An Oregon architect stamp must show your name alone, as the registered architect, plus the city and state of your principal office, and your signature must cross it. Adding your board-issued registration number is optional. The rule sets no size and no shape. This page covers the face, signing, size, devices, stamped submissions, lapse and ordering.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(1), (6)(b)(C). Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yours, as the registered architect. No other name goes on it. | Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(1), (6)(b)(C) |
| Office location | The city and the state in which your principal office sits. | Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(1), (6)(b)(C) |
| Registration number | Optional. You may add the number the board issued you, or leave it off. | Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(1), (6)(b)(C) |
| Signature | Written so that it passes over the stamp impression. | Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(6) |
| Size | None set. No diameter, no floor, no ceiling and no rule against scaling the image. | Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045 (silent as to size) |
| Shape | Not stated. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Devices | A crimp hand stamp, a rubber hand stamp or a digital stamp made on a computer. Each one is lawful. | Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(2) |
| Electronic stamping | Allowed, on criteria set in the rule, without tying it to one technology. | Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(2), (6) |
| Submissions to stamp | Technical work that public authorities require for permits or approvals, or that is meant for building, along with every addendum and change. | Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(3), (4), (5), (7) |
| Lapse | An unrenewed certificate goes inactive on day 61 after the renewal deadline. Inactive status bars practice and use of the title architect within the state. | Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0060 |
Licensed in more than one place? Check each jurisdiction in architect seal requirements by state. The seal assumes you already hold the Oregon license; how to become a licensed architect covers the degree, AXP and ARE routes.
What goes on an Oregon architect stamp?
Your name as the registered architect, the city and state of your principal office, and, if you choose, your registration number. Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(1), (6)(b)(C) also makes your signature across the stamp part of the finished mark.
Two details are easy to get wrong. The office location is mandatory while the number is optional, so a stamp built around a name and number with no city leaves out a required item. The rule also limits the name to yours alone.
These lines apply whichever device you choose. For a broader look at the same elements, see our overview of Oregon architect stamp guidelines.
Where does the signature go?
Over the stamp itself. Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(6) requires the signature to pass across the impression rather than sit beside it, so every stamped sheet shows the two overlapping.
That shapes the artwork. A face packed edge to edge with heavy type leaves little clear space for a signature to run through legibly, so an open layout with lighter lettering works better. A date is not among the items the rule lists for the stamp.
Is there a required size or shape?
No. Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045 states no diameter, no floor and no ceiling, and it has no rule against scaling the image up or down. The shape of the stamp is not specified either.
Size is therefore a practical decision. The stamp has to hold your name, the city and state, perhaps a number, and a signature crossing it, so choose a size that keeps all of that readable on a reduced print. Our notes on Oregon architect stamp sizing and design tips for an Oregon architect stamp help with that choice.
Which kinds of stamp are allowed?
Three: a crimp hand stamp that embosses, a rubber hand stamp, or a digital stamp generated on a computer. Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(2) treats all three as lawful and ranks none above the others.
Choose by how your drawings leave the office. Paper sets suit a rubber or crimp stamp and PDF sets suit the digital version, and since the rule allows all three, holding more than one is fine.
How does electronic stamping work in Oregon?
Through criteria written into the rule. Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(2), (6) opens an electronic route for Oregon architects that turns on conditions the rule states, rather than on a particular product, vendor or file type.
The content rules still apply to the digital stamp: your name only, the office city and state, the optional number, and a signature that crosses the impression. Build the digital version from the same layout as the physical one so the two match.
Which submissions have to be stamped?
Technical submissions that public authorities require for building permits or regulatory approvals, and any meant for construction. Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045(3), (4), (5), (7) carries the duty through to addenda and other changes to those submissions.
So a revision issued after the permit set is not exempt. It takes the stamp and a signature across it, just as the original sheets did. More on how the Oregon architect seal fits into your drawing sets is in a separate article.
What does a lapsed registration mean for your stamp?
An unrenewed certificate becomes inactive on the 61st day after the renewal deadline under Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0060. Once inactive, it bars you from practicing architecture in Oregon and from using the architect title there.
The rules read for this page do not address the stamp itself after a lapse. The bar on practice and title is what they state. For the renewal side, see our article on Oregon architect stamp renewal.
What changes if your principal office moves?
The city on the stamp, and possibly the state. Because the rule ties those lines to where your principal office is located, a move to a new city leaves the old stamp showing the wrong location.
Plan the new stamp alongside the move rather than after it. Your name and any registration number carry over; only the location lines need to change.
What should you give the stamp maker?
Your name as registered, the city and state of your principal office, a decision on the registration number, and the format you want. Ask for a layout with clear space where your signature will cross the impression.
- Your name, and no other name
- Principal office city
- Principal office state
- Registration number, only if you want it shown
- Format: crimp, rubber, digital, or a combination
- Preferred size, since the rule leaves it to you
How do you proof the stamp before first use?
Stamp a blank sheet and sign across it the way you will on a real drawing. Then confirm that the name, city, state and any number still read clearly through the signature, and that no second name has crept in.
Repeat the test on a reduced copy. For the digital stamp, check it at the scale your title block prints. With no size rule in play, legibility is the practical test.
Frequently asked questions
Can my firm's name share the stamp with mine?
The rule limits the name on the stamp to yours as the registered architect. A firm name is a different name, so it does not belong on the stamp face.
What if my principal office is outside Oregon?
The rule asks for the city and state of your principal office, wherever it is. The stamp shows that location, so an office in another state means that state appears on the face.
Does the stamp need a date line?
No date appears among the items Or. Admin. R. 806-010-0045 lists for the stamp. The signing rule concerns where the signature goes, which is across the impression.
Can I scale the digital stamp to fit a title block?
The rule contains no prohibition on enlarging or reducing the image and sets no minimum. Scaling is allowed as far as the rule goes, but keep every line and the signature legible at the printed size.
Which of the three formats should I buy?
The rule treats crimp, rubber and digital stamps equally, so the answer depends on how you issue documents. Paper sets call for a physical stamp, PDF submissions call for the digital version, and an office issuing both can hold both.
Once your details are settled, order from our Oregon stamps and seals collection with your name, office city and state, and your choice on the registration number.
