with the correct signatory

→ Later contracts are signed by someone who can, checked in thirty seconds.

**Somebody without authority signs.**

- Checks who may sign before sending

→ The signature holds up the day it is reviewed.

**Nobody knows who the supplier's authorised signatory is.**

- Asks while preparing the send

→ The document goes to the right person first time.

**The signatory changed and nobody said so.**

- Reviews authority at renewals

→ The record stays current without surprises.

**An employee signs out of convenience.**

- Redirects to the signer with authority

→ A questionable signature is avoided.

**Authority must be evidenced to a third party.**

- Keeps the authority documentation with the contract

→ Everything is provided together when asked.