A Texas geologist seal must show the words Licensed Professional Geoscientist, your discipline of geoscience, your license number and your full name matching your license certificate. A physical seal comes in just two sizes: the pocket seal commercially designated 1-5/8 inch or the desk seal commercially designated two inch. This page covers wording, size, devices, signing, sealed documents, electronic sealing and lapse.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against Tex. Occ. Code § 1002.263(a). Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name and number | Your full name, the same as on the license certificate the Board issued, and your license number. | Tex. Occ. Code § 1002.263(a) |
| Title | Licensed Professional Geoscientist. | Tex. Occ. Code § 1002.263(a) |
| Discipline | Your discipline of geoscience is part of the required wording. | Tex. Occ. Code § 1002.263(a) |
| Physical size | Only two options: a pocket seal in the 1-5/8 inch commercial size or a desk seal in the two inch commercial size. | 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 851.156(b) |
| Shape | No shape is given. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Device | Either a physical seal whose mark is permanent or a seal applied electronically or digitally. | 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 851.156(f), (g) |
| Seal, signature and date | Your seal, your original signature and the date you signed, with none of the three obscured. | 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 851.156(g)(2), (i), (k), (m) |
| Documents to seal | Any geoscience document you offer publicly. | 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 851.156(l), (n), (p), (s) |
| Electronic sealing | Section 851.156(g)(1) authorizes three methods. | 22 Tex. Admin. Code §§ 851.10, 851.156(g), (j) |
| After the license lapses | The rule makes sealing unlawful once your license is no longer in force. | 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 851.156(b), (d), (e), (r) |
What must a Texas geoscientist seal show?
Four items: the title Licensed Professional Geoscientist, your discipline of geoscience, your license number, and your full name as it appears on your license certificate. Tex. Occ. Code § 1002.263(a) sets all four.
The discipline is a separate required item, so a seal that carries only the title, your name and your number is incomplete. Supply the discipline in the words you want on the face, and check it on the proof. For a plain-language summary, see our post on Texas geologist stamp requirements.
Does the name on the seal have to match your license?
Yes. The statute calls for your full name, and it has to be the same name shown on the license certificate the Board issued to you. A nickname or shortened form does not meet that test.
Copy the name from the certificate itself when you order, including middle names or initials exactly as printed there. Because the seal is tied to the certificate, the name on the die should change only when the name on the certificate does.
Which sizes does Texas accept for a physical seal?
Two, and only two: a pocket seal in the 1-5/8 inch commercial designation or a desk seal in the two inch commercial designation. The rule is 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 851.156(b).
The phrase commercially designated matters. The rule names each size by its standard trade designation, so you order one of the two named sizes. A seal cut to any size between or beyond them is outside the rule. No shape is stated in the cited rules.
What kind of device qualifies in Texas?
A physical seal whose mark is permanent, or a seal applied electronically or digitally. Those two routes come from 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 851.156(f), (g).
For paper, the test is permanence of the mark rather than the type of tool. For electronic documents, the seal is applied electronically or digitally under the rule's electronic provisions. Pick a physical device in one of the two named sizes for paper work, and plan separately for electronic sealing.
How do you sign and date sealed geoscience work?
Each sealed document carries three things together: the seal, your original signature and the date you signed. None of the three may be obscured. The rule is 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 851.156(g)(2), (i), (k), (m).
Unobscured is the operative word. A signature that runs over the seal's lettering, or a date that covers the license number, defeats the purpose of placing all three. Leave room on the sheet so each element stands clear of the others.
Which documents need a Texas geoscientist's seal?
Geoscience documents that you offer to the public. The seal attaches to that category of work, and the provisions that define it are 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 851.156(l), (n), (p), (s).
The trigger is that the document is offered to the public. Read those subsections alongside your own document types to confirm which of your work products fall within them.
Can you seal electronically in Texas?
Yes. Electronic sealing is permitted, and 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 851.156(g)(1) authorizes three methods for doing it. The full citation is 22 Tex. Admin. Code §§ 851.10, 851.156(g), (j).
This page does not restate the three methods, and it does not guess at them. Read subsection (g)(1) before you set up an electronic workflow, and keep the same signing rules in view: an original signature, a signing date and nothing obscured.
Can you keep sealing after your license lapses?
No. The rule makes it unlawful to seal on a license that is no longer in force. The provisions are 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 851.156(b), (d), (e), (r).
Keep your license current before you release sealed work. Once the license lapses, the seal has to stay off every document, physical or electronic, until the license is back in force. More on what the seal stands for is in our post on what the Texas geologist seal represents.
What should you provide when ordering a Texas geoscientist seal?
Your full name copied from your license certificate, your license number and your geoscience discipline. The title Licensed Professional Geoscientist is fixed text, so you confirm it on the proof rather than supply it.
Then choose the size: the pocket seal at the 1-5/8 inch commercial size or the desk seal at the two inch commercial size. Those are the only two options for a physical seal, so there is no custom diameter to specify.
How do you check a Texas seal impression before use?
Stamp a test sheet and read every item: the Licensed Professional Geoscientist title, your discipline, your license number and your full name. Compare the name letter by letter against your license certificate.
Then confirm the mark is permanent on the paper you actually use, since permanence is the test for a physical seal. Sign and date the test sheet as you would a real one and check that none of the three elements obscures another.
To compare this rule with other states, see the geologist seal requirements for every U.S. state and territory.
Frequently asked questions
Does the seal say geologist anywhere?
No. The required title is Licensed Professional Geoscientist, with your geoscience discipline shown as a separate item on the face.
Can I order a size between the pocket and desk seals?
No. The rule accepts the two commercially designated sizes and no others, so an in-between diameter falls outside it.
Is a desk seal more compliant than a pocket seal?
No. Both sizes are accepted on the same terms. The choice comes down to where you work and how often you seal, not compliance.
Do I need a new seal if my name changes?
The seal has to carry the same name as your license certificate. Once the certificate shows a new name, a seal bearing the old one no longer matches it.
Which date goes with the seal?
The date you signed. The rule calls for the date of your signature alongside the seal and the original signature, not some other project date.
With your certificate name, license number and discipline in hand, order from our Texas stamps and seals collection in the pocket or desk size.
