Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration and A.R.S. § 32-125(B) on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
Arizona surveyors buy two things: a seal and a run of L.S. markers. R4-30-306(A) provides that “Registered land surveyors shall obtain at their expense identifying markers such as tags, caps, or embossed nails which shall show the registrant’s Arizona Registration Number as issued by the Board, and each registration number shall be prefixed by the letters L.S.,” and subsection (B) requires a marker on “every permanent survey point set when making land boundary surveys.” No other Arizona registration carries that duty.
Note where the prefix lives. The markers carry L.S. ahead of the number. The seal does not: R4-30-303(A) puts the bare registration number in the inner circle with your name and the words date signed, the legend “Registered Land Surveyor” in the upper annular space and Arizona U.S.A. at the bottom. Suppliers who carry the prefix across from the cap to the die produce a seal that does not match Appendix A.
That matters because of R4-30-303(B). Before using the seal for any purpose you file an imprint with an original signature over it, plus an affidavit regarding use of the seal, and the Board has ten working days to disapprove a seal that misses “the exact specifications.” A disapproved seal is replaced at your own cost.
Arizona land surveyor seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Arizona rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | A.R.S. § 32-125(B) |
| Required elements | Registered Land Surveyor, Your name as registered, Your registration number, The words “date signed” and Arizona U.S.A. | A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) |
| Size and shape | 1-1/2 inches outside diameter, tolerance plus or minus 1/16 inch, with an inner circle of 1-1/8 inches, same tolerance. | A.A.C. R4-30-303(A) |
| Device allowed | R4-30-303(A) names an ink seal, so an inked rubber stamp is the compliant device and the safe buy; an embosser as the seal is not authorized in the chapter.Supplemental, and worth knowing: the rule governs what seals the document, not what else may sit on the sheet. | A.A.C. R4-30-303(A), R4-30-304(E)(1), R4-30-304(F) |
| Signature and date | R4-30-304(E) requires an original document to carry the seal imprint, “An original signature that does not obscure either the registrant’s printed name or registration number”, and “The date the document was sealed.” Appendix A instructs: “Sign your name across lower portion of the seal. | A.A.C. R4-30-304(E), R4-30-304(G) |
| What must be sealed | The same nine categories in R4-30-304(A) apply, including each sheet of drawings or maps, the first or index sheet of each set of specifications, any report or other professional document, and the signature line of any letter or other professional document. | A.A.C. R4-30-304(A), R4-30-304(D), R4-30-306(B) |
| Electronic seal | No named standard and no named product. | A.A.C. R4-30-304(C), R4-30-304(E)(1), R4-30-304(G) |
| Renewal and lapse | A.R.S. § 32-125(C) makes it “unlawful for a registrant whose certificate has expired or has been revoked or suspended to use the seal”. | A.R.S. § 32-125(C), (D) |
| Firm requirements | A firm must be registered and gets no seal. | A.R.S. § 32-141 |
| Regulator | The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration | A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 1 (§§ 32-125, 32-127, 32-141) |
Is a seal required in Arizona?
Arizona splits the duty between statute and rule. A.R.S. § 32-125(B) provides that plans, specifications, plats or reports prepared by a registrant or a registrant’s bona fide employee “shall be issued under the registrant’s seal if the board requires the registrant to use a seal”. R4-30-303(A) makes it unconditional for the design registrations: each registrant required to use a seal shall secure and use an ink seal 1-1/2 inches in diameter identical in style, size and appearance to the sample in Appendix A. R4-30-304(A) requires “a permanently legible imprint of the registrant’s seal and signature” on a nine item list of document types. Land surveyors carry a second duty no other Arizona registration carries: R4-30-306 requires identifying markers on survey points as well.
What must appear on the seal
- Registered Land Surveyor
- Your name as registered
- Your registration number
- The words “date signed”
- Arizona U.S.A.
Nothing is optional. R4-30-303(A) prescribes “Registered Land Surveyor” in the upper annular space, Arizona U.S.A. at the bottom, and the registrant name, the registration number and the words “date signed” inside the inner circle. Arizona does not use the legend Professional Land Surveyor for the seal, which is the wording several neighboring states use, and it does not put the L.S. prefix on the seal either. The L.S. prefix belongs on your survey markers under R4-30-306, not on the die. No branch line appears on a surveyor seal; that requirement is confined to engineers by R4-30-303(B). A built-in date is effectively prohibited, since substantive policy statement 7 states “It is not acceptable to change the date on a seal”.
Size and shape
1-1/2 inches outside diameter, tolerance plus or minus 1/16 inch, with an inner circle of 1-1/8 inches, same tolerance. R4-30-303(A) requires “an ink seal 1 1/2 inches in diameter and identical in style, size, and appearance to the sample shown in Appendix A”, and Appendix A prints the tolerances for both circles. The figure is exact, not a floor, and R4-30-303(B) lets the Board disapprove a seal that misses “the exact specifications”.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
R4-30-303(A) names an ink seal, so an inked rubber stamp is the compliant device and the safe buy; an embosser as the seal is not authorized in the chapter.
Supplemental, and worth knowing: the rule governs what seals the document, not what else may sit on the sheet. An embosser used alongside the compliant device is a different product doing a different job. Plenty of firms still want the raised impression on the client copy, the title sheet or the record set, because it reads as finished work in a way an inked mark does not. Order the compliant device as your seal, and treat the embosser as the companion it is.
