In this edition of TPO Explains, we break down autopens, explaining how the signature-replicating device works, why presidents and other public figures use it, and the debate over its use on official documents.
December 6, 2025
What’s the Deal with Autopens?
Picture this… you’re halfway through signing Christmas cards, and you think, “Ugh, I wish there was a lil’ robot that could sign my name for me.” It’s a nice thought, but you’re about 60 years late on an original idea.
The autopen is a mechanical device that reproduces a person’s signature exactly (see one in action).
Why are they used?
Politicians, celebrities, and execs are often expected to sign a lot of things: official documents, letters of support, thank you notes, books, albums, memorabilia, etc.
Autopens are used to save time (and hand cramps) while still giving the appearance of a personal touch. And most famously, they’re used by Presidents of the United States.
Like who?
Thomas Jefferson used a “polygraph” machine (see it) in the 1800s to write two things at once, but Harry Truman is believed to be the first president to use a modern autopen. Every president since has used it for routine signatures.
What about official documents?
In 2005, George W. Bush asked the DOJ if he could use an autopen to sign a bill into law. Its formal legal opinion was yes—it’s a president’s decision that is legally required, not the act of holding a pen—but Bush never did.
An autopen was first used to sign a bill in 2011 at the direction of Barack Obama, who was in France when a time-sensitive bill hit his desk in Washington. He signed two more bills via autopen, and Joe Biden used it to sign one.
The practice has been criticized all four times, but never challenged in court.
What’s the controversy with Biden’s autopen?
Former President Biden acknowledged using an autopen to sign pardons and executive orders, but there’s no public documentation of what was signed that way, leading to accusations that staffers illegally used the autopen without Biden’s knowledge or authorization.
Don’t forget to check out this week’s TPO Explains episode, where we dive into the Autopen’s nuance and history that couldn’t fit in this article’s word count.
__
CHOOSE HUMILITY
Hot topics frequently make people think, speak, and act poorly… including us. We can respect others and represent God better if we are quick to listen and slow to speak.
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.”
James 1:19-20 (CSB) (read full passage)
Prefer to respond on your knees? Check out our new Sunday newsletter, Praying the News.
