A Michigan professional engineer seal must show your name as printed on your state-issued license, your full ten-digit license number, and a surrounding legend reading State of Michigan and Licensed Professional Engineer. Its design has to be substantially equivalent to the rule's figure 32. The rules read for this page set no size, shape or device. This page covers the face, seal security, renewal and the open questions.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against Mich. Admin. Code R 339.16032(1) and the State Board of Professional Engineers. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name on the seal | As printed on your state-issued PE license. | Mich. Admin. Code R 339.16032(1) |
| License number | The complete number, which runs to ten digits in Michigan. | Mich. Admin. Code R 339.16032(1) |
| Legend | State of Michigan and Licensed Professional Engineer, both placed in the legend that surrounds the seal. | Mich. Admin. Code R 339.16032(1) |
| Design standard | Substantially equivalent to figure 32, which is printed in the rule. | Mich. Admin. Code R 339.16032(1) |
| Dimensions | No diameter or outline appears in the rules read. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Stamp or embosser | Not verified. The engineer rules say nothing about device type. | Mich. Admin. Code R 339.16001 to R 339.16044 (silent) |
| Electronic sealing | Not verified. The statute section on this point was not retrieved. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2008 |
| Signing, dating and sealed documents | Not verified. The statute sections on these points were not retrieved. | Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 339.2007, 339.2008 |
| Use and security | Only the licensee named on the seal uses it, and only while the license is in effect. That licensee keeps it secure. | Mich. Admin. Code R 339.16032(2) |
| Renewal cycle | Every two years, with continuing education done in the two years before expiration, and a sixty-day late window carrying a twenty dollar fee. | Mich. Admin. Code R 339.16025, R 339.16040 |
Michigan is one row in our professional engineer seal requirements by state table, which sets each jurisdiction's rule side by side.
What must a Michigan PE seal show?
Your name and full license number as they appear on your state-issued professional engineer license, with State of Michigan and Licensed Professional Engineer in the legend around the seal. The overall design must be substantially equivalent to figure 32.
- Name: copied from the license, not from a business card or email signature.
- License number: all ten digits. A shortened form is not the full number the rule asks for.
- Legend: both phrases, running in the legend that surrounds the seal.
- Design: modeled on figure 32 in the rule.
Each of these comes from R 339.16032(1), so a seal can be checked against that rule and your license. For a wider summary, see our page on Michigan professional engineer stamp rules.
What does "substantially equivalent to figure 32" mean for your seal?
Michigan sets its design standard by pointing to a figure printed in the rule rather than by listing measurements. Your seal has to be substantially equivalent to figure 32, so that figure, not a generic template, is the model for the layout.
Substantially equivalent is a comparison standard. The practical test is side by side: set a proof next to figure 32 and check that the layout matches it in substance, with both legend phrases in the surrounding legend and your name and number as the license shows them.
Because the standard is a comparison, small details on the face carry weight. We also cover precision in Michigan PE stamp regulations and the Michigan engineering seal in closer detail.
Does Michigan set a size or shape for the PE seal?
No size or shape rule was found. The rules read for this page state neither a diameter nor an outline, and figure 32 serves as the design standard instead. The Michigan PE seal is manufactured at 1-3/4 inches, a production size rather than a legal one.
Treat that 1-3/4 inch figure as what is made for Michigan, not as something a plan reviewer can hold you to. What the rule measures is the content and the resemblance to figure 32.
Can you use a rubber stamp or an embosser in Michigan?
Not verified. The Michigan engineer rules, R 339.16001 through R 339.16044, are silent on device type, and no device rule was confirmed elsewhere for this page. The rules describe what the seal shows, not how it is applied.
With the rules focused on content and design, the practical choice comes down to how your documents are delivered and reproduced. An inked impression shows on copies and scans, while a raised impression alone shows much less. Our notes on Michigan PE stamp guidelines cover everyday use.
Does Michigan accept electronic seals?
Not verified. The provision cited for this point is Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2008, and its text was not retrieved for this page, so we make no claim either way about electronic sealing for Michigan engineers.
The administrative rules do not settle it either. Until that statute text is confirmed, this page treats electronic sealing in Michigan as an open question rather than filling the gap with another state's rule.
How do signing, dating and sealed documents work in Michigan?
Not verified. Signature, date and the list of documents that need a seal are tied to Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 339.2007 and 339.2008, and the text of those sections was not retrieved, so this page states no rule on them.
What the administrative rule does settle is who applies the seal: only the licensee named on it. That point is covered in the next section.
Who may use a Michigan PE seal, and who keeps it secure?
Only the licensee named on the seal, and only while that license remains in effect. The same rule makes that licensee responsible for keeping the seal secure, so control of the seal is a personal duty.
In practice, that rules out handing your seal to a drafter or a colleague to apply on your behalf, and it makes storage your responsibility. Keep the stamp where only you can reach it. For more on day-to-day handling, see using the Michigan professional engineer stamp in practice.
What happens to the seal when a Michigan license lapses?
Seal use ends when the license stops being in effect. Renewal comes every two years, continuing education has to be finished within the two years immediately before expiration, and a sixty-day window after expiration allows renewal without relicensure for a twenty dollar late fee.
The late window is for renewing, not for sealing. Because the rule ties use to a license in effect and use after a lapse is prohibited, hold off on sealing from the expiration date until the renewal goes through.
What should you supply when ordering a Michigan PE seal?
Your name and your full ten-digit license number, exactly as your state-issued license shows them. The two legend phrases and the figure 32 design are set by rule, and the Michigan PE seal is manufactured at 1-3/4 inches.
- Name: as printed on the license.
- License number: all ten digits.
- Device: your choice of format. The engineer rules are silent on device type.
How do you check a Michigan seal impression before first use?
Compare the impression with your license and with figure 32. The name must match the license, the number must show all ten digits, both legend phrases must appear in the surrounding legend, and the layout should track figure 32.
Count the digits on the proof one by one rather than reading the number at a glance, since a dropped digit is easy to overlook.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1-3/4 inches the legal size for a Michigan PE seal?
No. It is the size manufactured for Michigan. The rules read for this page give no size, and the design test is figure 32.
Can a staff member apply my seal for me?
No. The rule reserves use of the seal to the licensee named on it, and it makes you responsible for the seal's security.
Should my seal include my middle name?
Use the name exactly as your state-issued license prints it. If the license shows a middle name or initial, the seal should match that form.
Does continuing education affect my use of the seal?
Indirectly. Continuing education completed in the two years before expiration is part of renewal, and seal use depends on a license in effect.
Which board oversees Michigan PE seals?
The State Board of Professional Engineers is the regulator named for Michigan professional engineers.
Why does this page leave some Michigan questions open?
Signing, dating, sealed documents and electronic seals trace to Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 339.2007 and 339.2008, whose text was not retrieved. We state those as unverified rather than borrow another state's answer.
When your license details are in hand, order from our Michigan stamps and seals collection.
