A Mississippi architect seal is a circle exactly 1 1/2 inches in diameter that carries the legend Registered Architect State of Mississippi along with your name and registration number. Your signature and the date you execute the document are placed over the stamp. The rule names two devices: an official seal and a rubber stamp. This page covers wording, size, signing, sealed documents, electronic signatures and license status.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 201, R. 3.4. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Your identity | The seal shows your name and your registration number. | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 201, R. 3.4 |
| Legend | Registered Architect State of Mississippi, set as one legend. | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 201, R. 3.4 |
| Size and shape | Round, with one fixed diameter of 1 1/2 inches. | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 201, R. 3.4 |
| Devices | Two are named: a rubber stamp, or an official seal. | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 201, R. 3.4, 3.2.4 |
| Signature placement | Written over the stamp impression. | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 201, R. 3.2.4 |
| Date | The date of execution, also placed over the stamp. | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 201, R. 3.2.4 |
| Documents | Drawings, specifications and contract documents you prepared or that were prepared under your responsible control. Identifying them is the stated purpose of the stamp. | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 201, R. 3.2.4, 3.4 |
| Electronic or digital signature | Allowed for architects. | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 201, R. 3.2.4 |
| Electronic seal image | The rule is silent; it does not mention one. | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 201, R. 3.2.4 |
| License status | An active license depends on having the seal. Use of the seal after a lapse is not addressed. | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 201, R. 3.4 |
Licensed in more than one place? Check each jurisdiction in architect seal requirements by state. Still working toward the license? The architect licensing path by state sets out what Mississippi asks for first.
Which Mississippi documents carry the architect's stamp?
Drawings, specifications and contract documents that you prepared, or that were prepared under your responsible control. Rule 3.2.4 describes identifying those documents as the reason an architect has a stamp in the first place.
Responsible control is the test for work drawn by others in your office. If a set was produced under your control, it is yours to stamp; if it was not, your stamp does not belong on it. For more on the law behind the stamp, read our article on Mississippi architect stamp laws.
What wording goes on a Mississippi architect seal?
Three items: the legend Registered Architect State of Mississippi, your name, and your registration number. Those are the items rule 3.4 lists for the face, so the content of the die is settled before you start.
Note the word registered. Mississippi's rule uses it in the legend, so a die lettered licensed architect does not match. Our post on why Mississippi architect stamps matter explains what the stamp tells a reader of your drawings.
Where do the signature and date go?
On top of the stamp. Rule 3.2.4 places both your signature and the date of execution over the impression, so the three marks form one block rather than sitting side by side on the sheet.
That affects how you lay out a title block. Leave clear space around the stamp so the signature can cross it, and keep the impression light enough that your name, number and legend stay readable underneath the ink. The date is the day you execute the document, not the day the drawing was started.
How large is the seal?
Exactly 1 1/2 inches in diameter, and circular. Rule 3.4 gives one size rather than a range, so there is no choosing between diameters for a Mississippi architect seal.
With the diameter fixed, the lettering is what adjusts when a name runs long, not the circle. Our guide to Mississippi architect stamp sizing covers fitting a name inside that circle.
Which devices may apply the seal?
Rule 3.4, read with rule 3.2.4, names two devices: an official seal and a rubber stamp. Both are named, so the choice between them is yours.
Think about the sign-over requirement when you choose. Your signature and date have to go over whichever impression you make, so pick the device whose mark lets that writing sit on it clearly on the paper you issue.
Can a Mississippi architect sign or seal electronically?
Signing, yes. Rule 3.2.4 allows an architect to use an electronic or digital signature. The same rule is silent on an electronic seal image; it neither permits nor bars one in the text cited here.
So the electronic permission reaches the signature only. The cited rule does not speak to a PDF workflow that places an image of the seal, which means the permission you can point to covers the signature alone.
How is the seal tied to your license?
Under rule 3.4, an active license depends on having the seal. Tying the stamp to license status in this way is unusual, so treat the seal as part of getting licensed rather than a purchase for later.
The cited rules do not address using the seal after a license lapses, so this page states no rule on that point and does not borrow one from elsewhere. See our overview of Mississippi architect stamps for a new practice for getting set up.
What should you have ready before ordering?
Your name as registered, your registration number, and your choice between an official seal and a rubber stamp. The size and the legend are fixed by rule, so neither needs a decision.
Check the number against your registration paperwork rather than an old business card. If you want both devices, order them together so the lettering matches. Our gallery of Mississippi architect stamp designs shows finished examples.
How do you check the first impression?
Measure it: the circle should be 1 1/2 inches across. Then read the legend Registered Architect State of Mississippi, your name and your registration number letter by letter against your registration.
Finish by signing and dating over a test impression, exactly as you will on a drawing. If the signature hides the number or the legend, adjust the ink or the pen before the stamp goes on a real sheet.
For the geologist side of practice in Mississippi, read what a Mississippi geologist seal requires.
Frequently asked questions
Can my Mississippi seal be 1 3/4 or 2 inches?
No. Rule 3.4 sets a single diameter of 1 1/2 inches for the architect seal, with no range above or below it.
May I sign next to the stamp instead of across it?
The rule puts both your signature and the execution date on top of the stamp. Signing beside it does not follow that placement.
Can I drop a seal image into a PDF and sign it digitally?
The digital signature is allowed. The seal image is a question the rule does not answer, because rule 3.2.4 says nothing about electronic seal images.
Do I need the seal before my license counts as active?
Rule 3.4 ties an active license to having the seal. Order it when your registration comes through rather than waiting for a first project.
Does the seal carry my firm name?
The rule lists your name, registration number and the state legend for the face. A firm name is not one of the listed items.
Order a rule-matched 1 1/2 inch seal or stamp from our Mississippi stamps and seals collection, and include your name and registration number exactly as registered.
