Rule 36. FILING AND PROCESSING · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceAuthorizes, without requiring, judges to sign orders and judgments electronically, provided the method used is secure and auditable, the signed document generally cannot be edited afterward, and the signature carries a date, time stamp, and case number when practicable.
Full Text of Rule 36.18
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(A) Judges are authorized but not required to electronically sign all orders and judgments.
(B) Judges shall seek to use the most secure method of signing available, which should be auditable in order to determine the identity of the signer or designee. (C) When practicable, any document signed with a judge’s electronic signature shall not be editable upon the application of the judge’s electronic signature.
(D) When practicable, the judge’s electronic signature shall be accompanied by a date, time stamp, and the case number.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 36.18 lets judges sign orders and judgments electronically instead of by hand, though it does not require it — a judge who prefers a wet-ink signature can keep using one. When a judge does sign electronically, the rule asks for the most secure method available, one that can be audited later to confirm who signed, or who signed on the judge’s behalf as a designee.
The rule also protects the integrity of the signed document itself. When practicable, applying the judge’s electronic signature should lock the document against further edits, so no one can alter the order’s text after it carries the judge’s signature. And when practicable, the signature should come with a date, a time stamp, and the case number attached, tying the signed order to a specific moment and a specific case.
This rule complements the broader electronic filing system in Rule 36.16, which treats an electronically filed and signed document as carrying the same force as a paper original — Rule 36.18 is what makes the judge’s side of that signature trustworthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are judges required to sign orders and judgments electronically?
No. Judges are authorized, but not required, to electronically sign orders and judgments.
What standard must a judge’s electronic signature method meet?
Judges shall seek to use the most secure method available, one that should be auditable to determine the identity of the signer or designee.
Can a document be edited after a judge’s electronic signature is applied?
When practicable, the document shall not be editable upon the application of the judge’s electronic signature.
What information should accompany a judge’s electronic signature?
When practicable, a date, time stamp, and the case number.
Does Rule 36.18 apply only to judgments, or also to orders?
It applies to both — judges are authorized to electronically sign “all orders and judgments.”
Amendment History
Adopted effective February 25, 2021.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Uniform Superior Court Rules, published by the
Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:Georgia judge electronic signature ruleUSCR 36.18 e-signature on orderselectronic signature order judgment Georgia superior courtauditable electronic signature requirement judgedigital signature court order Georgia