A Missouri architect seals final work with a circular device one and three-quarters inches in diameter. The face carries two concentric circles, the words State of Missouri and Architect, your name as licensed, and your license number prefixed with a capital A. An embossing seal, a rubber stamp and a computer-generated image are all allowed. This page sets out each rule and the provision behind it.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) and the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors, and Professional Landscape Architects. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes, and the duty reaches everything final. | § 327.411.1,.3,.4, RSMo |
| Concentric circles | The design is built on two concentric circles. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) |
| State legend | The words State of Missouri appear on the seal. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) |
| Profession legend | One word: Architect. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) |
| Name | Your name as licensed. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) |
| License number | The number is preceded by the capital letter A for an architect. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) |
| Size and shape | A circle one and three-quarters inches across, stated as a single figure. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) |
| Device type | Embossing seal, rubber stamp or computer-generated image, each identical in size, design and content to the prescribed seal. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060 |
| Signature and date | Three forms of signature are accepted, and the date is tied to the sealing event. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(3) |
| Digital signature | No technology and no cryptographic standard is named. The rule sets functional criteria instead. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(3) |
Missouri is one row in our architect seal requirements by state table, which sets each jurisdiction's rule side by side. The seal assumes you already hold the Missouri license; how to become a licensed architect covers the degree, AXP and ARE routes.
Does Missouri require an architect seal?
Yes. The duty sits in statute at section 327.411, RSMo, and it reaches everything final. The board rule then prescribes what the device looks like, so the statute and the rule have to be read together before a device is ordered.
The design rule is 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) and the signature and date mechanics are in subsection (3). Our page on Missouri architect seal guidelines works through the same provisions.
What has to appear on the face of the seal?
Five things, all named in 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1): two concentric circles, the words State of Missouri, the word Architect, your name as licensed, and your license number preceded by a capital A.
The profession legend is one word. Missouri asks for Architect, and the letter A belongs to the number rather than sitting somewhere else on the design. Devices ordered from a generic architect template tend to carry a longer legend and leave the letter off, and both of those depart from the rule.
How big is a Missouri architect seal?
One and three-quarters inches in diameter, in a circle. Under 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) every licensee secures a seal at that dimension, stated as a single figure rather than a floor, a ceiling or a range.
Because it is a single stated figure, the sensible approach is to order the device at 1-3/4 inches and leave it there. Scaling artwork up for a bolder impression, or down to fit a crowded title block, moves the device away from the stated dimension.
Which devices may a Missouri architect use?
Three, and the rule names each one: an embossing seal, an inked rubber stamp, or a computer-generated image. 20 CSR 2030-3.060 asks all three to be identical in size, design and content to the seal described in section (1).
An inked rubber stamp handles the paper case directly, and because the computer-generated version has to match it anyway, cutting one die and deriving the on-screen image from the same artwork keeps the two in step. An embosser alone leaves a blind impression that copies poorly. See our overview of Missouri architect stamps for format comparisons.
How does Missouri handle the signature and the date?
20 CSR 2030-3.060(3) accepts three forms of signature and ties the date to the sealing event, so the date recorded on a document is the date the sealing happened rather than a date carried over from an earlier draft.
That pairing matters for how a device is laid out. The seal itself carries fixed text only, so the signature and the date are applied to the sheet beside it and never engraved into the die.
What does the rule ask of a digital signature?
Function rather than format. 20 CSR 2030-3.060(3) names no technology and no cryptographic standard. It sets three working criteria instead, and a digital signature satisfies the rule by meeting all three of them.
The signature has to be unique to the person using it and under that person's sole control. It has to be capable of verification. And it has to be linked to the document so that altering any data on the document invalidates the signature.
A computer-generated image of the seal is a separate question from the signature. The image still has to match the physical seal in size, design and content, so the two requirements stack rather than replace one another.
Which documents have to be sealed?
Everything final, under section 327.411.1, .3 and .4, RSMo. The statute draws the line at finality rather than at document type, which is why the seal appears on completed work regardless of what it is called on the cover.
What happens to the seal when a license lapses?
Not addressed. The cited authorities, section 327.411, RSMo, and 20 CSR 2030-3, say nothing about what becomes of the device after a license ends by lapse, revocation or surrender, and neither calls for it to be destroyed or handed in.
That silence is worth stating plainly rather than filling in. The rules we read describe the design, the size, the permitted devices and the signature mechanics, and they stop before the question of what happens afterward.
What should I have ready when ordering?
Your name exactly as licensed and your license number. The A prefix, the two legends, the concentric circles and the 1-3/4 inch dimension are fixed by rule, so those two details are the only variables on the order.
Check the number against the license itself, and confirm the spelling of your name character by character. Our piece on how architect stamps work in Missouri covers what to expect through the order.
How do I check an impression before it goes out?
Take one impression on plain paper and read it against 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1): two circles, State of Missouri, Architect, your name, and the number with its A. Then measure the outer circle and confirm it reads 1-3/4 inches.
If you also use a computer-generated image, place a printed copy of it over the inked impression and compare them line for line. The rule asks for identical size, design and content, and an image built separately rarely lands there by accident.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1-3/4 inches a minimum or a fixed dimension?
It is the dimension the rule states, given once, with no tolerance and no separate figure for the inner circle. A device cut at another size does not match 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1).
Should the legend read Registered Architect or Licensed Architect?
Neither. The rule names the single word Architect for this credential, which makes the Missouri legend shorter than the wording used on many out of state devices.
Where does the A go?
Directly in front of the license number. The rule treats the capital A as part of how the number is written for an architect, so the inner content reads as the letter followed by your digits rather than digits alone.
Does a computer-generated image have to match the physical seal?
Yes. 20 CSR 2030-3.060 requires the image to be identical in size, design and content to the seal described in section (1), which is why deriving it from the same artwork saves trouble later.
Does the rule name a cryptographic standard for digital signatures?
No. 20 CSR 2030-3.060(3) sets functional criteria only: sole control by the signer, capability of verification, and a link to the document that invalidates the signature if any data changes.
Does a lapsed license mean the seal must be destroyed?
The cited authorities say nothing about it. Section 327.411, RSMo, and 20 CSR 2030-3 impose no destruction and no return requirement on a device once the license behind it ends.
Once your name and number are confirmed, order a 1-3/4 inch device from our Missouri stamps and seals collection.
