A Maryland landscape architect seal must show two things, your name and your license number, under COMAR 09.28.01.05A. Before a final document goes to a client or a public authority, you sign it, seal it and date it under Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501. No size is set, and COMAR 09.28 has no electronic seal provision. This page covers contents, devices, documents and ordering.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against COMAR 09.28.01.05A. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The landscape architect's name. | COMAR 09.28.01.05A |
| License number | Your Maryland landscape architect license number. | COMAR 09.28.01.05A |
| Sign, seal and date | Required before issue to a client or submission to a public authority, all three together. | Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501 |
| Documents covered | Final drawings, plans, specifications, reports and other documents issued to clients or submitted to public authorities. | Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501 |
| Who signs | The landscape architect who prepared the document or approved it for issue. | Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501 |
| Who may endorse | Reserved to licensed landscape architects. | Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501 |
| Devices | The regulation provides for two devices and names both in its heading. | COMAR 09.28.01.05A, B |
| Size and shape | No diameter or shape in COMAR 09.28 or in the statute. | COMAR 09.28.01.05 (silent) |
| Electronic sealing | Nothing on electronic or digital seals, and no test for digital signatures, in any of the four chapters. | COMAR 09.28 (silent) |
| Use after a lapse | No specific rule on using the seal once a license lapses. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
For the same rule in the other 53 jurisdictions, read landscape architect seal requirements by state.
What must a Maryland landscape architect seal show?
Your name and your license number. COMAR 09.28.01.05A lists those two elements for the seal of a Maryland landscape architect, and it lists nothing further for the face.
A short list makes the face simple to get right, but each element has to be exact. Use your name as it appears on your license and check every digit of the number on the proof. Maryland landscape architect seal basics covers the two elements, and the Maryland landscape architect seal explained adds background on what the seal represents.
When do you sign, seal and date a document?
Before it leaves your hands. Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501 requires all three, signature, seal and date, on a final document before you issue it to a client or submit it to a public authority.
The timing is the part to build into your workflow. Sealing after a set has already gone to the client or the reviewing office does not meet the statute, because the duty attaches before the document is issued or submitted.
Which documents need your seal and signature?
Final drawings, plans, specifications and reports, plus any other final document, when you issue it to a client or submit it to a public authority. That scope comes from Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501.
The list is broad on document type and specific on two conditions: the document is final, and it is going to a client or a public authority. When both are true, the seal, signature and date go on it. Why a stamp matters for every Maryland landscape architect gives practical examples.
Who is allowed to seal a Maryland landscape architecture document?
The licensed landscape architect who prepared the document or approved it for issue. Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501 keeps endorsing documents in the hands of licensed landscape architects and ties it to preparation or approval.
Approval counts, so you can seal a document someone else drafted if you approved it. The endorsement is still personal to a licensed landscape architect, which is why the seal carries your own name and number.
Which devices does COMAR 09.28.01.05 provide for?
Two. The regulation covers two devices across subsections A and B, and its heading names both of them. COMAR 09.28.01.05A, B is where to read what each device is and how each is used.
If you use both, order them from the same artwork so your name and license number match exactly across every impression. Maryland landscape architect stamp and seal products shows the device formats we make.
What size and shape does Maryland require?
Neither is set. Neither COMAR 09.28 nor Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501 gives a diameter, and no shape is stated, so the size of the seal is a practical decision.
That conclusion rests on the chapter list for COMAR 09.28 and on the seal regulation itself. With only two elements on the face, a modest size keeps your name and number clear, though a longer name may call for a larger face.
Can you seal electronically in Maryland?
The regulations do not address it. COMAR 09.28 has nothing on electronic or digital seals and sets no test for a digital signature, in any of its four chapters.
Chapter 01 holds the general regulations, and the others govern ethics, fees and continuing competency. None of them deals with electronic sealing.
What happens if your license lapses?
The cited provisions set no separate rule on seal use after a lapse. Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501 does keep endorsement in the hands of licensed landscape architects, which is the status to keep current.
In practice, treat a current license as a condition of sealing. The statute's sign, seal and date duty belongs to a licensed landscape architect, so renew before you issue or submit any final document. Our Maryland landscape architect stamp overview covers the licensing context.
What should you supply when ordering?
Your name as your license shows it, your license number, the device or devices you want and a preferred size. Those details complete the face, because COMAR 09.28.01.05A lists only the name and the number.
If you order more than one device, say so on the same order so both are made from one proof. Tell us how you usually sign near the seal, so the layout leaves room for your signature and the date.
How do you check a new impression?
Make a test impression and read it closely: your name spelled as licensed and every digit of the license number. Then copy or scan the sheet and confirm both elements are still legible on the copy.
Next, add your signature and a date near the test impression the way you will on a final set, and make sure neither covers the number. Repeat the test for each device you plan to use.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Maryland seal need the state name, a firm name or an expiration date?
COMAR 09.28.01.05A lists two elements, your name and your license number. The state name, a firm name and an expiration date are not among them.
Does a date go inside the seal?
No date is one of the seal's listed elements. The date required by Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501 goes on the document along with your signature and the seal.
Does a document that is not yet final need the seal?
The duty in Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 9-501 is written for final documents going to a client or a public authority. Once a document is final and about to go out, the seal, signature and date go on it.
Where in COMAR does the seal rule sit?
At COMAR 09.28.01.05, inside chapter 01, the general regulations. The remaining three chapters deal with ethics, fees and continuing competency.
Does the lack of an electronic rule mean electronic sealing is banned?
No. COMAR 09.28 is silent on electronic seals and digital signatures, so it neither permits nor prohibits them in terms. It simply contains no provision on the subject.
With your licensed name and number confirmed, choose a device from our Maryland stamps and seals collection and test the first impression on a copy before you issue a final set.
