Across 54 U.S. jurisdictions, 41 put a license, registration or certificate number on the land surveyor seal, 32 set a size in some form, and 38 accept a computer-generated, digital or electronic seal. Other rows range from rules that leave design and size to a board, as in Ohio and Tennessee, to Nebraska, where the Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors issues the seal and only its devices may be used. Sealing after a lapse is barred in 25 rows. This page gives the full table, then compares wording, sizes, devices, electronic seals, signing, lapse and ordering.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against the statute or board rule cited in each row. Sources read September 2026.
| Jurisdiction | What the seal must show | Size, devices and electronic seal | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Name, license number, licensed professional land surveyor | 1 5/8 to 2 inch circle; rubber stamp or computer generated; electronic seal not addressed | Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-11-7(c) |
| Alaska | State of Alaska, Registered Professional Land Surveyor, name, digits-only number, signing space | No size; a substantially similar electronic or digital version is accepted | Alaska Stat. § 08.48.221(a) |
| Arizona | Registered Land Surveyor, name, number, Arizona U.S.A., "date signed" label | 1-1/2 and 1-1/8 inch rings; inked rubber stamp, no embosser; no electronic standard named | A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) |
| Arkansas | Name, license number, licensed professional surveyor, milled edge | Round, 1 1/4 to 2 inches; embosser, rubber stamp or electronic application | 17 Code Ark. R. § 285-602(b)(1), (d)(2) |
| California | Surveyor title on top, State of California below, certificate name and number | 1.5 inches or more; three device families; electronic seal permitted | Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 411(b) |
| Colorado | COLORADO LICENSED, PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR, name, centered license number | Nominal 1-5/8 and 15/16 inch circles; crimp, rubber stamp or computer generated | 4 CCR 730-1, Rule 1.6(A)(1) |
| Connecticut | Board sets the design; no face items listed | No size; identical rubber stamp allowed; electronic sealing with a named technology | Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 20-300-10(a) |
| Delaware | REGISTERED, NO., DELAWARE inside; name and PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR around | 1 and 1-1/2 inch circles; raised seal or conditional rubber stamp; electronic silent | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.4 |
| District of Columbia | District of Columbia, name, license number, Professional Surveyor | No size or shape; computer generated seals allowed; digital signature conditions | DCMR 17-1516.4 |
| Florida | Board-approved form I to V with name and PSM number | No diameter; impression, ink stamp or conditional computer generated seal | Fla. Admin. Code r. 5J-17.060(1) to (7) |
| Georgia | Name as the Board records it, full LS-prefixed license number | 1 1/2 and 1 inch circles; crimp, rubber stamp or computer-generated | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 180-12-.01 |
| Guam | Registered name, registration number, designation; certification stamped below | No size; Board-approved permanent medium; an approved seal image can qualify | 22 GCA § 32116 |
| Hawaii | Hawaii, U.S.A., Licensed Professional Land Surveyor, license number, licensed name | 1-1/8 and 1-1/2 inch circles; seal or rubber stamp; electronic permitted | Haw. Admin. R. § 16-115-8(a) |
| Idaho | No listed items; the Board-adopted design governs | No size or shape; rubber stamp, crimp or electronic image | Idaho Code § 54-1215(3)(e) |
| Illinois | Name, license number, place of business, Professional Land Surveyor, State of Illinois | No size or shape; computer generated facsimile counts; electronic sealing allowed | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) |
| Indiana | Name and registration number as on your certificate; milled or double circle edge | 1 5/8 to 1 7/8 inches; embossed, stamped or electronic | 865 IAC 1-7-1(a), (b), (c) |
| Iowa | Name, Iowa license number, professional land surveyor | No size or shape; rubber stamp or computer-generated seal allowed | Iowa Code § 542B.16(1) |
| Kansas | Name, certificate number, LICENSED, KANSAS, PROFESSIONAL SURVEYOR | 1 5/8 and 1 1/16 inch rings; rubber stamp, embossed or digital | Kan. Admin. Regs. 66-6-1(a) |
| Kentucky | Name, license number, Licensed Professional Land Surveyor | Surveyor size range set; original is a rubber stamp or embosser, not a computer image | Ky. Rev. Stat. § 322.340(1) |
| Louisiana | State of Louisiana, Professional Land Surveyor, name, license number | 1 5/8 or 2 inches only; rubber or computer versions of the design | LAC 46:LXI § 2701.A.2 |
| Maine | No face layout in the rules read | No size, shape, device or electronic provision | 32 M.R.S. § 18226(1)(A), (1)(B) |
