Of the 54 U.S. jurisdictions, 30 license or certify geologists and specify a seal: 25 require the geologist to obtain and use one, North Carolina's Board issues it, and Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota and Virginia make it optional. Maine licenses geologists but asks only for a signature, Alaska certifies them with no seal, and Puerto Rico's seal specification is unverified. The other 21 neither license geologists nor prescribe a seal. This page gives each jurisdiction's rule and citation, then compares wording, sizes, devices and electronic seals.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against the statute or board rule cited in each row. Sources read September 2026.
| Jurisdiction | Seal status | What the rule sets | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Required | The Board furnishes a circular design at least 1 5/8 inches wide; a matching rubber stamp may be used. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 364-X-11-.02 |
| Alaska | No seal; certification only | Geologists are certified, and no seal is set for that certification. | Alaska Stat. § 08.02.060 (silent) |
| Arizona | Required | An ink seal 1 1/2 inches wide shows name, number, title, “date signed” and Arizona U.S.A. | A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) |
| Arkansas | Required | The seal shows your registered name, the state and Registered Professional Geologist or a certified title. | Ark. Code Ann. § 17-32-310 |
| California | Required | A seal of at least 1 1/2 inches shows title, State of California, name and number. | Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 3008(a) |
| Colorado | No license; no seal | Colorado has no geologist license, so no seal is prescribed. | Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations, occupational professions list |
| Connecticut | No license; no seal | Connecticut offers no geologist credential and no geologist seal. | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, License, Permit and Registration Forms listing |
| Delaware | Required | A seal of at least 1 1/2 inches shows name, number, state and title; electronic use is limited. | 24 DE Admin. Code 3600, s. 3.1 |
| District of Columbia | No license; no seal | No District board regulates geology, and no geologist seal exists. | DLCP occupational and professional license categories |
| Florida | Required | The seal follows the rule's printed form, with name and number, at least 1 5/8 inches. | Fla. Admin. Code r. 61G16-2.001(1) |
| Georgia | Required | Name and Registered Professional Geologist follow the Board sample, which also sets the size. | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 265-4-.07 |
| Guam | No license; no seal | Guam neither licenses geologists nor sets a geologist seal. | 22 GCA ch. 32 |
| Hawaii | No license; no seal | Hawaii has no geologist credential; its seal rule covers four other professions. | Haw. Admin. R. § 16-115-8(a)(1) (applies to the four licensed professions) |
| Idaho | Required | The Appendix A design uses a 1 1/2 inch outer ring and a 1 inch inner ring. | IDAPA 24.04.01.200.02 and Appendix A |
| Illinois | Required | A 1 3/4 inch seal shows the title, ILLINOIS, and your name and number inside. | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1252.APPENDIX A(a) |
| Indiana | Optional to buy; use rules apply | A seal of 1 5/8 to 1 7/8 inches carries name, number and title and is embossed or stamped only. | 305 IAC 1-4-1(a), (b) |
| Iowa | No license; no seal | Iowa has no geologist license and no geologist seal. | Iowa Admin. Code, agency 481 chapter list |
| Kansas | Required | Circles of 1 5/8 and 1 1/16 inches hold name, number, LICENSED, KANSAS and title. | Kan. Admin. Regs. 66-6-1 |
| Kentucky | Optional | The seal shows name, registration number and Registered Professional Geologist; no size or device is stated. | Ky. Rev. Stat. § 322A.070 |
| Louisiana | Required | The Board supplies the approved design at licensure; the rule sets no size. | LAC 46:LXII § 1501 |
| Maine | No seal; signature required | Licensed geologists sign their geologic documents instead of sealing them. | 32 M.R.S. § 4918 |
| Maryland | No license; no seal | Maryland has no geologist license and no geologist seal. | Maryland Department of Labor licensing boards list |
| Massachusetts | No license; no seal | The Commonwealth has no geologist license and no geologist seal. | Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure, boards of registration listing |
| Michigan | No license; no seal | 1980 Act 299 has no geology article, and there is no geologist seal. | Mich. Comp. Laws, 1980 Act 299 (no geology article) |
| Minnesota | Optional; certification block required | The seal is optional, but a signed, dated certification block with your number is not. | Minn. Stat. § 326.12, subds. 2 and 3 |
| Mississippi | Required | The Board adopts the seal; each sheet is sealed, signed and dated. | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 1101, R. 1.15 |
| Missouri | Required | A 1 3/4 inch seal shows STATE OF MISSOURI, REGISTERED GEOLOGIST, name and RG number. | 20 CSR 2145-2.100(1) |
| Montana | No license; no seal | Montana has no geologist board, license or seal. | Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division, licensing boards listing |
