An Arizona geologist seal is an ink seal with two concentric circles, 1-1/2 inches across, carrying the legend "Registered Professional Geologist", the line "Arizona U.S.A.", a "date signed" label, and your registered name and registration number. You sign across its lower part without covering your name or number. Using it on an expired, suspended or revoked certificate is unlawful. This page covers face, size, device, signing, documents and ordering.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) and the State Board of Technical Registration. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Legend | Registered Professional Geologist | A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) |
| Identity | Your name in its registered form, plus your registration number. | A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) |
| Other fixed wording | A "date signed" label, plus Arizona U.S.A. as the place line. | A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) |
| Size | Outer ring 1-1/2 inches and inner ring 1-1/8 inches, each allowed to vary by 1/16 inch in either direction. | A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) |
| Device | The rule names an ink seal, which an inked rubber stamp meets. An embosser on its own does not qualify. | A.A.C. R4-30-303(A), R4-30-304(E)(1), R4-30-304(F) |
| Signing | An original signature that leaves your printed name and registration number readable. Appendix A directs it across the lower part of the seal. | A.A.C. R4-30-304(E), R4-30-304(G) |
| Date | The day the document was sealed. | A.A.C. R4-30-304(E), R4-30-304(G) |
| Documents to seal | The nine document categories of the general sealing rule reach geologists unchanged. | A.A.C. R4-30-304(A), R4-30-304(D) |
| Electronic sealing | Neither a standard nor a product is named. | A.A.C. R4-30-304(C), R4-30-304(E)(1), R4-30-304(G) |
| Expired, suspended or revoked certificate | Using the seal is against the law. | A.R.S. § 32-125(C), (D) |
What is printed on an Arizona geologist seal?
Five pieces of text. Three are fixed for every geologist: the legend Registered Professional Geologist, the place line Arizona U.S.A. and the label "date signed". The other two are yours: the name on your registration and your registration number, all under A.A.C. R4-30-303(A).
Two of those lines are easy to get wrong. The words "date signed" are printed on the die as a label, and the legend includes "Registered" ahead of Professional Geologist. Treat both as fixed text rather than options.
Every one of the five lines is required. A fuller walk through compliance sits in our article on complying with Arizona geologist seal requirements.
How is the seal sized?
By two circles. The outer circle is 1-1/2 inches in diameter and the inner circle is 1-1/8 inches, and A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) allows each to be off by no more than 1/16 inch, larger or smaller.
That tolerance is tight, so the size is a specification to hit rather than a minimum to exceed. A die cut at 1-3/4 inches for a roomier look falls outside the allowance, as does one shrunk to fit a small title block.
Why does the rule point to an inked stamp?
Because A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) calls for an ink seal. An inked rubber stamp is the device that fits that wording, and an embosser used on its own is not authorized as the seal.
For your purchase, the result is simple: order an inked stamp as the seal, and do not rely on a crimp or embossing tool to do that job. Our piece on the Arizona geologist stamp adds more background.
How do you sign and date a sealed document?
With an original signature that does not cover your printed name or registration number, plus the date the document was sealed. A.A.C. R4-30-304(E), R4-30-304(G) sets both, and Appendix A directs you to sign across the lower part of the seal.
Picture the layout before you sign. Your name and number have to stay readable, so the pen should stay clear of them rather than run through them. The date to add is the day of sealing, not the day the stamp was made.
Which geology documents take the seal?
The documents in the general sealing list. The nine categories in A.A.C. R4-30-304(A) apply to geologists exactly as written, with no adjustment made for the profession.
Geologists do not get a shortened or separate version of the list. Whatever the nine categories cover for other registrants, they cover for a registered geologist in the same terms.
Is there an electronic seal standard for Arizona geologists?
No. The provisions cited on electronic sealing, A.A.C. R4-30-304(C), R4-30-304(E)(1), R4-30-304(G), name no standard and no product, so there is no specified technology to buy or follow.
The device rule is the specific one: it names an ink seal. So while the electronic question has no named answer, the physical requirement is clear, and an inked stamp built to the two-circle specification is what the rule describes.
Can you keep using the seal after your certificate expires?
No. Under A.R.S. § 32-125(C), (D), once your certificate has expired, using the seal is unlawful. The same bar applies while a certificate stands suspended or after it has been revoked.
A lapsed certificate does not disable the stamp itself, so the discipline is yours: keep the seal out of use until the certificate is current again. The registration side is covered in our articles on Arizona geologist registration and obtaining an Arizona geologist license.
What goes in a seal order?
Your name exactly as registered and your registration number, plus confirmation of the three fixed lines and the two-circle size. The maker cannot check your registration, so the order is only as accurate as what you send.
- Name, in its registered form
- Registration number
- Legend: Registered Professional Geologist
- Fixed lines: Arizona U.S.A. and the "date signed" label
- Outer circle 1-1/2 inches, inner circle 1-1/8 inches
- Inked rubber stamp as the device
How do you check the first impression?
Stamp a test sheet and measure both circles against 1-1/2 inches and 1-1/8 inches, allowing 1/16 inch either way. Then read all five lines of text and confirm the name and number match your registration record.
Sign across the lower part of the test impression and check that your name and number stay readable. If the signature has to cross them, the layout needs adjusting before the seal goes into use.
To compare this rule with other states, see the geologist seal requirements for every U.S. state and territory.
Frequently asked questions
Is the date cut into the rubber?
No. The die carries the words "date signed" as a label. The actual date is the day each document is sealed, which changes from one document to the next, so it is added at signing rather than built into the stamp.
Can the seal read "Professional Geologist" without "Registered"?
The legend in A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) is Registered Professional Geologist. A shortened version does not match the prescribed wording, so keep all three words.
Can I order a larger seal for report covers?
Not within the rule. The outer circle is set at 1-1/2 inches with only 1/16 inch of allowance, so a larger die falls outside it however much space the cover offers.
Can an embosser be used alongside the ink stamp?
The restriction the rule sets is on an embosser used by itself as the seal. A raised impression cannot stand in for the inked one, so the ink seal has to be applied either way.
What if the name on my registration differs from the name I use day to day?
Use the registered form. A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) calls for your name as registered, so the seal follows the registration record rather than a nickname or a trading name.
To put this into an order, start with our Arizona stamps and seals and send your registered name and number with it.
