Rental agreement software with e-signatures
Present and e-sign UK hire agreements — including the signed statement of liability that lets you pass fines and PCNs to the hirer. Electronic signatures are legally valid; Complys keeps the signed agreement in the hire's evidence.
Part of Complys Self-Drive Hire. 30-day free trial, no card required, when the platform launches.
The hire agreement is where your terms become enforceable — and where a surprising amount of later trouble is either prevented or created. Complys presents the agreement digitally, captures an electronic signature, and keeps the signed document inside the hire alongside the licence check and condition evidence.
Two things make a hire agreement do real work: it must be signed by the person taking the vehicle, and it must contain the right clauses — above all a statement of liability, which is what lets you pass a fine or penalty charge to the hirer later. Complys is built around getting both right.
The hire evidence chain
From licence check to signed handover to return condition, Complys keeps the evidence of every hire connected to the vehicle, hirer and agreement. This page covers one link in that chain.
- Hirer identity & document captureIn the first release
- DVLA licence & share-code checksIn the first release
- Rental agreement & e-signatureIn the first release
- Check-out condition & photographsIn the first release
- Deposits & paymentsLaunching next
- Return / check-in conditionIn the first release
- Damage capture & photo evidenceIn the first release
- Structured damage comparison & disputesLaunching next
- Fines / PCN administration & liability transferPlanned
- Evidence pack exportIn the first release
- Tamper-evident audit trailIn the first release
Electronic signatures are legally valid
You don't need paper. Under the Electronic Communications Act 2000, an electronic signature is admissible in evidence, and the Law Commission has confirmed that electronic signatures are valid for executing documents where there's an intention to authenticate. What matters is a reliable record of who signed, that they intended to, and when.
Complys captures exactly that: the signature, the identity it's tied to, and a timestamp, all held against the hire. So the agreement isn't just signed — it's evidenced, in the same place as everything else about that hire.
The statement of liability — why the wording matters
If a hire vehicle picks up a private parking charge, a council PCN, a bus-lane or moving-traffic penalty, or a Dartford/clean-air charge, the registered keeper — you — is the first point of contact. You can transfer that liability to the hirer, but only if you can produce the hire agreement together with a statement of liability the hirer has signed. That mechanism sits in law: the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 for private parking charges, and the civil-enforcement regulations for council, bus-lane and moving-traffic penalties.
So the agreement isn't just a formality — its wording is what makes transfer of liability possible. Complys is designed so the statement of liability is an explicit, signed part of the agreement, with the hirer's details captured, ready to support a transfer when a penalty arrives. (Handling the penalties themselves — matching them to hires and generating the transfer paperwork — is planned for a later release; the agreement that enables it is here from launch.)
What a hire agreement needs to carry
A hire agreement earns its keep when it captures, clearly and signed, the things you'll rely on if something goes wrong:
- • The hirer's identity and address (for service of any later notice)
- • The vehicle, the hire period and the named/additional drivers
- • A signed statement of liability for fines and penalty charges
- • The damage, fuel, mileage and deposit/excess terms
- • Anything your insurer or company policy requires the hirer to acknowledge
The agreement as a link in the evidence chain
A signed PDF in an email folder is worth far less than the same document sitting inside the hire it belongs to. In Complys the agreement is step three of the evidence chain — after the licence check, before hand-over — so when you export a hire's evidence pack, the signed terms are right there next to the verification, the condition photos and any charges. That's what turns 'we had them sign something' into a record you can actually stand behind.
What’s ready, honestly
Complys Self-Drive is launching. Here is exactly where the capabilities on this page stand — labelled at the feature level, never marketed as available before they ship.
Present and e-sign the hire agreement, including a signed statement of liability. Included in Complys Self-Drive from launch.
Frequently asked questions
Are electronic signatures legally valid for hire agreements?
Yes. Under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 an electronic signature is admissible in evidence, and the Law Commission has confirmed e-signatures are valid for executing documents where there's an intention to authenticate. Complys captures the signature, the identity and a timestamp against the hire.
What is a statement of liability and why does it matter?
It's the signed clause that lets you transfer a fine or penalty charge to the hirer. Transfer of liability for private parking charges (Protection of Freedoms Act 2012) and council/bus-lane/moving-traffic penalties (civil-enforcement regulations) works only if you can produce the hire agreement plus a statement of liability the hirer signed. Complys makes it an explicit, signed part of the agreement.
Does Complys handle the fines and PCNs themselves?
Matching penalties to hires and generating the transfer-of-liability paperwork is planned for a later release. The agreement that makes transfer possible — with a signed statement of liability — is available from launch.
What should a UK hire agreement contain?
At minimum: the hirer's identity and address for service, the vehicle and hire period, named and additional drivers, a signed statement of liability, and the damage, fuel, mileage and deposit terms, plus anything your insurer or policy requires the hirer to acknowledge.
Where is the signed agreement stored?
Inside the hire, as step three of the evidence chain — alongside the licence check, condition reports and any charges. It exports as part of the hire's evidence pack.
Is the digital agreement available at launch?
Yes. The digital rental agreement and e-signatures are part of the first release of Complys Self-Drive Hire.
Can we use our own terms?
Yes — the agreement carries your terms and the clauses you rely on. Complys is the mechanism for presenting, signing, evidencing and storing it, not a fixed contract you have to adopt.
Explore the rest of the hire evidence chain
- Self-Drive Hire software → — the full evidence-chain platform
- Driving licence check software → — the step before the agreement
- Vehicle condition report app → — hand-over after signing
- Free vehicle handover form → — a paper starting point
See the evidence chain in action
Book a demo or register your interest, and we’ll set you up as soon as Complys Self-Drive launches.