A Washington professional engineer seal must show State of Washington, the designation registered professional engineer, your certificate number and your name as it appears on your wall certificate. WAC 196-23-010 sets no diameter and no shape. Embossed, inked and applied-graphic seals all fit the rule's wording, and electronic seals are permitted. This page covers the face, devices, signing, final documents and expiration.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-010 and the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State line | The words State of Washington. | Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-010 |
| Designation | Registered professional engineer. Land surveyors carry registered professional land surveyor instead. | Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-010 |
| Certificate number | Your certificate number appears on the face. | Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-010 |
| Name | Exactly as printed on your wall certificate. | Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-010 |
| Size and shape | Neither a dimension nor a shape is set. | Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-010 |
| Devices | The rule speaks of an impression or an image, which reaches embossers, inked stamps and applied graphics. | Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-010 |
| Signature | Flexible about the form of the signature image, strict about where it is placed. | Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-070(1) |
| Final documents | Reports, plans, plats, surveys, specifications, as-built documents, and land descriptions as WAC 332-130-020 defines them. | Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-020(1) through (5) |
| Electronic seal | Permitted. No product or certificate authority is named. | Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-070(2) |
| Expiration | The license is invalid if the board has not received the completed renewal by the date it expires. Seal use after expiration or revocation is unlawful unless the certificate is renewed or reissued. | RCW 18.43.080 |
To compare Washington with every other jurisdiction, see our table of professional engineer seal requirements by state.
What must a Washington PE seal show?
Four items under Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-010: State of Washington, the designation registered professional engineer, your certificate number, and your name in the form printed on your wall certificate. Land surveyors carry registered professional land surveyor in place of the engineer designation.
- State line: State of Washington.
- Designation: registered professional engineer.
- Certificate number: your Washington certificate number.
- Name: matching your wall certificate.
The name rule points to one document, your wall certificate, so copy the name from it rather than from a business card or an email signature. See our full overview of Washington PE stamp requirements for more.
Does Washington set a size or shape for the seal?
No. Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-010 specifies no dimension, and the rules checked for this page state no shape. The size of your Washington seal is therefore a practical choice for you to make rather than a legal requirement to meet.
With no measurement to hit, pick a size where all four items read clearly, including a long name as it appears on your wall certificate. Design tips are in our notes on Washington PE stamp design.
Which devices produce a lawful Washington seal?
Embossers, inked stamps and applied graphics all fit. Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-010 frames the seal as an impression or an image, and those two words reach a pressed embossment as well as an inked or digitally applied mark.
That wording leaves the choice to you. A rubber or self-inking stamp gives an inked image, an embosser gives a pressed impression, and a computer-generated graphic gives an image in a digital file. If you issue both paper and digital sets, plan on one device for each.
How does Washington treat the signature?
Loosely on form and tightly on position. Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-070(1) gives more room than usual on what the signature image may be, and it is strict about where that signature is placed on the document.
This page does not restate those placement terms, so read 196-23-070(1) directly before you set up a title block or a signing routine. The rule text controls both the acceptable signature forms and the location. For related rules, see our summary of Washington professional engineer stamp rules.
Which documents count as final documents in Washington?
Plans, specifications, plats, surveys, reports, as-built documents, and land descriptions as WAC 332-130-020 defines them. Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-020(1) through (5) groups these as final documents, the category that carries the seal.
The list reaches beyond drawings. As-built documents and qualifying land descriptions sit on it alongside plans and reports, so treat them with the same care at issue. For how the stamp reads to clients and reviewers, see what the Washington PE stamp signals about your standing.
Can a Washington PE seal documents electronically?
Yes. Electronic seals are permitted, and Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-070(2) does not tie them to any named product or certificate authority. The choice of tool is left to the licensee.
Because the rule's device language covers an applied image, the same four items belong on the electronic version as on your physical stamp. Building the electronic seal from the same artwork keeps the two identical.
What happens to a Washington seal when the license expires?
It cannot be used. Under RCW 18.43.080, a license is invalid if the board has not received the completed renewal by the date it expires, and RCW 18.43.070 bars use of the seal after expiration or revocation unless the certificate is renewed or reissued.
The board sets how long certificates stay valid, under RCW 18.43.080(1). File the completed renewal early, because the statute measures from its arrival at the board, not from the day you send it.
What should you send when ordering a Washington PE seal?
Your name exactly as your wall certificate shows it, your certificate number, and the device you want. State of Washington and the registered professional engineer designation are fixed, and since no size is prescribed, you also pick a diameter.
- Name: copied from your wall certificate.
- Certificate number: checked digit by digit.
- Device: stamp, embosser, electronic seal, or a combination.
- Size: large enough for every item to read clearly.
How do you check a Washington seal impression before use?
Read the four items against your wall certificate: State of Washington, the designation, your certificate number and your name. Then confirm every character is sharp enough to read on the paper or file you actually issue.
Run a trial signing that follows 196-23-070(1) and check the result on a copy. More practical pointers are in our Washington PE stamp guidelines.
Frequently asked questions
Can the seal say PE instead of the full designation?
The rule lists the designation as registered professional engineer, so order the seal with that phrase as written.
Should my preferred or married name go on the seal?
Only if it is the name printed on your wall certificate. The rule ties the name to that certificate, so if the two differ, the certificate controls.
Do I need a new seal if I move within Washington?
Not for the move itself. None of the four required items is an address or a city, so relocating does not change what the seal says.
Does revocation stop seal use the same way expiration does?
Yes. RCW 18.43.070 puts both events on the same footing: once a certificate has expired or been revoked, the seal stays off documents until renewal or reissue.
Which board regulates Washington PE seals?
The State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.
With your wall certificate at hand, order from our Washington stamps and seals collection.
