APHIS Moving to Electronic Signatures for Emergency and Regulatory Action Notifications

Starting August 3, 2026, Emergency Action Notifications (EANs) and Regulatory Action (RA) Notifications issued by APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) through the Agricultural Risk Management (ARM) System may be signed electronically using a secure eSignature platform designed to streamline the document signing process.

Recipients of PPQ-issued EANs or RAs will receive an email containing a secure link to view and electronically sign their notification and select any applicable exclusion actions. This change will reduce the time needed to obtain signatures and help accelerate regulatory actions in response to noncompliance with APHIS regulations.

Electronic signatures are optional. Recipients may continue to sign paper EANs and RAs if they prefer. This update applies only to EANs and RAs issued by APHIS PPQ; EANs issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue to follow existing signing and acknowledgment procedures.

For more information, please refer to Submitting or Declining Emergency Action Notification (EAN) and/or Regulatory Action (RA) Notification Digital Acknowledgement within ARM (1.71 MB).