| Maryland | Name and one of two legends; no license number | No size or shape; seal or facsimile; no electronic provision | Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 15-501(b) |
| Massachusetts | Commonwealth of Massachusetts, registered name and number, Professional Land Surveyor | About 1.5 inch circle; rubber stamp, embossed, digitized or other approved form | 250 CMR 5.03(1) |
| Michigan | Name, complete license number, State of Michigan, Licensed Professional Surveyor | No size or shape; embossed, printed or electronic | Mich. Admin. Code R 339.17301 |
| Minnesota | Optional seal: name and licensed land surveyor; number goes in the certification block | No size or shape; rubber stamp limited; certification may be electronic | Minn. Stat. § 326.12, subds. 2 and 3 |
| Mississippi | Name and Licensed Professional Surveyor; no license number | 1 5/8 to 2 inch circle; embosser or rubber stamp per board guidance; electronic rule unsettled | Miss. Code Ann. § 73-13-29 |
| Missouri | State of Missouri, Professional Land Surveyor, name, PLS-prefixed number | 1 3/4 inch double ring; stamp, embosser or computer-generated image matching the design | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) |
| Montana | License number, title and state name, per Board FAQ | No size, shape, device or electronic provision found | Montana Board of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors, published FAQ |
| Nebraska | Set by the Board, which issues the seal | No size; only the two Board-issued devices, which also cover electronic use | Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors Rules and Regulations ch. 6 § 001.01 |
| Nevada | Licensed name, license number, Professional Land Surveyor; expiration date optional | Round, about 1.7 inches; electronic allowed under performance conditions | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 625.383(1) |
| New Hampshire | Transit, full name, license number, state name, Licensed Land Surveyor, signature line | Squares of 1-9/16 and 1-1/2 inches; stamp or impression seal; no electronic provision | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b) |
| New Jersey | Not given in the rules read; drafts are never sealed | No size; device list not restated; electronic allowed on a federal cryptographic standard | N.J.A.C. 13:40-8.1(f) |
| New Mexico | professional surveyor, name, New Mexico, license number at center | 1-1/2, 1 and 1/2 inch circles; three listed devices accepted | 16.39.5.11(C)(1) NMAC |
| New York | STATE OF NEW YORK, LICENSED LAND SURVEYOR, Great Seal, name, number | About 1 3/4 inches round; embosser, rubber stamp or electronic | 8 NYCRR § 68.13 |
| North Carolina | Licensed name, license number, professional land surveyor | No size or shape; embosser, stamp or computer-generated; electronic permitted | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 89C-16(c) |
| North Dakota | Registered Professional Land Surveyor, North Dakota, name, registration number, Date | 1-3/4 and 1-1/4 inch circles; rubber, metal impression or electronic | N.D. Admin. Code § 28-02.1-08-02 |
| Ohio | Registered name and Registered Professional Surveyor; no number listed | No published size; stamped seal or computer generated seal | Ohio Admin. Code 4733-23-01(A) |
| Oklahoma | Certificate name, license number, Oklahoma, Licensed Professional Surveyor, two circles | 1-7/8 or 1-5/8 inches; rubber stamp or electronic digitization | Okla. Admin. Code 245:15-17-1(c) |
| Oregon | Board-file name, registration date, certificate number, title; renewal date optional | 2 inches or more point to point; rubber stamp or computer-generated | Or. Admin. R. 820-025-0005(1), (2) |
| Pennsylvania | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Registered Professional Land Surveyor, registered name and number | 1-3/4 inches, pocket seal 1-1/2; digital seal under § 37.60 | 49 Pa. Code § 37.58(b) |
| Puerto Rico | Name, profession, licensee condition, license number, Puerto Rico | No size; no device named; the Junta decides electronic use | Ley Núm. 173 de 1988, Art. 16 |
| Rhode Island | Emblem and registration number at center, name above, title below | About 1.5 inch square; hand stamp or digital facsimile | 435-RICR-00-00-1 § 1.6 |
| South Carolina | Name, license number, one of four designations | 1.5 inches minimum; wet stamp, raised embosser or computer-generated seal | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 49-207.A(1) |
| South Dakota | South Dakota, name, license number, Land Surveyor title | 1 to 2 inch outer circle, inner at five-eighths; stamp, embossed or computer-generated | SDCL 36-18A-44 |
| Tennessee | Registered name and Registered Land Surveyor, Board design | No size, shape or device; electronic seals not addressed | Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-18-119(a) |
| Texas | Name as listed with the Board, registration number, Board design | Two inches maximum; physical or electronic | 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 138.31(b), (d) |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Name and Land Surveyor in an unpublished Board design | No size, shape or device; agencies decide electronic records | 27 V.I.C. § 286 |
