Professional Engineer Stamp & Seal Requirements
What a PE seal must contain, when you must sign and date it, and how the rules differ in every state — from rubber stamps to embossers to verifiable digital seals.
Every licensed professional engineer must apply a seal to the work they are in responsible charge of. A seal alone is not a certification — a complete certification also requires the engineer's signature and the date. Of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions, 51 accept a digital seal with an electronic signature, 3 attach specific conditions (e.g. Hawaii, New Jersey, New York), and 0 still requires an original signature.
What it means to stamp a document
When a professional engineer applies a seal, they make three binding representations. These are required by state engineering law — not voluntary statements.
Responsible charge
The work was prepared by the engineer, or under their direct supervision, and the engineer is accountable for everything in the sealed document.
Competence
The engineer has the training, skill, and experience to perform the entire scope of work in a professional, competent, and safe manner.
Code compliance
The design conforms to the applicable standards and codes and to the laws governing the practice of engineering — protecting public safety, health, and welfare.
Seal, signature, and date
Sealing and certification are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. The seal establishes the provenance of the document. Two more components complete the certification:
The seal
The image — typically a circle with the state symbol, the engineer's name, and license number.
The signature
Applied by the engineer in responsible charge — wet ink, or a compliant electronic signature.
The date
The date of signing and sealing, which fixes the certification in time.
Embosser, rubber stamp, or digital seal
Embosser
Crimps a permanent impression into the paper — a visual and tactile mark that is hard to forge. A few states (notably New Jersey) still require it for paper documents.
Rubber (ink) stamp
Most states allow an ink-based seal. Convenient and inexpensive, but it carries no tamper evidence — a scanned copy is trivial to alter.
Digital seal
Accepted in most states. Binds the seal cryptographically to the document so any later change invalidates it, with one-click verification and a complete audit trail.
What states require of a digital signature
Where digital seals are accepted, the rules converge on the same core requirements. Most boards require that the electronic signature is:
- Unique to the licensee using it
- Capable of independent verification
- Under the sole control of the licensee
- Linked to the document so any later change invalidates the signature
PE seal requirements in every state
Digital-seal acceptance, special conditions, and the governing statute for each jurisdiction. Select a state to see its full requirements and find licensed engineers.
| State | Digital seals | Notes | Statutory authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | — | Ala. Admin. Code r. 330-X-11-.02, .03 |
| Alaska | Yes | — | 12 AAC 36.185; AS 08.48.221 |
| Arizona | Yes | — | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 32-125 |
| Arkansas | Yes | — | Ark. Code Ann. § 17-48-105 |
| California | Yes | — | Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 411 |
| Colorado | Yes | — | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 12-25-217 |
| Connecticut | Yes | — | Conn. Gen. Stat. tit. 20, ch. 391 |
| Delaware | Yes | — | 24 Del. C. §§ 2719–2720 |
| District of Columbia | Yes | — | D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 17, § 1516.3, .5 |
| Florida | Yes | — | FAC 61G15-23.002 |
| Georgia | Yes | — | O.C.G.A. § 43-15-22 |
| Hawaii | Conditional | As of September 2023 (HAR §16-115-3 amendment), Hawaii accepts digital signatures on all plans, specifications, maps, and reports. Digital signatures must be cryptographically authenticated and under the sole control of the licensee. Confirm current board guidance for your specific project type. | HAR §16-115-8 |
| Idaho | Yes | — | IDAPA 24.32.01.015 |
| Illinois | Yes | — | IAC §1380.295 |
| Indiana | Yes | — | IAC Title 864, Art 1.1, Rule 2 |
| Iowa | Yes | — | IAC 193C-6.1(542B) |
| Kansas | Yes | — | KAR 66-6-1 |
| Kentucky | Yes | — | 201 KAR 18:104 |
| Louisiana | Yes | — | LAC Title 46, Part LXI, Ch 27 |
