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Mail a contract when you need wet-ink originals, when the other party does not use e-signatures, or when the stakes warrant paper both sides can hold. Send two signed originals so each party keeps one, date and number every page, use tracked mail for proof of sending, and keep complete copies of everything: including the envelope's tracking receipt.
E-signatures are legally valid for most agreements in the US and Canada, so paper is not the default anymore: it is the exception you choose deliberately. The cases where it still matters: the counterparty is an older business, a foreign party, or an institution that simply will not do electronic signatures. Some government filings and court submissions still require paper originals. And for high-stakes deals, many people want an original with real ink: a document whose authenticity no one can question by asking "was this PDF altered?"
There is also a negotiation reason. Mailing a signed contract is a commitment device: it says the terms are final and you have already signed. An emailed PDF invites one more round of redlines; a signed original in the mail tends to come back signed.
| Include | Why |
|---|---|
| Two signed originals (not one original + one copy) | Each party keeps a fully executed original; nobody is left holding "just a copy" |
| Page numbers on every page ("page 3 of 12") | Makes a swapped or substituted page detectable: a classic contract-tampering defense |
| Signatures and dates in blue ink | Distinguishes the original from black-and-white photocopies at a glance |
| Initials on each page (for longer agreements) | Confirms both sides saw and agreed to every page, not just the signature page |
| A short cover letter | States what is enclosed, how many originals, what you need back, and by when |
| A "counterparts" clause in the agreement itself | Lets each side sign a separate identical copy and still form one binding agreement: useful when parties are in different cities |
Yes: for contracts, tracked mail is close to mandatory. You need to prove not just that you sent the agreement, but when the other side received it, because effective dates, option windows, and notice periods often run from receipt. US Certified Mail or Canada Registered Mail gives you a signed delivery record with a date. For the highest-stakes agreements, the small extra cost of tracking is trivial next to the value of the contract.
One caution: a contract is usually several pages, and LetterAgent prints single-sided letter paper with no inserts: fine for the cover letter and for short agreements, but a 40-page contract with exhibits is a job for your own printer or a print shop, sent in a flat envelope. Match the tool to the document.
Keep a complete copy of everything you sent: every page of the agreement as signed, the cover letter, and the tracking receipt, filed together. The most common contract dispute years later is not about what the words mean: it is about which version both sides signed. Your file answers that question in thirty seconds. If the signed original ever comes back to you fully executed, store it somewhere safe and separate from day-to-day files; that piece of paper is the agreement.
This is general information, not legal advice.
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