| Utah | Licensed name, license number, State of Utah, Professional Land Surveyor | Round, 1.5 inches minimum; wet stamp, embosser or electronic | Utah Admin. Code R156-22-601(1)(a), (b) |
| Vermont | State of Vermont, Licensed Land Surveyor, name, license number | Should not exceed 1.5 inches; device and electronic seal not addressed | Vermont Board of Land Surveyors Administrative Rules, rule 6.1(b) |
| Virginia | Name, Lic. No. with six digits, COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, LAND SURVEYOR | 2 inches; no device prescribed; electronic permitted under conditions | 18VAC10-20-760 B and F |
| Washington | State of Washington, Registered professional land surveyor, certificate name and number | No size or shape; embosser, inked stamp or computer generated seal | Wash. Admin. Code 196-23-010 |
| West Virginia | Not readable from a rule text | No readable size; inked rubber stamp or embosser; electronic unconfirmed | W. Va. Code St. R. tit. 23, ser. 1 and ser. 5 (text layer not available) |
| Wisconsin | Name, credential number, city | 1-5/8 to 2 inches; embossed, inked, digital print or electronic file | Wis. Admin. Code § A-E 2.02(1) |
| Wyoming | Professional Land Surveyor, Wyoming, name, license number, Date | 1-3/4 and 1-1/4 inch circles; crimp or rubber stamp; electronic permitted | Wyoming Board of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors Rules, ch. 5 § 1(a) |
The seal comes after the license. Education routes, the FS and PS exams and the state exams that come first are compared state by state in how to become a licensed land surveyor.
What does a land surveyor seal carry in most jurisdictions?
Most land surveyor seals combine your name, a surveyor title and a number: 41 of 54 rows list a license, registration or certificate number on the face. In 27 rows the face also names the jurisdiction itself, such as State of Utah or Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Titles vary more than names. Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and the District of Columbia drop the word land, and the District of Columbia rule uses Professional Surveyor although the license category there is Land Surveyor. New York, New Hampshire and Vermont use Licensed Land Surveyor.
Some faces add less common items: your place of business in Illinois, your city in Wisconsin, a transit in New Hampshire, the Great Seal in New York, the state emblem in Rhode Island, and the printed word Date in North Dakota and Wyoming.
Which states leave the license number off, or fix how it reads?
Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and the U.S. Virgin Islands do not list a license number among the seal's elements, and 8 more rows, Connecticut and Tennessee among them, say nothing either way. Where the number is required, several states fix its format.
Georgia wants the full number with its LS prefix, Missouri puts PLS ahead of the digits, and Florida uses your PSM number. Virginia prints Lic. No. and then the final six digits, while Alaska allows digits only. Minnesota moves the number off the seal and into its certification block.
Some legends involve a choice. California takes Professional Land Surveyor or Licensed Land Surveyor, Maryland takes licensed property line surveyor or professional land surveyor to match your license, South Dakota lets Licensed or Registered precede Land Surveyor, and South Carolina offers four designations, including Professional GIS Surveyor.
How do land surveyor seal sizes compare across states?
Of the 54 rows, 32 set a size in some form and 22 set none. Of those 32, 12 give set dimensions such as Missouri's 1 3/4 inches, 7 a range, 4 a minimum, 4 an approximate figure, 3 a choice between sizes and 2 a ceiling.
Set figures usually describe two rings. North Dakota and Wyoming pair outer circles of 1-3/4 inches with inner circles of 1-1/4, and Georgia pairs 1 1/2 with 1 inch. New Mexico nests three circles, Virginia fixes one 2 inch diameter, Colorado calls its figures nominal, and Arizona alone adds a 1/16 inch tolerance.
Ranges run from Arkansas at 1 1/4 to 2 inches to Indiana at 1 5/8 to 1 7/8, and South Dakota sets its inner circle at five-eighths of the outer. California, South Carolina and Utah set a 1.5 inch floor and Oregon a 2 inch floor, while Texas caps the seal at two inches and Vermont says it should not exceed 1.5.
Louisiana offers 1 5/8 or 2 inches, Oklahoma 1-7/8 or 1-5/8, and Pennsylvania 1-3/4 or a 1-1/2 inch pocket seal. Massachusetts, Nevada, New York and Rhode Island give approximate sizes, and New Hampshire and Rhode Island are the only 2 rows that call for a square.
Which sealing devices do the rules name?
An embosser, crimp, raised or impression seal is named as lawful in 23 rows, including Georgia, New York and Wisconsin, and most of those also accept a rubber stamp. Arizona and Nebraska break from that pattern: Arizona does not authorize an embosser, and Nebraska permits only Board-issued devices.
