Colorado Revised Statutes

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 4-3-403 (2026)

Unauthorized signature

✓ current as of July 2026

Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section CO-LEGleg.colorado.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

(a) Unless otherwise provided in this article or article 4 of this title, an unauthorized signature is ineffective except as the signature of the unauthorized signer in favor of a person who in good faith pays the instrument or takes it for value. An unauthorized signature may be ratified for all purposes of this article.

(b) If the signature of more than one person is required to constitute the authorized signature of an organization, the signature of the organization is unauthorized if one of the required signatures is lacking.

(c) The civil or criminal liability of a person who makes an unauthorized signature is not affected by any provision of this article which makes the unauthorized signature effective for the purposes of this article.

Source: L. 94: Entire article R&RE, p. 863, § 1, effective January 1, 1995.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 4-3-404 as it existed prior to 1994.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 10 cases, 1985–2016 · leading case: First Nat'l Bank v. Ford Motor Credit Co., 748 F. Supp. 1464 (D. Colo. 1990).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

First Nat'l Bank v. Ford Motor Credit Co., 748 F. Supp. 1464 (D. Colo. 1990). · cites it 12× “The Bank’s second argument for holding Ford liable on the instruments is a variation on the first: invoking section 3-403 (Colo.Rev.Stat. § 4-3-403 [1973]), it asserts the right to prove at trial that Alamo-sa Motors, acting through its title clerk, Maureen Gonzales, signed the…”

Willey v. Mayer, 876 P.2d 1260 (Colo. 1994). · cites it 3× “§ 4-3-403 cmt. 3 (emphasis added). Moreover, because Mayer and Western Slope have failed to present any evidence that Rhodes was not permitted to sign Mayer's name in this manner, we conclude that the power to sign for Mayer included the power to sign instruments without…”

Willey v. Mayer, 862 P.2d 959 (Colo. Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 4× “Thus, pursuant to § 4-3-403, C.R.S. (1992 Repl.Vol. 2), Rhodes was authorized to affix the signature of his principal, Mayer, to the note by virtue of the general power of attorney with which he had been invested by Mayer.”

Liberty Mortg. Corp. v. Fiscus, 379 P.3d 278 (Colo. 2016). “In short, Wife went to 'great lengths to defraud Husband, and he was not negligent for falling victim to her elaborate scheme.”

La Junta State Bank v. Travis, 727 P.2d 48 (Colo. 1986). “Section 4-3-202(2) states that “[a]n in-dorsement must be written by or on behalf of the holder _” Although an authorized agent can indorse an instrument on behalf of a principal, § 4-3-403(1), the respondents presented no evidence that Quick wrote “deposit only” on behalf of…”

Mountain States Com. Collections, Inc. v. 99¢ Liquidators, Inc., 940 P.2d 934 (Colo. Ct. App. 1996). · cites it 4× “3A) which pertains to all persons purporting to act as or on behalf of a corporation without authority to do so); § 4-3-403(2)(b), C.R.S. (1992 Repl.Vol. 2) (addressing authorized representative who signs his or her own name to an instrument).”

Korhumel Steel Corp. v. Wandler, 600 N.W.2d 592 (Wis. Ct. App. 1999). “In affirming this portion of the judgment, the court of appeals noted that the statute did not provide any exceptions to liability, and cited Colo. Rev. Stat. § 4-3-403 (2)(b) (1992) 6 to demonstrate that the legislature can and does limit liability in some circumstances.”

Abrams v. Colorado Seal & Stripe, Inc., 702 P.2d 765 (Colo. Ct. App. 1985). · cites it 2× “See § 4-3-403(2)(b), C.R.S. Accordingly, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.”

Liberty Mortg. Corp. v. Fiscus, 2016 CO 31 (Colo. 2016). · cites it 8× “Indeed, section 4-3-403(a), C.R.S. (2015), specifically provides that an “unauthorized signature” does not bind the person whose name is signed absent ratification, and section 4-1-201(b)(41), C.”

Mount. States Com. v. 99c Liquid, 940 P.2d 934 (Colo. Ct. App. 1996). · cites it 5× “3A) which pertains to all persons purporting to act as or on behalf of a corporation without authority to do so); § 4-3-403(2)(b), C.R.S. (1992 Repl.Vol. 2) (addressing authorized representative who signs his or her own name to an instrument).”

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 4-3-403(1) — 2 cases

Willey v. Mayer, 876 P.2d 1260 (Colo. 1994). “§ 4-3-403 cmt. 3 (emphasis added). Moreover, because Mayer and Western Slope have failed to present any evidence that Rhodes was not permitted to sign Mayer's name in this manner, we conclude that the power to sign for Mayer included the power to sign instruments without…”

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 4-3-403(2)(a) — 1 case

First Nat'l Bank v. Ford Motor Credit Co., 748 F. Supp. 1464 (D. Colo. 1990). “The Bank’s second argument for holding Ford liable on the instruments is a variation on the first: invoking section 3-403 (Colo.Rev.Stat. § 4-3-403 [1973]), it asserts the right to prove at trial that Alamo-sa Motors, acting through its title clerk, Maureen Gonzales, signed the…”

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 4-3-403(2)(b) — 4 cases

Mountain States Com. Collections, Inc. v. 99¢ Liquidators, Inc., 940 P.2d 934 (Colo. Ct. App. 1996). “3A) which pertains to all persons purporting to act as or on behalf of a corporation without authority to do so); § 4-3-403(2)(b), C.R.S. (1992 Repl.Vol. 2) (addressing authorized representative who signs his or her own name to an instrument).”

Abrams v. Colorado Seal & Stripe, Inc., 702 P.2d 765 (Colo. Ct. App. 1985). “See § 4-3-403(2)(b), C.R.S. Accordingly, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.”

Mount. States Com. v. 99c Liquid, 940 P.2d 934 (Colo. Ct. App. 1996). “3A) which pertains to all persons purporting to act as or on behalf of a corporation without authority to do so); § 4-3-403(2)(b), C.R.S. (1992 Repl.Vol. 2) (addressing authorized representative who signs his or her own name to an instrument).”

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 4-3-403(a) — 2 cases

Liberty Mortg. Corp. v. Fiscus, 379 P.3d 278 (Colo. 2016). “In short, Wife went to 'great lengths to defraud Husband, and he was not negligent for falling victim to her elaborate scheme.”

Liberty Mortg. Corp. v. Fiscus, 2016 CO 31 (Colo. 2016). “Indeed, section 4-3-403(a), C.R.S. (2015), specifically provides that an “unauthorized signature” does not bind the person whose name is signed absent ratification, and section 4-1-201(b)(41), C.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.