(a) If parties have agreed to conduct a transaction by electronic means and a law requires a person to provide, send or deliver information in writing to another person, the requirement is satisfied if the information is provided, sent or delivered, as the case may be, in an electronic record capable of retention by the recipient at the time of receipt. An electronic record is not capable of retention by the recipient if the sender or its information processing system inhibits the ability of the recipient to print or store the electronic record.
(b) If a law other than this chapter requires a record (i) to be posted or displayed in a certain manner, (ii) to be sent, communicated or transmitted by a specified method, or (iii) to contain information that is formatted in a certain manner, the following rules apply:
(1) The record must be posted or displayed in the manner specified in the other law.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, the record must be sent, communicated or transmitted by the method specified in the other law.
(3) The record must contain the information formatted in the manner specified in the other law.
(c) If a sender inhibits the ability of a recipient to store or print an electronic record, the electronic record is not enforceable against the recipient.
(d) The requirements of this section may not be varied by agreement, but:
(1) To the extent a law other than this chapter requires information to be provided, sent or delivered in writing but permits that requirement to be varied by agreement, the requirement under subsection (a) of this section that the information be in the form of an electronic record capable of retention may also be varied by agreement;
(2) A requirement under a law other than this chapter to send, communicate or transmit a record by first-class mail, postage prepaid, may be varied by agreement to the extent permitted by the other law; and
(3) A requirement under a law other than under this title to send, communicate, or transmit a record by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, or by regular mail is satisfied by an electronic record that:
a. Is addressed properly or otherwise directed properly to an information processing system that the recipient has designated; and
b. Provides a contractually obligated reliable and assured delivery to the recipient; and
c. Enters an information processing system that is outside the control of the sender; or
d. Enters a region of an information processing system that is under the control of the recipient; and
e. Is postmarked by a postal authority with an electronic postmark; and
f. Is authenticated by an electronic postmark certificate.
(e) An electronic record is subject to the same legal protections as the United States mail if:
(1) The electronic record meets the requirements of subsection (d) of this section; and
(2) The postal authority that postmarked the electronic record under paragraph (d)(3) of this section is the United States Postal Service.
(f) This section does not authorize the use of an electronic postmark or electronic postmark certificate for the service of a summons, complaint, or other document for the purpose of obtaining jurisdiction over a defendant in a lawsuit.
(g) An electronic postmark may be used only with the mutual consent of both the sender and the recipient.