| Nebraska | Required | The seal shows State of Nebraska, name, number and Licensed Professional Geologist; the statute sets no size. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3529 |
| Nevada | No license; no seal | Nevada has no geologist credential; its seal designs cover engineers and land surveyors. | Nev. Admin. Code § 625.610(2) (applies to engineers and land surveyors) |
| New Hampshire | Required | Circles of 1 5/8 and 1 1/4 inches frame a hammer and compass, name, number and legends. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Geo 307.03(b) |
| New Jersey | No license; no seal | New Jersey has no geologist license and no geologist seal. | New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Professional and Occupational Boards and Committees listing |
| New Mexico | No license; no seal | New Mexico has no geologist license, so no geologist seal is set. | NMAC Title 16, chapter list |
| New York | Required | A seal of about 1 3/4 inches puts your name and number around the state's Great Seal. | 8 NYCRR § 68.13 |
| North Carolina | Required; Board issues it | The Board issues the seal, showing your name, Licensed Geologist and State of North Carolina. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 89E-13 |
| North Dakota | No license; no seal | North Dakota has no geologist license and no geologist seal. | NDCC title 43 chapter list |
| Ohio | No license; no seal | No Ohio board regulates geologists, and no geologist seal exists. | Ohio Rev. Code ch. 4733 |
| Oklahoma | No license; no seal | Oklahoma has no geologist license and sets no geologist seal. | Okla. Stat. title 59 act list |
| Oregon | Required | The Exhibit 1 design is at least 1.5 inches, signed across, with an Expires date below. | Or. Admin. R. 809-050-0000(1) |
| Pennsylvania | Required | A 1 3/4 inch seal (1 1/2 inch pocket) shows title, name, number and the Commonwealth. | 49 Pa. Code § 37.58(b) |
| Puerto Rico | Licensed; not verified | Geologists are licensed, but no published seal specification was found. | Departamento de Estado, Junta Examinadora de Geólogos page |
| Rhode Island | No license; no seal | Rhode Island licenses no geologists and sets no geologist seal. | R.I. Gen. Laws title 5 chapter list |
| South Carolina | Required to hold; used where sealing is required | The seal shows name, registration number and Registered Professional Geologist, with no set size. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A) |
| South Dakota | No license; no seal | South Dakota has no geologist credential; its seal titles cover four other professions. | SDCL 36-18A-44 (applies to the four licensed design professions) |
| Tennessee | Required | The seal shows name, title and state in the department's authorized design; no size or device is named. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 |
| Texas | Required | The seal shows name, number, Licensed Professional Geoscientist and discipline, at 1 5/8 or 2 inches. | Tex. Occ. Code § 1002.263(a) |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | No license; no seal | The territory licenses no geologists and sets no geologist seal. | Virgin Islands Code title 27 chapter list |
| Utah | Required | A circular seal of at least 1 1/2 inches shows name, number, State of Utah and title. | Utah Admin. Code R156-76-601(1)(b) |
| Vermont | No license; no seal | Vermont licenses no geologists and sets no geologist seal. | Vermont Office of Professional Regulation professions list |
| Virginia | Optional; signed when used | A two inch seal in the illustrated design shows name and four certificate digits, and every imprint is signed. | 18VAC145-40-60 |
| Washington | Required | The seal shows name, number, State of Washington Licensed Geologist and any specialty, in an authorized design. | Wash. Admin. Code 308-15-070 |
| West Virginia | No license; no seal | West Virginia has no geologist license and no geologist seal. | W. Va. Code ch. 30 article list |
| Wisconsin | Required | A seal of 1 5/8 to 2 inches shows name, license or permit number and city. | Wis. Admin. Code § GHSS 1.03(1) |
| Wyoming | Required | The seal shows full name, license number and professional geologist; the statute leaves the design to the Board. | Wyo. Stat. § 33-41-115(b) |
Which jurisdictions require a geologist seal, and where is it optional?
Twenty-five jurisdictions require the geologist to obtain and use a seal, and the North Carolina Board for Licensing of Geologists issues its own. Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota and Virginia specify a seal but leave it optional.
The 25 are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. South Carolina's Regulation 131-11(A) makes every registrant hold an embosser or rubber stamp seal, and 131-11(C) puts it to use where a statute, other authority or contract calls for sealing.
The optional four. Kentucky's § 322A.070(2) lets a registrant get and use a seal but does not compel the purchase. Under 305 IAC 1-4-1(a), an Indiana geologist may buy one from a private vendor, and subsection (d) then limits its use to a current, unsuspended license and the geologist's own or supervised work. Virginia lets you apply a rubber stamp or preprinted seal, and every imprint on a final document must be signed. Minnesota is covered below.
Which jurisdictions have no geologist seal, and who seals geologic work there?
