A South Carolina geologist's seal must show the legend Registered Professional Geologist along with the name you are registered under and your registration number. The device may be a rubber stamp or an embosser, and the regulation states no size. Where sealing is required, your signature and the date go on with it. This page covers when and where to seal, electronic sealing, ordering and the gaps.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A). Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name | In the form used on your registration. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A) |
| Registration number | On the seal face. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A) |
| Legend | Registered Professional Geologist, word for word. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A) |
| Size and shape | No diameter appears, and no shape is stated. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11 (no diameter given) |
| Devices | Rubber stamp or embosser. Electronic sealing and signing are covered in a separate subsection. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A), (E) |
| Signature and date | Always applied together with the seal. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(B), (C) |
| When sealing applies | When a statute, another authority or a contract calls for it, on documents bearing on public welfare or on protecting life, health, property and the environment. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(C), (D) |
| Where the seal goes | The cover page of bound reports and other bound geologic documents; every sheet of unbound drawings, cross sections and maps. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(C), (D) |
| Electronic seal | May replace the original seal and signature once nine criteria and the rest of the regulation are satisfied. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(E) |
| Use after a lapse | No separate lapse provision. The subsection relies on the word valid. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(C) |
What must a South Carolina geologist seal show?
Three elements under S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A). The fixed one is the legend Registered Professional Geologist. The other two are yours: the name you are registered under and your registration number. That is the full list the regulation gives for the face.
The legend is fixed wording, so order it spelled out in full rather than abbreviated. Our article on the South Carolina geologist stamp looks at each element more closely.
When does a geologist have to apply the seal?
When a statute, another authority or a contract requires sealing. The regulation does not start the duty on its own; it attaches the seal, signature and date once some outside requirement calls for them, on documents that bear on public welfare.
That public-interest test is broad. S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(C), (D) covers documents relevant to public welfare or to protecting life, health, property and the environment. Check each deliverable against that test once a statute, agency or contract has asked for a seal.
Which pages carry the seal?
It depends on binding. A report or other geologic document bound in book form takes the seal, signature and date on its cover page. Unbound geologic drawings, cross sections and maps take them on each sheet.
The duty reaches work prepared by you or under your responsible charge or direct supervision. If a map set leaves the office loose, every sheet needs its own impression, so budget time for that before a submission deadline.
Is there a required size or shape?
No. S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11 (no diameter given) states no size, and no shape is stated either. Any diameter quoted for a South Carolina geologist seal is a production choice, not a figure taken from the regulation.
Pick a size that keeps the three elements readable at the scale you print maps and cross sections. A seal that fits neatly in your title block is easier to apply the same way on every unbound sheet.
Should you choose an embosser or a rubber stamp?
Either is lawful. S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A), (E) names two physical devices, a rubber stamp and an embosser, in its operative sentence and permits both. Electronic sealing is handled in a separate subsection.
For the physical device, think about copies. Unbound maps and cross sections are often reproduced, and an inked impression carries onto a copy where a raised one without ink may not. Our piece on using the South Carolina geologist seal compares the options.
How do the signature and date relate to the seal?
They go on together. S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(B), (C) treats the seal, signature and date as one set, so an impression without your signature and the date does not complete a sealed page.
Apply all three at the same sitting. On an unbound map set, that means signing and dating each sheet you seal, not only the first one.
Can a South Carolina geologist seal electronically?
Yes. S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(E) allows an electronic seal and signature in place of the originals, but only when its criteria and every other requirement of the regulation are met.
The subsection sets nine criteria. Taken together they deal with whether the seal can be verified, who controls it, how it is tied to the file, and conformity with state law. This page does not restate the nine one by one, so read the subsection itself before you choose software or change your filing routine.
What happens to the seal if your registration lapses?
The regulation has no separate lapse provision. Its answer rests on one word in S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(C): the seal it describes is a valid seal.
Beyond that word, the regulation does not address what happens after a lapse. Treat the seal as usable only while it is valid, and keep it out of reach of anyone else in the office.
What should you supply when ordering?
Your name as registered and your registration number, plus the device you want and a size. The legend Registered Professional Geologist is fixed by the regulation, so it goes on every South Carolina geologist seal unchanged.
If you seal both paper sets and files, decide at the start whether you also need an electronic workflow, since that route has its own criteria under subsection (E).
How do you check the impression before using it?
Stamp a blank sheet and read it against the regulation: the legend Registered Professional Geologist spelled out, your registration number, and the name you are registered under. Then copy or scan the sheet and look again.
Sign and date the test sheet the way you will on a real map. If the combination crowds your title block, adjust the size before the device goes into daily use.
Every other jurisdiction is compared in our geologist seal rules for all 54 U.S. jurisdictions, with the citation for each.
Frequently asked questions
Can the legend read Licensed Professional Geologist or P.G.?
The regulation names the legend as Registered Professional Geologist. Order those three words as written rather than a different title or an abbreviation.
Does the seal have to say South Carolina?
The regulation lists three elements: name, registration number and legend. The state name is not one of them.
Do drawings bound into a report need a seal on each sheet?
The each-sheet rule applies to unbound drawings, cross sections and maps. A document bound in book form takes the seal, signature and date on its cover page.
Does an electronic seal replace my handwritten signature as well?
Yes, when the conditions are met. S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(E) lets an electronic seal and signature stand in for the original seal and signature together.
Is an electronic seal mandatory?
No. Subsection (E) permits electronic sealing in place of the originals; it does not require it. The embosser and the rubber stamp named in subsection (A) remain available.
Once your name and registration number are confirmed, choose an embosser, a rubber stamp or both from our South Carolina geologist seals and stamps, and check the legend on the proof before you approve it.