Nebraska's seal rule is the one to read before buying anything. The Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors issues two devices and sets what the face says, and only Board-issued devices may be used, so a seal bought from any stamp maker, including us, does not satisfy it.
Arizona requires an ink seal, met by an inked rubber stamp, and Kentucky says a computer image is not an original seal. Minnesota allows its rubber stamp version only on tracings used for prints or on paper the regular seal would damage, and Delaware defaults to a raised seal.
Maine, Montana, Nevada, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Vermont name no device, and Virginia neither prescribes nor bars one. Connecticut, Missouri and South Carolina require the stamp to match the approved seal.
Where are electronic or computer-generated seals accepted?
A computer-generated, digital or electronic seal is accepted in some form in 38 of 54 rows, among them Oregon, New Jersey and Wisconsin. Another 8, including Maine and Kentucky, have no provision or refuse a computer image as an original, and 8 are unsettled or special.
Many accepting rows set functional tests instead of naming a product. North Carolina, North Dakota and Wyoming use four-part standards, and Kansas and Missouri want a signature tied to you alone, verifiable and broken by any change. New Jersey names a federal cryptographic standard, and Oregon and Connecticut each name a technology.
Wisconsin has allowed a seal embedded in an electronic file since June 1, 2025, and Pennsylvania's digital seal section, § 37.60, took effect December 17, 2022. Kentucky lets a digital signature that meets six conditions replace seal, signature and date.
Rhode Island allows a digital facsimile but bars electronic signing and dating, Guam accepts an approved seal image but not computer-generated signatures, and Alabama allows a computer generated seal while leaving the electronic seal unaddressed. The sources for Mississippi conflict, so its rule is open, and Nebraska's Board-issued device covers the electronic need.
How do the rules handle signature and date?
Most rows pair the seal with your signature and a date, but placement differs. Kansas, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming put the signature across or through the seal, while Indiana and Massachusetts keep it beside the impression and off the face.
Iowa wants an original signature and a handwritten date in a different ink color, Oregon a handwritten signature in permanent ink, and Rhode Island a hand signature in ink through the seal. North Carolina lets the seal be reproduced but never the signature, while Oklahoma does not demand wet ink.
Alaska puts the date in the seal or within two inches of it, and North Dakota and Wyoming print Date on the face. Illinois adds your license expiration date beside the seal, and Hawaii puts it under your signature.
Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Puerto Rico, Vermont and the U.S. Virgin Islands set no dating rule. Minnesota requires certification wording in a signed block, Vermont a certification statement with the seal, and Guam a certification stamped under it.
Which documents must carry the seal?
Most rows name plats, maps, surveys and reports. In South Dakota, registers of deeds cannot record a survey that lacks your signature, seal and date, and Maine officials cannot accept or approve a covered plan unless you sealed and signed it.
Alabama seals every map, plat and chart sheet, Louisiana and the District of Columbia seal multi-sheet sets sheet by sheet, and Arkansas seals reports on the signature page and specifications on the cover sheet. North Dakota seals studies and reports on the introductory sheet only.
New Jersey lets you sign a draft but never seal it, and the title block must flag it as unsealed. The District of Columbia makes sealing preliminary sheets optional if they are labeled preliminary and not for construction, recording or implementation.
Can a land surveyor keep sealing after a license lapses?
No, in 25 rows: Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee and 22 others bar sealing after a license expires, and many add suspension or revocation. Rhode Island instead has you give up the stamp, while 22 rows say nothing about seal use after a lapse.
Texas names sealing while expired, inactive, suspended or revoked as misconduct, New Hampshire attaches class B misdemeanor penalties, and Nevada applies its bar after retirement too. Idaho, Kentucky and Alaska also bar letting anyone else affix your seal, and Wyoming bars lending it.
Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii and Oregon treat an unrenewed license as invalid or bar practice, but their seal rows do not separately address seal use. Louisiana keeps your right to renew for 120 days after expiration while its seal restriction starts sooner, and New Mexico lets only surveyors whose license never lapsed keep using older approved seals. A renewed Oklahoma license keeps its number, so a seal that complied before stays usable.
What changes for surveyors licensed in more than one state or holding two licenses?
Each jurisdiction writes its own face, and 27 rows print the jurisdiction's name on it, so a seal cut for Missouri will not carry Kansas wording. Holders of both engineer and surveyor licenses get combined legends in New York, North Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho.
New York uses LICENSED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER AND LAND SURVEYOR along the bottom of the band, North Dakota uses Registered Professional Engineer & Land Surveyor, and Wyoming uses Professional Engineer & Land Surveyor on top. Idaho points dual holders to its board-adopted seal showing both licenses.