Twenty-one jurisdictions license no geologists and prescribe no geologist seal. In D.C., North Dakota and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the rules hand the sealing duty to another licensed professional.
The 21 are Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont and West Virginia.
Who seals instead. In D.C., a design professional licensed by the District signs and seals commercial plans. A registered professional engineer seals geological content in a regulated North Dakota engineering submittal, and a registered surveyor certifies a drilling permit plat. A licensed engineer seals geological content on a Virgin Islands public filing. Hawaii, Nevada and South Dakota have seal rules, but none for geologists.
How do Maine, Alaska, Minnesota and Puerto Rico differ?
Each regulates geologists without a standard seal duty. Maine asks for a signature, Alaska certifies geologists with no seal, Minnesota makes the seal optional but the certification block mandatory, and Puerto Rico licenses geologists under a seal rule we could not confirm.
Maine. Under 32 M.R.S. § 4918 the licensed geologist signs each geologic plan, specification, report or document that the geologist, or a subordinate under the geologist's direction, prepares. Chapter 73 contains no seal section.
Alaska. The Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing certifies professional geologists, and no Alaska document calls for their seal. The stamp and date duties in AS 08.48.221(a) and 12 AAC 36.185(d) attach to AS 08.48 registrants.
Minnesota. The optional seal shows your name and licensed professional geologist. The required block pairs the prescribed certification sentence with your license number, the signing date, your signature and your name in type or print, and Minn. R. 1800.4200, subp. 1 lets the certification and signature be electronic, facsimile or digital.
Puerto Rico. The Junta Examinadora de Geólogos de Puerto Rico, within the Departamento de Estado, licenses geologists. Any seal elements would sit in a board reglamento or in Ley Núm. 163 de 1996; the law is not published in readable form, and the board page publishes no seal specification.
What does a geologist seal carry?
Usually your name, your license or registration number, a professional title and the state's name. All four appear in Arizona, California, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington.
Titles differ. Registered Professional Geologist appears in Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Licensed Professional Geologist appears in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New York, Tennessee, Utah and Minnesota's optional seal. Missouri uses Registered Geologist, California Professional Geologist, Wyoming professional geologist, North Carolina and Washington Licensed Geologist, and Texas Licensed Professional Geoscientist.
Elements few states use:
- Arizona: Arizona U.S.A. and the words "date signed".
- Indiana: a milled edge or two concentric circles, in the design the rule shows.
- Missouri: RG ahead of your certificate number.
- New Hampshire: a crossed geological hammer and compass, with your number across it.
- New York: the state's Great Seal at the center.
- Oregon: the Exhibit 1 design, plus Expires and your expiration date just below the seal.
- Texas: your geoscience discipline.
- Virginia: only your certificate number's last four digits.
- Washington: your specialty designation, if you have one.
- Wisconsin: your city, listed alongside only your name and license or permit number.
How big does a geologist seal have to be?
Where a rule gives a figure, it falls between 1 1/2 and 2 inches. Virginia sets two inches; Illinois, Missouri and Pennsylvania set 1 3/4 inches; New York says about 1 3/4. Twelve states with a seal rule give no number.
- At least 1 1/2 inches: California, Delaware and Utah, plus Oregon, which measures point to point.
- Fixed near 1 1/2 inches: Arizona, with 1 1/2 inches outside and 1 1/8 inside, each within 1/16 inch; Idaho, with a 1 1/2 inch outer ring and 1 inch inner ring.
- 1 5/8 inches: the minimum in Alabama and Florida, and the outer circle in Kansas (1 1/16 inch inner) and New Hampshire (1 1/4 inch inner).
- Ranges: Indiana 1 5/8 to 1 7/8 inches, Wisconsin 1 5/8 to 2 inches.
- Fixed larger sizes: Illinois and Missouri at 1 3/4 inches, Pennsylvania at 1 3/4 with a 1 1/2 inch pocket option, Virginia at two inches, and Texas at either the commercial 1 5/8 inch pocket or two inch desk size.
- No figure: Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington and Wyoming. Georgia's Board sample fixes its size.
Which devices does each state allow?
Device lists fall into three groups: stamp based, embosser or stamp, and three or more forms including an electronic image. Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska and Tennessee name no device, nor does Wyoming's statute, and North Carolina's seal comes from the Board.
Stamp based. Arizona's rule names an ink seal, so a rubber stamp qualifies but an embosser on its own does not. Wisconsin allows a rubber stamp that matches a board-approved seal, Virginia a rubber stamp or preprinted seal, Illinois a seal or rubber stamp, and Alabama a matching rubber stamp or the Board's electronic seal.
Embosser or stamp. Indiana, New Hampshire, Florida (for paper) and South Carolina name these two, and Georgia's rule describes an impression device.
