A Delaware land surveyor seal is two concentric circles, 1 inch and 1-1/2 inches in diameter, with REGISTERED, NO. and DELAWARE in the inner circle and your name and PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR in the band between the circles. By default the seal is raised, and a rubber stamp is allowed under certain conditions. You must sign by hand. This page covers layout, devices, signing and sealing duty.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.4 and the State Board of Professional Land Surveyors. Sources read September 2026. Updated 8 November 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Inner circle | The words REGISTERED, NO. and DELAWARE. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.4 |
| Top of the band | Your name, running clockwise. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.4 |
| Bottom of the band | PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR, running counterclockwise. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.4 |
| Circle sizes | Inner circle 1 inch across, outer circle 1-1/2 inches across. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.5 |
| Default device | A raised seal. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.1, 16.2 |
| Rubber stamp | An alternative, allowed subject to a condition on ink color. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.1, 16.2 |
| Signature | Handwritten. The rule is silent on a date and on where the signature goes. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.3 (silent as to date and placement) |
| Documents | Every technical submission you prepared or directly supervised. | 24 Del. C. § 2719 |
| Electronic seal | Silent. No electronic seal, digital signature or technology is named. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.0 (no electronic seal provision) |
| Emeritus status | Retains the license or registration number, is excused from continuing education, and may use the emeritus title only on work needing no seal or certification. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 9.8, 10.0 |
For the same rule in the other 53 jurisdictions, read land surveyor seal requirements by state. The route to a Delaware surveying license, from education through the exams, sits in the national table on land surveyor licensing requirements.
What does a Delaware land surveyor seal look like?
Two concentric circles. Per 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.4, the inner circle contains REGISTERED, NO. and DELAWARE, and the band between the circles shows your name at the top with PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR at the bottom.
The rule fixes where each item sits, not only what it says, so the layout is not a design choice. Our overview of Delaware land surveyor seal requirements shows the arrangement in more detail.
Which way does the lettering run?
The name runs clockwise over the top of the band, and PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR runs counterclockwise along the bottom. Section 16.4 gives a separate reading direction for each line.
Check both directions on your proof. A line that runs the wrong way is a layout error even when every letter is spelled right, and it is easy to miss on a quick read.
How big are the two circles?
The inner circle is 1 inch in diameter and the outer circle is 1-1/2 inches. Section 16.5 gives both figures, so every device you use should be built to those two measurements.
The band between the circles is therefore a quarter inch deep, and it has to hold your full name. A long name may need tighter lettering to fit that band. Our page on Delaware land surveyor seal specifications covers sizing in more depth.
Should you use a raised seal or a rubber stamp?
Start with the raised seal. Sections 16.1 and 16.2 make it the default device and allow a rubber stamp only as an alternative, and only when a stated condition on ink color is met.
That condition sits in the rule text itself, and this page does not restate the color. Before you ink a rubber stamp for Delaware work, read s. 16.2 for the required color and tell us which one you need when you order. For how the stamp fits into practice, see our piece on the Delaware professional land surveyor stamp.
How must a Delaware surveyor sign?
By hand. Section 16.3 requires a handwritten signature. It does not say whether you date the seal, and it does not say where the signature goes in relation to the impression.
So the rule settles the method of signing and leaves the other two questions open. Sign in the same way on every sealed submission so your practice stays consistent while the rule is silent on date and placement.
Can a Delaware land surveyor seal electronically?
The rules do not provide for it. Section 16.0 is silent on electronic seals, on digital signatures and on any signing technology, and the handwritten signature that s. 16.3 demands points away from a purely electronic workflow.
In practice, plan on a physical impression and a handwritten signature for Delaware submissions. Nothing in the cited sections authorizes an electronic alternative for land surveyors.
Which submissions need the seal?
Every technical submission you prepared or that was prepared under your direct supervision. 24 Del. C. § 2719 sets that duty, so your own work and work you directly supervised both carry your seal.
The statute also works the other way round. It forbids impressing your seal on anything that was not prepared under your direct supervision, so a document you only reviewed, and did not supervise, falls outside it.
Will a public office accept unsealed plans?
No. Under 24 Del. C. § 2719, a state or local official may not accept or approve plans or other documents covered by the chapter unless the surveyor in responsible charge has sealed and signed them.
That places a check at the counter as well as on the surveyor. A submission missing either the seal or the signature can be turned away for that reason alone.
What changes under emeritus status?
Under s. 9.8, a Professional Land Surveyor Emeritus retains the license or registration number the Division issued, no longer owes continuing education, and may use the emeritus title only on work that needs no seal or certification.
The cited sections do not otherwise address use of the seal after a license lapses, so keep your active license current for any work that needs your seal.
What should you send when ordering?
Your name as it should read clockwise across the top of the band, and whether you want a raised seal, a rubber stamp or both. If you want the rubber stamp, confirm the ink color required under s. 16.2.
The circle sizes and the fixed wording come from the rule, so you do not need to supply them. Section 16.4 lists NO. among the inner circle words; tell us if you have questions about that line when you review your proof.
How do you check the impression?
Check that the inner circle measures 1 inch and the outer 1-1/2 inches. Next, confirm that REGISTERED, NO. and DELAWARE are inside the inner circle, that your name reads clockwise along the top, and that PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR reads counterclockwise along the bottom.
Sign a test impression by hand to see how the signature sits. Our checklist on making sure a Delaware land survey stamp meets the requirements walks through the same points.
If you also hold a Delaware geologist license, the Delaware geologist seal rules set out what that seal must carry.
Frequently asked questions
Is the seal size a minimum or an exact figure?
Exact. Section 16.5 sets the inner circle at 1 inch and the outer circle at 1-1/2 inches, and allows no range on either figure.
Does the seal show my license number?
Section 16.4 lists the abbreviation NO. among the inner circle words. The element list cited here does not separately describe what follows it, so review that line carefully on your proof.
Can I use a scanned image of my signature?
No. Section 16.3 requires the signature to be handwritten, and a scanned image is not.
Can I own both a raised seal and a rubber stamp?
Nothing in s. 16.1 or 16.2 stops you. The default is a raised seal, with a rubber stamp as the alternative allowed under conditions, so owning both covers every case the rule describes.
Can I add my firm name to the seal?
Section 16.4 lists the words that appear on the seal and where each one sits. A firm name is not among them.
Once you have your name and device choice settled, order from our Delaware stamps and seals collection.
