An Iowa architect's seal is an outside circle of about 1 3/4 inches that carries your name and Iowa license number along with the words Licensed Architect and Iowa. You may apply it by rubber stamp, electronic image or another facsimile, provided the result is legible. Every technical submission for use in Iowa is sealed; signing runs through an information block. Below: wording, size, devices, signing and lapse.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"a". Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Your name is on the seal. | Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"a" |
| Title words | Licensed Architect. | Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"a" |
| License number | Your Iowa license number. | Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"a" |
| State name | The word Iowa. | Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"a" |
| Size | An outside circle roughly 1 3/4 inches across. | Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"a"(1) |
| Devices | Rubber stamp, electronic image or another facsimile, as long as it can be read. | Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"b" |
| Electronic seal | Allowed, with the rules pointing to Iowa's electronic transactions law instead of any vendor technology. | Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"b", "d" |
| Signature and date | Handled through an information block, not a seal and signature alone. | Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"c", "d" |
| What gets sealed | Every technical submission the architect issues for use in Iowa. | Iowa Code §§ 544A.18, 544A.28 |
| Use after lapse | The seal rule is silent; licensure, renewal and reinstatement sit in chapter 481-1062. | Iowa Admin. Code ch. 481-1062, r. 481-1062.3, 481-1062.4, 481-1062.5 |
Licensed in more than one place? Check each jurisdiction in architect seal requirements by state. The seal follows registration; the degree, experience and exam routes that lead to a Iowa license are compared in how to become a licensed architect.
What must appear on an Iowa architect seal?
Four items under Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"a". Two are fixed words, Licensed Architect and Iowa, and two are personal: your name and your Iowa license number.
Check that the title reads Licensed Architect word for word, and take the license number from your Iowa license rather than from memory. Our feature on the Iowa architect seal has more on how the seal is used.
What size is an Iowa architect seal?
The rule describes an outside circle of about 1 3/4 inches, in Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"a"(1). It gives that single figure rather than a minimum and a maximum, so 1 3/4 inches is the size to order.
The word approximately softens the figure but does not turn it into a range. A seal made at 1 3/4 inches removes any question.
Which devices can apply the Iowa seal?
Any device that yields a legible impression: a rubber stamp, an electronic image or some other facsimile, under Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"b". The test is whether the impression can be read, not which device produced it.
The rule does not name an embosser. On paper, a crisp inked rubber stamp is the straightforward way to pass the legibility test. For design ideas, see our collection of Iowa architect stamp designs.
How does signing work on Iowa submissions?
Through an information block. Under Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"c", "d", Iowa's signing rule works through a block of information instead of treating a seal and a bare signature as the whole certification.
This page does not list the fields the block requires. Read paragraphs "c" and "d" of the rule before you set up your title block, and plan the block and the seal together.
Which documents must carry the seal?
All technical submissions the architect issues for use in Iowa, under Iowa Code §§ 544A.18, 544A.28. The duty turns on where the work will be used, so a submission bound for an Iowa project is sealed wherever it was drawn.
That adds up to a lot of impressions over a year of projects, so pick a stamp that prints cleanly under steady use. Our guide to finding an architectural stamp in Iowa covers where to buy.
How does Iowa treat electronic seals?
They are allowed. The device rule lists an electronic image of the seal, and Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-1064.1(7)"b", "d" handles electronic signing by pointing to Iowa's electronic transactions law. No vendor technology is named.
The question is compliance with state law, not use of a particular product. Keep the electronic image at the same 1 3/4 inch size and make sure it prints legibly.
What does the seal rule say about a lapsed license?
Nothing directly. The seal provisions do not address using the seal after a lapse. Licensure, renewal and reinstatement are in Iowa Admin. Code ch. 481-1062, r. 481-1062.3, 481-1062.4, 481-1062.5, with continuing education in chapter 481-1063.
Chapter 481-1062 covers both returning a lapsed certificate to active status and coming back from inactive status. If your status changes, treat that chapter as the reference before you seal anything.
What should you supply when you order?
Your name and Iowa license number. Licensed Architect and Iowa are fixed words, and the size is the 1 3/4 inch outside circle, so only your personal details and your device choice need input.
A rubber stamp is the usual starting point for paper sets. Our walkthrough on finding your Iowa architect stamp covers the ordering side, and our look at working with an Iowa architect stamp covers day-to-day use.
How do you confirm the impression is legible?
Stamp the paper you actually issue sets on and read every item at arm's length. Your name, Licensed Architect, the license number and Iowa should all be readable, with no filled-in letters or broken lines.
Then copy or scan the test sheet. If any item blurs on the copy, adjust the ink or the pressure before sealing real submissions, because legibility is the rule's test.
Frequently asked questions
Can I order a 2 inch Iowa architect seal?
Order 1 3/4 inches instead. The rule calls that figure approximate but offers no range, so a 2 inch seal moves away from the only size it names.
Is Registered Architect acceptable wording?
The Iowa rule calls for the words Licensed Architect. Use that title rather than a legend from another state.
Can I place a scanned seal on a PDF?
An electronic image of the seal is one of the listed options, as long as it is legible. For the signature side, the rules defer to Iowa's electronic transactions law, so check that your signing method meets it.
Does the information block replace the seal?
No. The block is how Iowa handles signing, and the seal duty still covers every technical submission issued for use in Iowa.
Will a faint impression count?
Not if it cannot be read. Legibility is the test the rule sets for every device, so a faded stamp that drops letters fails no matter what made it.
Find your 1 3/4 inch seal in our Iowa stamps and seals collection, and have your license number ready at checkout.