Three or more. Idaho allows a stamp, a crimp or an electronic image, and California, Kansas, Missouri, New York and Utah allow stamp, embossed and electronic forms. Pennsylvania names four devices with conditions, Texas and Washington accept physical or digital seals, and Oregon permits an electronic seal.
Which states allow an electronic geologist seal?
Fourteen states allow an electronic or digital geologist seal in some form. They are Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington. Indiana's device list leaves no room for one, and Wisconsin bars electronic and scanned seals on public documents.
Detailed conditions. Kansas wants a digital signature unique to you, verifiable, in your sole control and bound to the document so any edit voids it, and Washington's criteria run close to that. South Carolina sets nine criteria, Florida five and Oregon four, and Texas authorizes three routes under 851.156(g)(1).
Light rules. California and Idaho name no technology, Missouri sets no signature criteria, New York names no cryptographic standard, and Delaware regulates when the seal may be used and how it looks.
Silent. Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia address no electronic seal. Louisiana regulates electronic transmission instead: the seal, signature and date must travel in a secure form that keeps them from being produced or changed.
Which boards issue the seal or control its design?
North Carolina is the only jurisdiction where the Board issues the geologist seal. Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee control the design instead: Alabama's Board furnishes it, the Louisiana Board of Professional Geoscientists supplies it at licensure, and the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance authorizes it.
North Carolina. Under G.S. 89E-13, geologists buy the seal from the Board at a price the Board sets, and 21 NCAC 21.0107(a)(9) makes that cost plus $7.50. A seal from any supplier, Engineer Seal Stamps included, is not the Board-issued seal.
Alabama. The rule as amended effective 14 August 2023 lets a licensee use rubber stamps matching the approved seal in size, design and content, or an electronic seal the Board issues rather than one the licensee generates.
How do signature and date rules compare?
Most states with a seal rule pair the seal with your signature, many add the date, and placement differs. Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon and Utah put the signature across the seal, Missouri puts the date under it, and Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia set no date rule.
Date required. Thirteen states want a date: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. Mississippi and Missouri want it on every sheet, and Alabama adds a serial number beside the signature.
Ink and placement. Wisconsin wants signature and date in permanent ink that contrasts with both the seal and the paper. Oregon has you seal first, then sign across by hand in permanent ink. Louisiana and Texas require an unobscured seal.
What if you are licensed in several states?
Plan on a separate seal for each state where you seal documents, because the rules call for different state names, titles and sizes. Kansas wants KANSAS and a 1 5/8 inch outer circle; Missouri wants STATE OF MISSOURI, an RG number and 1 3/4 inches.
A 1 3/4 inch seal meets Illinois and fits Indiana's range, yet each state wants its own face, and a Kansas digital seal has no place in Indiana.
What should you send when ordering a geologist seal?
Send your name exactly as licensed, your number in your state's format, the state, and the size and device your rule allows. Where a board furnishes or authorizes the design, send that design with the order.
- Name and number: the name on your license, certificate or registration; RG before the number for Missouri; the last four certificate digits for Virginia; a license or permit number for Wisconsin.
- Extra lines: city for Wisconsin, geoscience discipline for Texas, specialty for Washington, and "date signed" for Arizona.
- Size and device: the figure in the table; an inked stamp for Arizona; an embosser or rubber stamp for Indiana; a rubber stamp for Wisconsin.
- Design: Alabama's Board-furnished design, Louisiana's approved design, Tennessee's authorized design, Georgia's sample, Idaho's Appendix A, Oregon's Exhibit 1 or Virginia's illustration.
Do not order a North Carolina seal from a supplier; the Board issues it.
Sealing digital files is compared across professions in electronic seals, digital signatures and wet stamps.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sign over my name or number on an Arizona seal?
No. R4-30-304(E) calls for an original signature that leaves your printed name and registration number visible, and Appendix A puts the signature across the lower part of the seal. The date the document was sealed goes with it.
Can an Idaho geologist sign digitally?
Yes. Idaho accepts a handwritten or a digital signature with the seal, and where it goes depends on which kind you use.
Does Illinois want the license expiration date on sealed records?
Yes. The Illinois record carries your full name, signature, license number, license expiration date and the seal impression.
Can a Kentucky geologist keep sealing after a suspension or revocation?
No. KRS 322A.070 treats signing and sealing as alternative ways of committing the act it bars after suspension or revocation, so neither is allowed. It does not require the two together and sets no date rule.
Does a Delaware electronic seal have to match the paper seal?
Yes. Section 3.2 lets an electronic seal and signature replace a stamped or embossed impression and original signature, but the image must look identical in every respect to the specimen.
Once the table confirms your state's wording, size and device, choose your seal or stamp from our geologist seals and stamps collection and send the details listed above with your order.
