Louisiana requires a circular landscape architect seal 1 5/8 inches in diameter, applied over your signature after you sign. State of Louisiana follows the top edge and Licensed Landscape Architect the bottom, with your name set horizontally in the center and your registration number beneath it. The rule reaches contracts and estimates as well as drawings. This page covers layout, devices, signing order, documents and gaps in the rule.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.a. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Shape and size | Round, with a diameter of 1 5/8 inches. | LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.a |
| Edge wording | State of Louisiana around the upper edge; Licensed Landscape Architect around the lower edge. | LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.a |
| Center | Your name, running horizontally across the middle. | LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.a |
| Registration number | Set under your name. | LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.a |
| Rubber stamp | A rubber stamp facsimile that follows the official design may be used in place of the seal. | LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.b |
| Signing order | You sign first; the seal then goes on top of the signature. | LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.c (silent as to date) |
| Date | Not addressed. | LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.c (silent as to date) |
| Documents covered | Every professional document issued for use in Louisiana, listed in the rule as contracts, estimates, reports, maps, plans, designs, drawings and specifications. | LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3 |
| Electronic seal | Not addressed. The rule mentions only the seal and the rubber stamp facsimile. | LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3 (no electronic seal provision) |
| License lapse | The seal rule does not address it. | La. R.S. 3:3804, 3:3808 (Horticulture Commission Law) |
For the same rule in the other 53 jurisdictions, read landscape architect seal requirements by state.
What does the Louisiana landscape architect seal show, and where?
Four elements with fixed positions: State of Louisiana along the top of the circle, Licensed Landscape Architect along the bottom, your name running horizontally through the center, and your registration number below the name. LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.a sets all four.
Because the rule places each element, the layout is not a design choice. The two phrases follow the curve of the circle, while your name reads straight across the middle with the number under it. Our post on Louisiana landscape architect seal design guidelines is a companion read on the same layout.
What size and shape is the Louisiana seal?
Circular, 1 5/8 inches in diameter. Section 117.B.3.a gives a single figure rather than a range, so every Louisiana landscape architect seal is the same round size.
Order the stated size; there is no smaller or larger option to choose. When a proof arrives, check that both edge phrases and the two center lines read clearly at 1 5/8 inches before you approve it. Our post on sizing a Louisiana landscape architect seal has more on fitting the face.
Can you use a rubber stamp in Louisiana?
Yes. Section 117.B.3.b lets you obtain a rubber stamp facsimile and use it in place of the seal, provided it conforms to the official seal design described in § 117.B.3.a. The rule names these two devices: the seal and the facsimile.
The facsimile must match the official design, so it carries the same four elements in the same positions. Because the seal goes over your signature, pick a device whose impression lets the signature underneath still show. Our post on Louisiana landscape architect stamp regulations is a companion read on devices.
In what order do you sign and seal a Louisiana document?
Signature first, then the seal on top of it. LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.c sets that sequence, so the impression overlays your signature rather than sitting next to it. Reversing the order does not follow the rule.
In practice, sign in the space you have reserved for the seal, let the ink set, then stamp directly over it. Test the combination before you use it on a live set: the signature should stay visible through the impression, and the impression should still read over the signature.
Does Louisiana require a date beside the seal?
The rule is silent on dates. Section 117.B.3.c sets the order of signing and sealing and says nothing about dating the signature or the impression, so no date is required by the seal rule.
A date you add from office habit is your own practice, not a Louisiana requirement for this profession. If you do add one, keep it clear of the overlapping signature and seal so neither becomes harder to read.
Which Louisiana documents must be sealed?
All professional documents you issue for use in Louisiana. LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3 names them: contracts, estimates, reports, maps, plans, designs, drawings and specifications. Naming contracts and estimates takes the rule further than most states go.
That list changes what your office stamps. A signed contract or a cost estimate you issue carries the seal over your signature, just as a drawing does. Add a signature and seal area to your contract and estimate templates as well as your title blocks. Our post on Louisiana landscape architect stamp and seal requirements is a companion read.
Is there an electronic seal option in Louisiana?
The rule does not provide one. Section 117.B.3 recognizes only two things, the seal and its rubber stamp facsimile. None of the terms electronic, digital or computer generated is used anywhere in it.
The signing rule is framed as sign, then seal over the signature, and it adds no electronic method alongside that sequence. We report the silence rather than supply a format the rule does not describe.
What happens to the seal when a Louisiana license lapses?
The seal rule does not address it. Section 117.B.3 says nothing about expiration or lapse. The source cited for renewal and lapse is La. R.S. 3:3804, 3:3808 (Horticulture Commission Law).
Because the seal rule carries no lapse provision of its own, read those statutes for your renewal cycle and keep your license current ahead of any issue date. We note the gap in the seal rule rather than fill it with another profession's terms.
What should you send us for a Louisiana seal order?
Your name as it should read across the center and your registration number. The size, the shape and both perimeter phrases are fixed by rule, so there is nothing else to choose on the face.
Then choose between the seal and a rubber stamp facsimile, or order both from the same artwork. Our post on Louisiana stamp requirements for landscape architects is another view of the ordering details.
How do you test a Louisiana impression over a signature?
Sign a test sheet, then apply the seal directly over the signature, the way the rule requires. Check that both the signature and every element of the face are readable, first on the original and then on a copy.
Measure the impression against the 1 5/8 inch figure and read the name and number against your license. If the signature disappears under the impression, try a lighter inking and test again before the first live set.
For the geologist side of practice in Louisiana, read what a Louisiana geologist seal requires.
Frequently asked questions
Can I place the seal beside my signature instead of over it?
Not under the Louisiana rule. Section 117.B.3.c has you sign first and then seal over the signature, so side by side placement does not match it.
Does a contract really need my seal?
Yes, when it is one of your professional documents issued for use in Louisiana. Contracts are named in the rule's list of professional documents, along with estimates and reports.
Is the rubber stamp facsimile a lesser option than the seal?
No. The rule lets the facsimile be used in place of the seal as long as it conforms to the official design.
Can the rubber stamp facsimile be a different size from the seal?
No. The facsimile has to conform to the official design in § 117.B.3.a, and that design is a circle 1 5/8 inches in diameter.
What if my name is long?
The diameter is fixed at 1 5/8 inches and your name runs horizontally across the center, so a long name is fitted by the lettering, not by enlarging the seal. Check the proof for crowding before you approve it.
With your name and registration number confirmed, order a 1 5/8 inch seal or rubber stamp facsimile from our Louisiana stamps and seals collection.
