diff --git a/app/admin.js b/app/admin.js
index 3d7cc7f..bab324d 100755
--- a/app/admin.js
+++ b/app/admin.js
@@ -466,4 +466,4 @@ const run = co(function *(testArgs) {
 });
 
 // For admin script and unit testing of functions
-module.exports = { run, validateKey, saveKeys, db , requireDB };
+module.exports = { run, validateKey, saveKeys, db };
diff --git a/app/sign.js b/app/sign.js
index 58fbafe..73d9a6e 100644
--- a/app/sign.js
+++ b/app/sign.js
@@ -90,8 +90,7 @@ const handleSignUtxo = function(recoveryRequest, key, skipConfirm) {
     throw new Error(`Unsupported coin: ${recoveryRequest.coin}`);
   }
 
-  const txHex = getTransactionHexFromRequest(recoveryRequest);
-  const transaction = utxoLib.Transaction.fromHex(txHex, network);
+  const transaction = utxoLib.Transaction.fromHex(recoveryRequest.transactionHex, network);
 
   const outputs = transaction.outs.map(out => ({
     address: utxoLib.address.fromOutputScript(out.script, network),
@@ -161,8 +160,7 @@ const handleSignUtxo = function(recoveryRequest, key, skipConfirm) {
 const handleSignEthereum = function(recoveryRequest, key, skipConfirm) {
   const EthTx = require('ethereumjs-tx');
 
-  const txHex = getTransactionHexFromRequest(recoveryRequest);
-  const transaction = new EthTx(txHex);
+  const transaction = new EthTx(recoveryRequest.tx);
   const decimals = coinDecimals[recoveryRequest.coin];
 
   const customMessage = recoveryRequest.custom ? recoveryRequest.custom.message : 'None';
@@ -194,10 +192,8 @@ const handleSignXrp = function(recoveryRequest, key, skipConfirm) {
   const rippleKeypairs = require('ripple-keypairs');
   const rippleParse = require('ripple-binary-codec');
 
-  const txHex = getTransactionHexFromRequest(recoveryRequest);
-
   const decimals = coinDecimals[recoveryRequest.coin];
-  const transaction = rippleParse.decode(txHex);
+  const transaction = rippleParse.decode(recoveryRequest.tx);
   const customMessage = recoveryRequest.custom ? recoveryRequest.custom.message : 'None';
 
   const outputs = [{
@@ -216,9 +212,9 @@ const handleSignXrp = function(recoveryRequest, key, skipConfirm) {
 
   const backupAddress = rippleKeypairs.deriveAddress(backupKeyNode.keyPair.getPublicKeyBuffer().toString('hex'));
   const privateKeyHex = backupKeyNode.keyPair.getPrivateKeyBuffer().toString('hex');
-  const cosignedTx = utils.signXrpWithPrivateKey(txHex, privateKeyHex, { signAs: backupAddress });
+  const cosignedTx = utils.signXrpWithPrivateKey(recoveryRequest.txHex, privateKeyHex, { signAs: backupAddress });
 
-  return rippleApi.combine([ txHex, cosignedTx.signedTransaction ]).signedTransaction;
+  return rippleApi.combine([ recoveryRequest.txHex, cosignedTx.signedTransaction ]).signedTransaction;
 };
 
 const handleSignXlm = function(recoveryRequest, key, skipConfirm) {
@@ -232,8 +228,7 @@ const handleSignXlm = function(recoveryRequest, key, skipConfirm) {
 
   const decimals = coinDecimals[recoveryRequest.coin];
 
-  const txHex = getTransactionHexFromRequest(recoveryRequest);
-  const transaction = new stellar.Transaction(txHex);
+  const transaction = new stellar.Transaction(recoveryRequest.tx);
   const customMessage = recoveryRequest.custom ? recoveryRequest.custom.message : 'None';
 
   if (transaction.operations.length !== 1) {
@@ -276,8 +271,7 @@ const handleSignXlm = function(recoveryRequest, key, skipConfirm) {
 const handleSignErc20 = function(recoveryRequest, key, skipConfirm) {
   const EthTx = require('ethereumjs-tx');
 
-  const txHex = getTransactionHexFromRequest(recoveryRequest);
-  const transaction = new EthTx(txHex);
+  const transaction = new EthTx(recoveryRequest.tx);
 
   const customMessage = recoveryRequest.custom ? recoveryRequest.custom.message : 'None';
   const txData = transaction.data;
@@ -333,23 +327,6 @@ const parseKey = function(rawkey, coin, path) {
   return rawkey;
 }
 
-/**
- Not all recoveryRequest files are formatted the same. Sometimes they have 'tx', 'txHex', or 'transactionHex'
- This function gets and gets and returns the transaction hex in all of these cases
- */
-const getTransactionHexFromRequest = function(recoveryRequest) {
-  if (recoveryRequest.txHex){
-    return recoveryRequest.txHex
-  }
-  if (recoveryRequest.transactionHex){
-    return recoveryRequest.transactionHex
-  }
-  if (recoveryRequest.tx){
-    return recoveryRequest.tx
-  }
-  throw new Error("The recovery request did not provide a transaction hex");
-}
-
 const handleSign = function(args) {
   const file = args.file;
 
diff --git a/test/admin.js b/test/admin.js
index ba6f125..e127fd6 100644
--- a/test/admin.js
+++ b/test/admin.js
@@ -206,7 +206,6 @@ describe('Offline Admin Tool', function() {
         path: '0'
       };
       const keyList = [key];
-      admin.requireDB();
       yield admin.saveKeys(keyList, 'xpub');
       const foundKey = yield MasterKey.findOne({ pub: xpub });
       foundKey.should.have.property('signature');
diff --git a/test/sign.js b/test/sign.js
index dcba1fc..3873c65 100644
--- a/test/sign.js
+++ b/test/sign.js
@@ -92,18 +92,6 @@ describe('Offline Signing Tool', function() {
     txHex.should.equal('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');
   });
 
-  it('throws error if no transaction hex is provided in recoveryRequest file', function() {
-    const recoveryRequest = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('./test/transactions/tzec.json', { encoding: 'utf8' }));
-    delete recoveryRequest.tx;
-    delete recoveryRequest.transactionHex;
-    const key = 'xprv9s21ZrQH143K3qsoJZSJteRRZXgNHtAw5sRC1tsSy6U1D7rvKUsTTVewmx77AiAZJngxnEWMw9EcMxid73171mV7mdNFQigNpPPuDSZGULW';
-    try {
-      signingTool.handleSignUtxo(recoveryRequest, key, true).should.throw();
-    } catch (err) {
-      err.message.should.equal('The recovery request did not provide a transaction hex');
-    }
-  });
-
   it('parses a private key from 24 words and a path', function() {
       const key = 'bone,penalty,bundle,plug,february,roof,rely,angry,inspire,auto,indicate,shell,assist,unhappy,unable,clarify,pond,check,size,key,donor,midnight,inquiry,avoid';
       const path = 'm/0';