A Washington architect's seal must show the title Registered architect, the words State of Washington, your registration number and the name you are registered under. Your signature is written across the seal, and the seal itself may be electronic. No size or shape is set for architects. This page covers the seal face, signing, which submissions need it, electronic criteria and the lapse rule.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against RCW 18.08.370(2). Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Your name in the form used on your registration. | RCW 18.08.370(2) |
| Registration number | Printed on the seal. | RCW 18.08.370(2) |
| Title | The words Registered architect. | RCW 18.08.370(2) |
| State | The words State of Washington. | RCW 18.08.370(2) |
| Signature placement | Across the face of the seal. | RCW 18.08.370(2) |
| Submissions to seal | Technical submissions you file with an authority having jurisdiction to obtain a building permit or a regulatory approval. | RCW 18.08.370(3) |
| Size and shape | No figure and no shape is set for architects. | RCW 18.08.370 (silent) |
| Electronic seal | Allowed in express terms. | Wash. Admin. Code 308-12-081(3) |
| Digital identification | Must be unique to you, verifiable independently, under your sole control, and tied to the document so any data change voids it. | Wash. Admin. Code 308-12-081(3), (4) |
| Expired, revoked or suspended | Sealing and signing a document becomes unlawful. | RCW 18.08.370(2) |
To compare Washington with every other jurisdiction, see our table of architect seal requirements by state. The seal assumes you already hold the Washington license; how to become a licensed architect covers the degree, AXP and ARE routes.
What must a Washington architect seal show?
Four items under RCW 18.08.370(2): the name you are registered under, the number on that registration, the title Registered architect, and the words State of Washington. Those four make up the face the statute calls for.
Supply your name exactly as the registration shows it, and give the number with no digits dropped. For more on each line of the face, read Washington's architectural stamp guidelines.
Where does your signature go on the seal?
Across it. RCW 18.08.370(2) pairs the seal with your signature and places the signature over the seal, so the two form one mark on the sheet rather than sitting side by side.
That placement affects how you choose a device. Stamp a test impression, sign over it the way you normally would, and confirm that your name and number still read through the ink before you settle on a size.
Which submissions need the seal and signature?
Technical submissions that you file with an authority having jurisdiction to obtain a building permit or a regulatory approval. RCW 18.08.370(3) frames the duty around two facts: the submission is technical, and it is filed with an authority for one of those purposes.
Both routes count. A set filed for a permit and a set filed for some other regulatory approval each carry the seal and your signature. Our note on Washington state architect seals looks at how the seal is used on finished work.
Is there a required size or shape?
No. The citation for this point is RCW 18.08.370 (silent), because the statute sets no diameter and no shape for architects. Any size quoted to you is a production choice, not a Washington rule.
Legibility is the practical test. Since your signature crosses the face, choose a size large enough that the registration number and the state name stay readable underneath it at the scale your sheets are printed.
Which device should you buy for paper sets?
The device provision cited, Wash. Admin. Code 308-12-081(3), speaks in express terms about the electronic seal. It does not list physical formats, so the choice of a paper device rests on how your sets will be used.
Permit sets are often copied and scanned after filing. An inked impression carries onto a copy, while a raised impression with no ink can drop out of one. For product options, see our overview of architect stamps for Washington.
Can a Washington architect seal be electronic?
Yes. Wash. Admin. Code 308-12-081(3) says the seal may be electronic. The same rule then sets the standard that an electronic identification has to meet, which is where the real work in a digital workflow lies.
An electronic seal is an option, not a mandate. You can keep sealing paper and add an electronic workflow for filings that travel as files.
What standard does a digital identification have to meet?
Four tests, set out in Wash. Admin. Code 308-12-081(3), (4). The identification must be unique to you, open to independent verification, held under your sole control, and bound to the file so that altering any of its data voids the identification.
The last test is the one to check in your software. Change one value in a signed file and the identification should fail; if it still shows as valid, the link to the document is not doing what the rule expects.
What happens if your registration expires or is suspended?
You cannot use the seal. Under RCW 18.08.370(2), sealing and signing a document is unlawful once the certificate has expired, has been revoked or is under suspension.
Keep the renewal date on your calendar ahead of any filing deadline. Physically, the seal still works after a lapse; legally, using it on a document is what the statute forbids.
What should you send with your order?
The name on your registration, its number, and the size you want. The title Registered architect and the words State of Washington are fixed by statute, so they do not change from order to order.
Say whether you want an inked stamp, an embosser or both. For layout questions within those limits, read our piece on Washington architect seals.
How do you check a new seal before using it?
Stamp a blank sheet, sign across the impression, and scan it. All four elements should read clearly through the signature, and the scan should hold the same detail as the original.
Check spelling against your registration letter by letter. A wrong digit in the number repeats on every submission until someone catches it, and a reviewer at the building department may be the first to notice. More on proofing appears in our Washington architect stamp guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does the lapse rule also cover a firm's certificate of authorization?
Yes. RCW 18.08.370(2) names both a certificate of registration and a certificate of authorization, and sealing and signing is unlawful once either one has expired, been revoked or been suspended.
Does my signature have to be handwritten?
Not in every case. Wash. Admin. Code 308-12-081(3), (4) sets criteria for a digital identification, so an electronic identification that passes all four tests is an accepted route.
Can a staff member apply my digital identification for me?
The rule requires the identification to stay under your control alone. Sharing the credential with someone else would break that condition.
Does Washington set a size for an electronic seal image?
No. The statute sets no size for architects at all, and that silence applies to an electronic image as much as to a rubber stamp.
Is the title Registered architect or Licensed architect?
Registered architect. RCW 18.08.370(2) lists that title together with the words State of Washington, so order those words and not a substitute.
When your name and registration number are confirmed, pick an inked stamp, an embosser or both from our Washington architect seals and stamps, and sign across the proof impression before you approve it.
