---
id: KB-CO-020
url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/consigne/when-a-signer-asks-for-their-copy-years-later
idioma: en
categoria: consigne
subcategoria: prueba
audiencia: usuario
nivel: intermedio
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-CO-004, KB-SC-008, KB-CO-018]
citadoPor: [KB-CO-021]
---

# When a signer asks for their copy years later

_They lost the email, changed jobs or simply need it. What to send, and why it should match yours exactly._

**Responde a:** a signer asks me for the signed document · resending a signed copy years later · the client lost the signed contract · can I resend what was signed

An email arrives from someone who signed something with you three years ago asking for their copy. It is a reasonable and frequent request, and how you answer says a good deal about how tidy your archive is.

## What you send them

| Piece | Send it? | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The signed document | Yes | It is what they ask for and what is theirs |
| The signature evidence | Yes, if asked or if they will use it as proof | Without it, it is just another PDF |
| The whole file it sat in | No | It may contain third parties' or your own material |
| Other signers' documents | Only what concerns them | Each is entitled to their own |

> [!IMPORTANT]
> Before resending, one detail is worth understanding: **what you send must be the same file, not a reprint**. If you open the document and save it again, or export it from another program to shrink it, it stops matching the original — and the day they take it to someone who checks it, that check will fail. Not because you changed the content, but because it is no longer the same file. It goes back exactly as stored.

## Two checks before sending

1. **That whoever asks is who signed** — An email with their name is not enough if the address differs.
2. **And that it goes to an address of theirs** — Not to the company where they no longer work.
3. **Then resend the original file and its evidence** — No conversion, no recompressing the content, no touch-ups.

> [!WARNING]
> The awkward case: **whoever asks is no longer at the company that signed**. They did sign, but on behalf of another party: the document belongs to the company, not to them personally. The prudent move is to send it to the company, or to ask first — and if they press, treat it as what it is, a request about a third party's documentation. Exactly the kind of decision worth settling once with your adviser and applying consistently.

## What makes this a minute rather than an afternoon

**En corto**

- That the signed document lives in the file, not only in the sender's inbox.
- That the evidence was stored beside the document, not somewhere else.
- And that it can be found by the signer's name, not only by date.

> [!NOTE]
> If what was signed contains third parties' personal data, sending it whole may not be right. **How that is resolved in your case is for your adviser**; the point here is not to resend by reflex without looking at what is inside.

**Can we charge for resending it?**

That is your call, though it rarely justifies the conversation.

**What if we no longer have it?**

Say so plainly and explain how long it was kept.

**Is a screenshot or a printout enough?**

For reading yes; as evidence no: that can no longer be checked.

## Ejemplos

**A client asks for a contract signed three years ago and gets a re-exported version.**

- Resends the original file exactly as stored, with its evidence

→ The copy they receive can be verified, which is precisely what they need it for.

**A signer asks for their copy three years later.**

- Sends them the signed document with its evidence

→ They receive the same thing you hold.

**A copy is sent without the evidence.**

- Sends the original signed file

→ Both parties hold the same proof.

**They no longer work at the company that signed.**

- Checks who is entitled to receive it

→ It goes to whoever has the right.

**Every copy request means a search.**

- Keeps signed documents organised by file

→ Delivery is immediate.

**Their copy does not match yours.**

- Compare the document's fingerprint

→ Which one is good is settled in seconds.