An Indiana architect's seal must follow the design printed in the rule, measure 1 5/8 to 1 7/8 inches in outside diameter, and show your name and registration number as your certificate of registration lists them. Your original signature goes directly beside the seal, never across it. Embossing, rubber stamping, electronic application and other permanent methods are all allowed. Below: design, size, devices, signing, sealed sheets and lapse.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a), (b), (c). Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Matches your certificate of registration. | 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a), (b), (c) |
| Registration number | Shown on the seal; the AR prefix may be left off. | 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a), (b), (c) |
| Design | Follows the design printed in the rule. | 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a), (b), (c) |
| Border | Either a milled edge or two concentric circles. | 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a), (b), (c) |
| Size | Outside diameter no smaller than 1 5/8 inches and no larger than 1 7/8 inches. | 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a) |
| Application methods | Embossed, rubber stamped, applied electronically, or fixed permanently some other way. | 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(b) |
| Electronic application | Allowed, with no separate digital signature test or certificate authority requirement. | 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(b) |
| Signature placement | Original signature right next to the seal, not across it, or elsewhere on the sheet with the certification wording. | 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(h) |
| Submissions for government review | Seal and signature on the specifications' title or cover page and on every drawing sheet. | 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(i), (j), (k), (l) |
| Registration status | The seal is used only while registration is current and in good standing. | 804 IAC 1.1-2-5, 804 IAC 1.1-2-6, 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(g) |
To compare Indiana with every other jurisdiction, see our table of architect seal requirements by state. How an architect reaches licensure in Indiana, from education through the ARE, appears in the national table on architect licensing requirements.
What does an Indiana architect seal have to include?
Your name and registration number, each matching your certificate of registration, set in the design shown in the rule, with either a milled edge or two concentric circles. The source is 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a), (b), (c).
The design is printed in the rule itself, so the face is not a blank canvas. Your part is supplying a name and number that match the certificate. Our article on Indiana architect stamps and what they signify gives background on the seal's role.
What size range does Indiana allow?
An outside diameter of at least 1 5/8 inches and at most 1 7/8 inches, under 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a). The band is written into the architect rule itself, so it applies to architects directly.
A 1 3/4 inch seal sits in the middle of the band and leaves margin on both sides. Whatever size you pick, the rule's printed design has to fit inside it.
Should the seal have a milled edge or two circles?
Either one. The rule accepts a milled edge or two concentric circles as the border treatment, so the choice is yours. Both satisfy 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a), (b), (c).
Pick one and use it on every device you own, so your impressions look consistent from sheet to sheet. Tell us your choice when you order so the proof shows the right border.
Which methods can apply the seal?
Four, listed in 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(b). The seal may be embossed, rubber stamped, applied electronically, or permanently affixed by some other means. A rubber stamp is the safe first purchase.
If you want a raised impression too, an embosser is one of the listed methods. Buying online is covered in our note on ordering Indiana architect stamps online.
Where does your signature go on an Indiana sealed document?
Directly next to the seal, never across it. 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(h) calls for your original signature beside the seal whenever it is affixed. It also lets you sign at another spot on the sheet if that spot carries the words "This document is certified by _____".
The second option helps when the seal lands in a tight corner of the title block. In every case, keep the signature itself off the impression.
Can an Indiana architect seal electronically?
Yes. Electronic application is one of the four methods in 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(b). Nothing in the article sets criteria for digital signatures, requires a certificate authority, or addresses stripping, so electronic sealing carries no extra technical standard.
The signature rule in 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(h) applies whenever the seal is affixed, so an electronic impression still gets your signature beside it rather than over it.
Which documents must carry the seal and signature?
When specifications, plans and drawings have to go to the appropriate governmental body for review, the seal and your signature belong on the specifications' title or cover page and on every sheet of drawings. The rule is 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(i), (j), (k), (l).
Plan one impression per drawing sheet plus one on the specification cover. Our piece on the Indiana architect seal in practice has more context.
When can you use your Indiana seal?
Only while your registration is current and in good standing. 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(g) sets that limit. Renewing a registration falls under 804 IAC 1.1-2-6, while 804 IAC 1.1-2-5 governs how the certificate is issued.
Keep your renewal date where you will see it. Once the registration lapses, the seal stays in the drawer until the registration is current again.
What do you need to order an Indiana architect seal?
Your certificate of registration, so the name and number match it, your choice of milled edge or two circles, a diameter between 1 5/8 and 1 7/8 inches, and the application method you plan to use.
Decide before the proof stage whether the number should show the AR prefix. Both forms comply, but switching later means a new die.
How do you check the impression before use?
Stamp a test sheet and measure the outside diameter, which must read at least 1 5/8 and at most 1 7/8 inches. Then compare the name and number with the certificate and confirm the border is the style you chose.
Finally, sign a sample sheet beside the impression the way you will on real documents. That confirms your title block leaves room next to the seal rather than over it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 1 1/2 inch or 2 inch seal acceptable in Indiana?
Neither. A 1 1/2 inch seal falls below the 1 5/8 inch floor, and a 2 inch seal exceeds the 1 7/8 inch ceiling. Both miss 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a).
Does the rule name a shape for the seal?
Not in so many words. It measures the seal by outside diameter and requires the printed design with a milled edge or two concentric circles, rather than naming a shape on its own.
Can the seal show a nickname or shortened name?
No. The name on the seal has to correspond to the name on your certificate of registration, so use the certificate's version even if you sign letters differently.
Does every sealed sheet need my signature beside it?
Yes. The signature rule applies whenever the seal is affixed, so each impression gets your original signature next to it, or the certification line with your signature elsewhere on that sheet.
Does a lapsed registration affect an embossed or electronic seal differently?
No. The current-and-good-standing limit covers the seal however it is applied, whether embossed, stamped or placed electronically.
Choose your seal and border style from our Indiana stamps and seals collection, with your certificate of registration beside you.