| Maine | Yes | — | Me. Bd. of Licensure for PEs, Ch. 2 § 11 |
| Maryland | Yes | — | Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 14-403 |
| Massachusetts | Yes | — | 250 CMR 3.05(3) |
| Michigan | Yes | — | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2008 |
| Minnesota | Yes | — | Minn. Stat. § 326.11 |
| Mississippi | Yes | — | Miss. Bd. of Licensure for PE & PS, Rules & Regs. 14.03 |
| Missouri | Yes | — | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 327.411 |
| Montana | Yes | — | Mont. Code Ann. §§ 37-67-101, 37-67-314 |
| Nebraska | Yes | — | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3454 |
| Nevada | Yes | — | Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 625.565, 625.080 |
| New Hampshire | Yes | — | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 310-A:18 |
| New Jersey | Conditional | Rubber-stamp seals are not permitted. Paper documents must be sealed with an impression-type embosser that crimps the paper, or with a digital seal (N.J.A.C. 13:40-8.1). | N.J.A.C. 13:40-8.1 |
| New Mexico | Yes | — | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 61-23-21 |
| New York | Conditional | Embossing, rubber-stamp, and electronic seals are all accepted by the State Board, but electronic signatures are voluntary under New York's ESRA — a receiving public or local authority is not required to accept them, so confirm with the filing jurisdiction. | 8 NYCRR §68.13 |
| North Carolina | Yes | — | 21 NCAC 56.1106 |
| North Dakota | Yes | — | N.D. Cent. Code § 43-19.1-21 |
| Ohio | Yes | — | Ohio Rev. Code § 4733.14 |
| Oklahoma | Yes | — | Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 475.18 |
| Oregon | Yes | — | Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 672.020, 672.025 |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | — | 49 Pa. Code § 37.59 |
| Rhode Island | Yes | — | R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-8-14, 5-8.1-12 |
| South Carolina | Yes | — | S.C. Code Regs. 49-207 |
| South Dakota | Yes | — | S.D. Codified Laws § 36-18A-45 |
| Tennessee | Yes | — | Tenn. Code §§ 62-2-306, 62-18-119 |
| Texas | Yes | — | 22 TAC §137.31 |
| Utah | Yes | — | Utah Code Ann. § 58-22-602 |
| Vermont | Yes | — | 26 V.S.A. § 2596 |
| Virginia | Yes | — | 18 VAC 10-20-760 |
| Washington | Yes | — | Rev. Code Wash. § 18.43.070 |
| West Virginia | Yes | — | W. Va. Code § 30-13A-19 |
| Wisconsin | Yes | — | Wis. Admin. Code A-E 8.10 |
| Wyoming | Yes | — | Wyo. Stat. § 33-29-129 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Most do. Of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions, 51 accept a digital seal and electronic signature, though 3 attach specific conditions. Always confirm the rule for the jurisdiction where your document will be filed.
New Jersey is the classic example — rubber-stamp seals are not permitted, so paper documents must carry an impression-type embosser that crimps the paper (or a digital seal). An embosser physically alters the page, which makes it hard to forge.
Yes, as of September 2023. Hawaii amended HAR § 16-115-3 to accept digital signatures on plans, specifications, maps, and reports, provided the signature is cryptographically authenticated and under the sole control of the licensee. Confirm current board guidance for your specific project type.
The seal is the image — the circle bearing the engineer's name, license number, and state. A complete certification also requires the engineer's signature and the date. All three together formally certify the document.
Responsible charge means the licensed engineer used personal professional skill and judgment to prepare the work, or directly supervised its preparation. The person in responsible charge is generally the one who must seal the documents.
In most states, yes — rubber (ink) seals and digital seals are both accepted. A few states require an embosser for paper documents, and one requires an original signature. Check the per-state table above for your jurisdiction.
This summary is provided for general information only and is not legal advice. Sealing and stamping rules change and vary by document type and jurisdiction. It is each professional's responsibility to confirm the current requirements of the board where their work will be filed before sealing any document.
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