An Illinois professional land surveyor seal must show the name you are licensed under, your license number, the place of business where you practice and the legend Professional Land Surveyor, State of Illinois. Your written signature, the signing date and your license expiration date belong next to the impression. No diameter or shape is set. This page covers wording, devices, signing, electronic use and ordering.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) and the Land Surveyors Licensing Board. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The surveyor's name, matching the license | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) |
| Place of business | Carried inside the impression | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) |
| License number | Carried inside the impression | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) |
| Legend | Professional Land Surveyor, State of Illinois, written in full | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) |
| Diameter and shape | Neither is given; the section sets content, not dimensions | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58 (silent) |
| Device | A seal or facsimile that can be reproduced, and a computer generated version counts | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) |
| Entries beside the seal | Written signature, then signing date, then license expiration date, all placed next to the impression | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) |
| Documents to seal | Every document you prepare yourself or that is prepared under your direct supervision and control | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a), (b) |
| Electronic sealing | Allowed, with no specific technology named | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) |
| License term | Runs to November 30 in even-numbered years, with renewal open in the month before that date; sealing after a lapse is not addressed | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.50(a), 1270.58(a) |
Licensed in more than one place? Check each jurisdiction in land surveyor seal requirements by state. Before any of this applies you need the Illinois license itself; how to become a licensed land surveyor covers the routes, the FS and PS exams and any state exam.
What must the Illinois land surveyor seal contain?
Four items, all listed in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a). The impression carries the name on your license, the license number, the place of business where you practice and the fixed legend Professional Land Surveyor, State of Illinois. The rule lists no other element.
Give the name exactly as your license shows it. The legend is spelled out in the rule, so the die should repeat it word for word, including the comma before State of Illinois. Our guide to Illinois land surveyor stamp and seal rules walks through each line in turn.
Why does an Illinois surveyor seal show a place of business?
Because 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) names your place of business as one of the four required items, next to the name, number and legend. The seal therefore identifies where you practice as well as who you are.
That matters when you relocate. A face showing a former place of business no longer carries the current one, which is the item the rule asks for, so budget for a new seal alongside new letterhead. When you order, write the place of business exactly as you want it to read on plats.
What goes beside the seal when you sign?
Three entries sit next to the impression, in a fixed sequence after the seal itself: your written signature, the date of signing and the date your license expires. The rule requires all three to be adjacent to the seal.
The signing date changes with every document, while the expiration date changes only when a new license term begins. Because both are placed beside the seal rather than listed among its contents, neither has to be cut into the die. Our post on day-to-day use of Illinois land surveyor stamps covers the signing routine.
Which devices meet the Illinois rule?
Illinois asks for a reproducible seal or facsimile, and it allows that facsimile to be computer generated. The rule does not name device types such as stamps or embossers; the standard it sets is that the seal can be reproduced.
In practice, choose a device whose mark survives copying and scanning. An inked stamp leaves a visible mark on paper, and a digital image of the same face covers the computer generated option for electronic files. Our post on Illinois land surveyor seal specifications compares the formats.
Does Illinois set a seal size or shape?
No. Section 1270.58 governs what the impression says and gives no diameter, and the Act gives none either. The review behind this page covered 225 ILCS 330/15 and every section of Part 1270, including the renewal provisions at 1270.50, without finding a dimension or a shape.
That leaves the size to you. Choose one large enough that all four items read clearly at plat scale, keeping in mind that the place of business adds text beyond the name, number and legend.
Which Illinois documents need the seal?
All documents you prepare, and all documents prepared under your direct supervision and control. The duty sits in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a), (b) and turns on who controlled the work rather than on a list of document types.
So the test for any plat, drawing or report is simple: was it yours, or done under your control? If so, it carries the seal, with your signature and both dates beside it.
Can an Illinois surveyor seal electronically?
Yes. Electronic sealing is permitted, and the rule does not name any particular technology or software for it. The facsimile allowed under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) may be computer generated, which is what supports a digital seal image.
The content rules do not change on screen. The impression still carries the four items, and the signature and both dates still sit beside it. Keep the digital face identical to your physical one so the two never disagree.
How does the Illinois license cycle affect sealing?
Illinois professional land surveyor licenses run to November 30 in even-numbered years, and each one may be renewed during the month that precedes that date, under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.50(a). The expiration date you write beside the seal tracks that cycle.
The cited rules do not address sealing after a license lapses, so this page states no rule on it. What the cycle does settle is the date entry: after each renewal, the expiration date beside your seal moves to the new term.
What should you have ready when ordering an Illinois seal?
Three pieces of information: your name exactly as licensed, your license number and your place of business written the way it should appear. The legend is fixed by the rule, so there is nothing to choose there.
You also pick the device and the size, since Illinois leaves the diameter open. Our post on laying out an Illinois land surveyor stamp and seal shows how the lines can be arranged.
How do you check a new Illinois impression before use?
Stamp a blank sheet and read it against the rule: name as licensed, place of business, license number and the full legend ending in State of Illinois. Then copy or scan that sheet to confirm the mark reproduces, since reproducibility is the stated standard.
Leave clear space beside the test impression for your signature and the two dates, and confirm they fit without crowding. Our post on the Illinois professional land surveyor stamp has more on the device itself.
Frequently asked questions
Can the legend be shortened to PLS?
The rule gives the legend in full as Professional Land Surveyor, State of Illinois, and an abbreviation is not part of that wording. Ordering the full legend matches the text.
Should the license expiration date be part of the die?
The rule places the expiration date next to the seal, together with your signature and signing date, and does not list it among the items inside the impression. Writing it beside the seal follows the text.
Is an embosser acceptable in Illinois?
The rule does not name embossers or any other device type. Its standard is a reproducible seal or facsimile, so any device you use has to leave a mark that reproduces.
Whose name goes on the seal if I practice under a business name?
The rule calls for the land surveyor's name as licensed, so the seal carries your own licensed name. The only business item it lists is your place of business.
Does Illinois require a particular signing software for electronic seals?
No technology is named. Electronic sealing is permitted under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.58(a) without a stated product or standard.
With your licensed name, license number and place of business in hand, choose a device from our Illinois land surveyor stamps and seals and check the proof line by line before production.