Sizes can conflict across borders. Oregon requires 2 inches or more point to point, Vermont says 1.5 inches at most, and Indiana tops out at 1 7/8, so one seal cannot meet all three. Louisiana adds a Licensed by Endorsement line citing R.S. 37:51 et seq. when you came in by endorsement.
A U.S. Virgin Islands license runs one year on a September 1 to August 31 cycle and becomes invalid if you leave the territory, and neither Guam nor Puerto Rico provides a firm seal.
Where is the seal design left to a board, or the rule text hard to read?
Connecticut, Idaho, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee and the U.S. Virgin Islands leave the design to the board, and no design has been published in Ohio or the Virgin Islands. West Virginia's seal rules lack a readable text layer, and Montana's device rule is not published in readable form.
Where a rule prints a drawing, the face follows it: Florida's five forms, Michigan's figure 301, Indiana's reproduced design and Virginia's illustration, which is not drawn to scale. Alaska gives its design as a picture without dimensions, and Iowa relies on sample images with no measurements.
In West Virginia the statute has no seal section, and only the devices, an inked rubber stamp or an embosser, are recorded as acceptable. Montana takes its face content from the Board's published FAQ. Puerto Rico's Reglamento Núm. 7749 could not be read, and Maine's rules give no face layout. Idaho and Ohio name devices or sealing routes while leaving the face to the board.
What should you supply when ordering a land surveyor seal?
Supply your name exactly as your license, certificate or board record shows it, your number in the format your jurisdiction sets, and every choice the rule leaves open, such as Louisiana's two sizes or South Carolina's designation. Nebraska surveyors use the Board-issued devices instead of ordering one.
- Name form. Oregon wants the name identical to the board's file, Washington the form on your wall certificate, and Texas also accepts a commonly used variation or initials with your surname.
- Number format. LS in Georgia, PLS in Missouri, PSM in Florida, Lic. No. with six digits in Virginia, digits only in Alaska.
- Extra lines. Place of business in Illinois, city in Wisconsin, registration date in Oregon, an optional expiration date in Nevada and Oregon, the endorsement line in Louisiana, and a combined legend for dual licensees in New York, North Dakota or Wyoming.
- Size. 1 5/8 or 2 inches in Louisiana, 1-7/8 or 1-5/8 in Oklahoma, 1-3/4 or a 1-1/2 inch pocket seal in Pennsylvania, or a figure inside the range in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi, South Dakota or Wisconsin.
- Device and outline. An inked stamp in Arizona, a raised seal by default in Delaware, and a square layout in New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
Nebraska is the exception: the Board issues both sealing devices and decides their content, so no stamp maker's product, ours included, replaces them. Rhode Island ties the individual stamp to a right its Board loans each surveyor.
Related: electronic seal rules by profession and firm seal and certificate of authorization requirements by state.
Frequently asked questions
Is a land surveyor seal the same design as a professional engineer seal?
Not in the rows that compare the two. Kentucky sets a surveyor size range that differs from its engineer range, and New York, North Dakota and Wyoming give holders of both licenses a separate combined legend.
Does Minnesota require a land surveyor seal?
No. The seal is optional, but every covered document needs a signed certification block with the prescribed certification sentence, your signature, typed or printed name, date and license number. A seal you choose to use shows your name and licensed land surveyor.
Can a Nebraska land surveyor order a seal from a stamp maker?
No. The Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors issues both Nebraska devices and sets their content, and only Board-issued devices may be used. A purchased seal does not meet that rule.
Will a 2 inch seal work in every state?
No. Virginia fixes 2 inches and Texas allows up to 2, but Vermont's seal should not exceed 1.5 inches, Indiana's tops out at 1 7/8, and Oklahoma allows only 1-7/8 or 1-5/8. Oregon, by contrast, requires at least 2 inches.
Can I seal survey work someone else prepared?
Only under your supervision or responsible charge in the rows that address it. Alabama limits sealing to the licensee who prepared the documents or had responsible charge, Maine bars sealing work done without your personal supervision and direct control, and Rhode Island confines sealing to projects you control.
Is an embosser enough for surveys that get recorded or copied?
Read the copy rule first. South Dakota treats the inked stamp as the working surveyor device, since recorded filings need an impressed seal and copies have to stay legible, and Oklahoma and the District of Columbia require the seal image to carry onto copies.
Once your row is confirmed, order from our state land surveyor stamps and seals collection with your name, number, legend and size choice ready. Nebraska surveyors use the Board-issued devices instead.
