A New Hampshire land surveyor seal is square: a 1-9/16 inch outer square around a 1-1/2 inch inner square holding a transit, your full name and your license number, with a signature line at the bottom. Lan 305.03 allows an impression seal or a rubber stamp and calls for your original signature on final plans and survey reports. This page covers layout, devices, signing and the lapse rule.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b) and the Board of Professional Engineers / Board of Licensure for Land Surveyors. Sources read September 2026. Updated 8 November 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name and number | Your full name and license number, running horizontally inside the inner square. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b) |
| Center image | A transit, placed within the inner square. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b) |
| Legends | State of New Hampshire on the transit's left side; Licensed Land Surveyor on its right. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b) |
| Signature line | Printed along the stamp's lower edge. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b) |
| Signing | Your original signature goes with the seal, in the space the seal provides. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(a) |
| Shape and size | Two nested squares: 1-9/16 inches on the outside, 1-1/2 inches on the inside. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b) |
| Devices | A rubber stamp, or an impression type seal. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(a) |
| Electronic seal | No provision. The device list names only the two physical types. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(a) |
| Documents | Every final plan and every report of survey you prepare. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(a), (c) |
| After expiration, suspension or revocation | Seal and signature belong on documents only while the license is active; unauthorized sealing afterward carries class B misdemeanor penalties. | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 310-A:67(II) |
New Hampshire is one row in our land surveyor seal requirements by state table, which sets each jurisdiction's rule side by side. Before any of this applies you need the New Hampshire license itself; how to become a licensed land surveyor covers the routes, the FS and PS exams and any state exam.
What size and shape does New Hampshire require?
The rule calls for two nested squares, 1-9/16 inches outside and 1-1/2 inches inside, under N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b). Because the outline is square, no round seal of any size complies.
The two figures are close together, which leaves a narrow band between the squares. Everything named in the rule sits inside or along that geometry, so the die has to be cut to both measurements, not just the outer one.
What is the layout of a New Hampshire land surveyor seal?
A transit sits inside the inner square, and your full name and license number share that square, set out on horizontal lines. On the transit's left side sits State of New Hampshire; on its right, Licensed Land Surveyor. A signature line crosses the bottom.
N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b) sets every one of those placements, so the layout is fixed, not a design choice. More background is in our post on the requirements for a New Hampshire land surveyor stamp.
How do you sign a New Hampshire surveyor seal?
Sign by hand in the space the seal provides. N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(a) requires your original signature with the seal, and the line along the bottom of the stamp exists for exactly that.
The requirement as recorded for this page names the seal and the original signature, and no date. Plan the signature as part of stamping, since the rule asks for the seal and your signature together. See our post on the role of the New Hampshire land surveyor seal for more.
Which documents must carry the New Hampshire seal?
Under N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(a), (c), every final plan and every report of survey you prepare gets both the seal impression and your original signature.
The word final matters for planning. The rule is framed around finished plans and survey reports prepared by the licensee, so build the seal and signature into the step where a document is released as final.
Which devices can a New Hampshire surveyor use?
The rule names two: a rubber stamp or an impression type seal. N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(a) treats them as alternatives, and either one alone meets the device requirement.
Whichever you pick, it carries the same square layout and signature line. If a raised seal suits your office, our guide to choosing a New Hampshire land surveyor seal embosser covers the impression option.
What happens if you seal after your New Hampshire license lapses?
Misdemeanor penalties. N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 310-A:67(II) links the seal and signature to an active license, and sealing without authority after expiration, suspension or revocation is punishable as a class B misdemeanor.
The statute covers all three events, not only expiration. A suspended or revoked license stops use of the seal just as a lapsed one does, and the penalty is written into the statute itself.
Is an electronic seal allowed for New Hampshire surveyors?
The rule does not provide for one. Lan 305.03 limits the device to a rubber stamp or an impression type seal and asks for an original signature. It says nothing about electronic or digital seals, a technology or a certificate authority.
Lan 305.03 names only physical devices and an original signature, and it does not describe how either would be met in an electronic file. This page therefore states no electronic method for New Hampshire surveyors.
What should you send with a New Hampshire seal order?
Tell us the full name and license number to run across the inner square, spelled the way you want them. Lan 305.03(b) fixes everything else: the transit, both legends, the signature line and the square dimensions.
Then choose between an impression seal and a rubber stamp. For more on the product, see our post on the professional stamp in New Hampshire.
How do you check a New Hampshire impression before use?
Stamp a test sheet and measure both squares: 1-9/16 inches outside and 1-1/2 inches inside. Then confirm the transit, your full name and number reading horizontally, and each legend on its correct side.
Sign on the signature line to make sure there is room for your signature to read clearly. Our post on the New Hampshire land surveyor stamp has more on the stamp itself.
Frequently asked questions
Can I order a round seal for New Hampshire?
No. Lan 305.03(b) specifies two squares, so the outline has to be square at the stated sizes.
Do I need both an impression seal and a rubber stamp?
No. The rule names them as alternatives, so either device meets the requirement by itself.
Can I use initials instead of my full name?
No. The rule calls for your full name inside the inner square, so initials do not match it.
Is sealing after expiration only a board discipline matter?
No. RSA 310-A:67(II) attaches class B misdemeanor penalties to unauthorized sealing after expiration, suspension or revocation.
Does a scanned copy of my signature count as original?
The rule calls for an original signature and has no electronic provision, so it describes no substitute for signing in your own hand.
With your full name and license number ready, order from our New Hampshire stamps and seals collection and check both square measurements on the proof before production.
