A Pennsylvania land surveyor seal is a 1-3/4 inch circle carrying a reference to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the legend Registered Professional Land Surveyor, your registered name and your registration number. A pocket seal may drop to 1-1/2 inches. Digital seals have their own section, 49 Pa. Code § 37.60. This page covers the face, size, signing, sealed documents and the registration cycle.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against 49 Pa. Code § 37.58(b) and the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. Sources read September 2026. Updated 8 November 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Legend | Registered Professional Land Surveyor. | 49 Pa. Code § 37.58(b) |
| Your details | Your name in its registered form, plus your registration number. | 49 Pa. Code § 37.58(b) |
| State reference | The face has to refer to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. | 49 Pa. Code § 37.58(b) |
| Standard diameter | Round, 1-3/4 inches across. | 49 Pa. Code § 37.58(c) |
| Pocket seal | Allowed at a smaller 1-1/2 inch diameter. | 49 Pa. Code § 37.58(c) |
| Devices | Four device types are accepted, and a condition attaches to them. | 49 Pa. Code §§ 37.58(d), 37.59(2) |
| Signing | You may sign across the seal, but one part of the seal is protected. | 49 Pa. Code § 37.59(2), (4), (7) |
| Documents to seal | Final or complete documents given to a client for its records, or sent to a public or governmental agency for final review. | 49 Pa. Code § 37.59(1), (2), (3), (6) |
| Digital seal and signature | Section 37.60 sets matching requirements for both. It was added on December 16, 2022 and took effect the next day, at 52 Pa.B. 7709. | 49 Pa. Code §§ 37.56a, 37.60 |
| Registration cycle | Two-year periods, each ending September 30 of an odd-numbered year. Seal use follows the registration, and sealing after a lapse is barred. | 49 Pa. Code §§ 37.18, 37.19, 37.59(5) |
Licensed in more than one place? Check each jurisdiction in land surveyor seal requirements by state. The route to a Pennsylvania surveying license, from education through the exams, sits in the national table on land surveyor licensing requirements.
What must a Pennsylvania land surveyor seal show?
49 Pa. Code § 37.58(b) lists four required items: the legend Registered Professional Land Surveyor, a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania reference, the name you registered under and your registration number. Every one of them is mandatory.
- Registered Professional Land Surveyor, the legend for your profession
- Your name, in the form on your registration
- Registration number, as assigned to you
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, referenced on the face
The name has to be your name as registered, so copy it from your registration record rather than from a business card. See also our Pennsylvania land surveyor seal guidelines.
Which documents take the seal?
Documents that are final or complete, once either of two things happens: you issue them to a client to keep in its records, or you submit them to a public or governmental agency for final review. The rule is 49 Pa. Code § 37.59(1), (2), (3) and (6).
Both triggers turn on the document being final or complete. A set going to a client to keep, or to an agency for its final look, takes the seal. For a closer look at the device, see our article on reviewing your Pennsylvania land surveyor seal.
Can you sign across the seal?
Yes. Pennsylvania lets you sign over the seal impression, but it shields one part of the seal while you do. The provisions are 49 Pa. Code § 37.59(2), (4) and (7), which set out the signing rules together.
Read those subsections for which part is protected before signing across the seal becomes your habit.
What diameter does Pennsylvania require?
1-3/4 inches, on a round seal. Section 37.58(c) states that single figure rather than a range, and the only exception it allows is the smaller pocket seal described in the next section.
A single stated size makes the order simple: give the maker 1-3/4 inches and nothing else. A seal cut at another size, larger or smaller, does not match the figure the rule sets. For design notes, see our article on Pennsylvania land surveyor stamp design.
Is a smaller pocket seal allowed?
Yes. Section 37.58(c) allows a pocket seal to be reduced to 1-1/2 inches. That is the one smaller size the rule permits, and it applies to the pocket seal specifically, not to the standard seal.
The reduction belongs to the pocket seal alone; the standard seal stays at 1-3/4 inches. If you want a pocket seal, order it as its own device and check it against the same four contents before use.
Which devices does Pennsylvania accept?
Four device types, with a condition attached to their use. Both the list and the condition sit in 49 Pa. Code §§ 37.58(d) and 37.59(2), so read those two provisions together before you settle on a format.
Whatever device you choose, the four contents in § 37.58(b) stay the same. The device changes how the seal reaches the page, not what the seal says.
Does Pennsylvania allow a digital seal?
Yes. Section 37.60 sets requirements for a digital seal and a digital signature that run parallel to each other. The provisions to read are 49 Pa. Code §§ 37.56a and 37.60, which treat the two as a matched pair.
For your order, the practical step is to build the digital image from the same face as your 1-3/4 inch seal, so the four contents read the same on screen and on paper.
How does the registration cycle affect sealing?
Registration runs for two years, and every period ends on the same date: September 30 of an odd-numbered year, under § 37.19(a). The seal duty follows the registration exactly, and using the seal after a lapse is prohibited.
The next end date is September 30, 2027. Renew ahead of it, because a lapse stops sealing on the day registration ends, not at some later point. For the device itself, see our article on the Pennsylvania professional land surveyor stamp.
What should you provide when ordering?
Supply your registered name and registration number. Section 37.58 already fixes the legend, the Commonwealth reference and the 1-3/4 inch diameter, so those two details and the device you pick are all the order needs.
- Name, copied from your registration record
- Registration number
- Standard 1-3/4 inch seal, and a 1-1/2 inch pocket seal if you want one
- Device type, chosen after reading §§ 37.58(d) and 37.59(2)
How do you check an impression before use?
Stamp a test sheet, measure it, and read it against the four contents. The circle should come to 1-3/4 inches, or 1-1/2 inches for a pocket seal, and every item should be present and spelled correctly.
- Diameter 1-3/4 inches, or 1-1/2 inches for the pocket seal
- Registered Professional Land Surveyor in full
- Name matching your registration
- Registration number correct, digit by digit
- A clear reference to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Related reading: our guide to getting a Pennsylvania land surveyor seal right.
Frequently asked questions
Does the legend read Professional Land Surveyor or Registered Professional Land Surveyor?
Registered Professional Land Surveyor. The word Registered is part of the legend § 37.58(b) requires, so a seal reading only Professional Land Surveyor falls short.
Can I use a 2-inch or 1-5/8 inch seal?
No. The rule states 1-3/4 inches, and the only smaller size it allows is 1-1/2 inches for a pocket seal. Neither 2 inches nor 1-5/8 inches appears in § 37.58(c).
Can my firm name appear instead of my own?
The contents in § 37.58(b) call for your name as registered. A firm name is not one of the four items.
When did the digital seal section take effect?
Section 37.60 was added on December 16, 2022 and became effective on December 17, 2022, at 52 Pa.B. 7709.
Do I need a new seal at each renewal?
Nothing on the face refers to a registration period, since the four contents include no date. What renewal controls is whether you may use the seal at all.
With your registered name and number ready, order your seal from our Pennsylvania land surveyor stamps and seals collection.
