A Nebraska architect seal must carry the word Architect, the words State of Nebraska, your license number and the name under which you are licensed, and it must be legible in any form. The board sets no size. You sign and date across the seal or next to it, and sealing after your certificate expires is unlawful. This page covers each rule and its effect on your order.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01(1). Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Profession and state wording | The word Architect and the words State of Nebraska. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01(1) |
| Name and number | The name you are licensed under, plus your license number. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01(1) |
| Documents to seal | Technical submissions. The board's guidance also lists what has to appear next to the seal on them. | Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects, Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions guidance |
| Size | The board sets no size. | Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects, Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions guidance |
| Shape | No shape is given. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Legibility | Every architect or professional engineer seal has to be legible. | 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6, rule 6.1.3 |
| Device type | Embossed, computer generated or another type, each subject to the same legibility condition. | 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6, rule 6.1.3 |
| Where to sign and date | Placed across the face of the stamp or beside it. | Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects, Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions guidance |
| Seals in electronic form | Allowed, and no particular technology is specified. | 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6, rule 6.1.8 |
| After expiration | Affixing the seal to help another person evade the Engineers and Architects Regulation Act is unlawful, and so is affixing it, or letting someone else affix it, after the certificate expires. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01(3), (5) |
Nebraska is one row in our architect seal requirements by state table, which sets each jurisdiction's rule side by side. The seal follows registration; the degree, experience and exam routes that lead to a Nebraska license are compared in how to become a licensed architect.
What four items go on a Nebraska architect seal?
The word Architect, the words State of Nebraska, your license number and your name as licensed. Those four come from Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01(1), and nothing in the cited sources adds a fifth.
The profession word is short and fixed: the seal says Architect, not a longer title. Your name should match your license, including any middle initial or suffix it shows, because the statute ties the seal to the name under which you are licensed. Our post on Nebraska architect stamp guidelines covers the same four items from another angle.
What does the legibility rule demand?
That the seal can be read. Rule 6.1.3 of 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6 requires every architect or professional engineer seal to be legible, and it applies that condition equally to embossed, computer generated and other seals.
The rule looks at the result, not the tool. A handsome die that produces a faint or crowded impression falls short of the rule, while a plain one that reads cleanly meets it. That makes legibility the main thing to test before a new seal goes on a submission.
Is there a required size or shape?
No. The Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects stipulates no size in its Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions guidance, and none of the cited sources states a shape.
With no figure to meet, legibility sets the practical floor. Pick a diameter large enough that your name and license number read clearly at the scale of your smallest sheet, and at any reduction you routinely print. The post on sizes and dimensions for Nebraska architect stamps has more on this choice.
Which devices can a Nebraska architect use?
Any device that produces a legible seal. Rule 6.1.3 names embossed and computer generated seals and leaves room for other types, so an embosser, an inked stamp and an electronic image are all open to you.
The device question and the legibility question are the same question in Nebraska. An embossed impression counts if it can be read; a digital image counts if it can be read. Choose the format that stays readable in the way your submissions are actually reviewed.
Can you seal electronically in Nebraska?
Yes. Electronic seals are permitted, and rule 6.1.8 of 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6 names no particular technology, so no specific software, file type or signing platform is required by the cited rule.
The practical test for an electronic seal is the same legibility condition that applies to every other type. A seal image that is crisp at full size but breaks up when a sheet is reduced does not help you, so check it at the scales you actually issue.
Where do the signature and date go?
Across the face of the seal or right beside it. The board's Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions guidance allows either placement, so you are not forced to sign through the impression.
Signing beside the seal keeps the lettering clear, which helps with legibility. Signing across it ties the signature visibly to the seal. Both satisfy the guidance, so choose the one that leaves your name and number easiest to read.
Which documents take the seal in Nebraska?
Technical submissions. The board's Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions guidance also sets out what has to appear on those submissions alongside the seal, which is separate from what goes on the seal face.
That distinction matters when you set up a title block. The seal carries the four statutory items; the other entries the guidance calls for belong on the sheet next to it, not inside the die. Read the guidance when you build your sheet template.
What does the law say about sealing after the certificate expires?
It is unlawful. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01(3), (5) bars a licensee from affixing the seal, or permitting it to be affixed, to any document once the certificate has expired.
The same provision also makes it unlawful to affix the seal to help another person evade the Engineers and Architects Regulation Act. Note the word permit: the ban covers letting staff apply your seal after expiry, not only applying it yourself. Renew before the certificate runs out.
What should you provide when ordering a Nebraska architect seal?
Your name exactly as licensed and your license number. The words State of Nebraska and Architect are fixed, so you check them on the proof rather than supply them.
Then pick the device and a size. Because the board sets no size, choose one that keeps every character clear on your sheets, and decide whether you also need a version for electronic submissions.
How do you test a Nebraska seal impression before use?
Stamp or place the seal on a test sheet and read all four items without effort: Architect, State of Nebraska, your name and your license number. If any character is doubtful, the impression is not yet legible enough.
Repeat the test the way your documents are issued. Photocopy or scan a paper impression, and reduce an electronic sheet to its smallest print size. Legibility is the standard the rule applies, so test it where it is hardest to meet.
For the geologist side of practice in Nebraska, read what a Nebraska geologist seal requires.
Frequently asked questions
Is an embossed seal enough on its own in Nebraska?
Rule 6.1.3 names embossing as an acceptable type, under the same condition as every other type: the impression must be legible.
Can I use a reduced-size seal image on small sheets?
No size is set, so a reduced image is not ruled out by size. It still has to be legible, which is the limit on how far you can shrink it.
Does the seal need a border or a particular outline?
The four required items do not include a border, and none of the cited sources states a shape. A border is a design choice.
Does the legibility rule apply to engineers as well?
Yes. Rule 6.1.3 is written for both architects and professional engineers. This page covers the architect seal, which carries the word Architect.
Does the evasion ban apply only after my certificate expires?
No. Section 81-3437.01(3) states two separate prohibitions: affixing the seal after the certificate expires, and affixing it to help another person evade the Act. The second is not tied to expiry.
Once your licensed name and number are confirmed, order from our Nebraska stamps and seals collection and check the proof for legibility before production.