Back to the compliant device. R4-30-304(E)(1) accepts either “An original seal imprint or a computer-generated seal that matches the seal on file at the Board’s office”, and R4-30-304(F) rules out everything else: “Methods of transferring a seal other than an original seal imprint or a computer-generated seal are not acceptable.”
Signing and dating
R4-30-304(E) requires an original document to carry the seal imprint, “An original signature that does not obscure either the registrant’s printed name or registration number”, and “The date the document was sealed.” Appendix A instructs: “Sign your name across lower portion of the seal. Do not cover your name or registration number with your signature.” Substantive policy statement 7 fixes the date as the day the document is sealed and signed. R4-30-304(G) allows an electronic signature under A.R.S. Title 41 and Title 44.
Arizona surveyors buy two things: a seal and a run of L.S. markers
R4-30-306(A) is a requirement no other Arizona registration carries. It provides that “Registered land surveyors shall obtain at their expense identifying markers such as tags, caps, or embossed nails which shall show the registrant’s Arizona Registration Number as issued by the Board, and each registration number shall be prefixed by the letters L.S.” Subsection (B) then requires a marker on “every permanent survey point set when making land boundary surveys.”
Note where the prefix lives. The markers carry L.S. ahead of the number. The seal does not: R4-30-303(A) puts the bare registration number in the inner circle with the name and the words date signed, and puts the legend “Registered Land Surveyor” in the upper annular space. Suppliers who carry the prefix across from the cap to the die produce a seal that does not match Appendix A.
That matters because of R4-30-303(B). Before using the seal for any purpose the surveyor files an imprint with an original signature over it, plus an affidavit regarding use of the seal, and the Board has ten working days to disapprove a seal that misses the exact specifications. A disapproved seal is replaced at the registrant’s own cost.
Which documents must be sealed
The same nine categories in R4-30-304(A) apply, including each sheet of drawings or maps, the first or index sheet of each set of specifications, any report or other professional document, and the signature line of any letter or other professional document. R4-30-304(D) requires sealing before the document reaches a client, contractor or reviewing body “unless the document is marked ‘preliminary,’ ‘draft,’ or ‘not for construction’”. Surveyors also carry R4-30-306(B): “Registered land surveyors shall securely attach an identifying marker to every permanent survey point set when making land boundary surveys.”
Electronic and digital seals
No named standard and no named product. R4-30-304(G) accepts an electronic signature “in accordance with A.R.S. Title 41 and Title 44” and requires the registrant to “provide adequate security regarding the use of the seal and signature.” A computer-generated seal is permitted under R4-30-304(E)(1) only where it matches the imprint on file. Unsigned electronic copies must be marked under R4-30-304(C) as “Electronic copy of final document; sealed original document is with (identify the registrant’s name and registration number)”.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
A.R.S. § 32-125(C) makes it “unlawful for a registrant whose certificate has expired or has been revoked or suspended to use the seal”. A.R.S. § 32-127 bars practice while a registration is inactive or invalid, cancels a certificate after one full renewal period, and then requires reapplication as a new candidate. Whether the registration number survives cancellation is not addressed in § 32-127 or 4 A.A.C. 30, which matters more for surveyors than for anyone else, because the number is stamped into every marker already in the ground. No rule requires a dead seal or leftover markers to be surrendered or destroyed.
Firm requirements
A firm must be registered and gets no seal. A.R.S. § 32-141 provides that “A firm shall not engage in the practice of any board-regulated profession or occupation unless the firm is registered with the board and the professional services are conducted under the full authority and responsible charge of a principal of the firm, who is also a registrant”, with a separate registration for each branch office. Neither § 32-141 nor the seal rules put a firm number or a firm seal on a plat.
What to check before you order
Order an inked rubber stamp at 1-1/2 inches outer and 1-1/8 inches inner, each within 1/16 inch. Upper annular space: Registered Land Surveyor. Bottom: Arizona U.S.A. Inner circle: your name as registered, your bare registration number and the words date signed. Keep the L.S. prefix off the seal and on your tags, caps and embossed nails, which R4-30-306 makes a separate purchase at your expense. Skip the embosser, since the rule names an ink seal. File the imprint and affidavit with the Board before you use the stamp.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for land surveyors in Arizona?
Yes. A.R.S. § 32-125(B) provides that plans, specifications, plats or reports prepared by a registrant or a registrant’s bona fide employee “shall be issued under the registrant’s seal if the board requires the registrant to use a seal,” and R4-30-303(A) makes it unconditional for the design registrations. R4-30-304(A) requires “a permanently legible imprint of the registrant’s seal and signature” on a nine item list of document types.
What has to appear on an Arizona land surveyor seal?
Five items, in fixed positions under R4-30-303(A): Registered Land Surveyor in the upper annular space, Arizona U.S.A. at the bottom, and your name as registered, your registration number and the words date signed inside the inner circle. Arizona does not use the legend Professional Land Surveyor on the seal, and no branch line appears on a surveyor device; that requirement is confined to engineers by R4-30-303(B).
What size is an Arizona land surveyor seal?
1-1/2 inches outside diameter with a tolerance of plus or minus 1/16 inch, and an inner circle of 1-1/8 inches to the same tolerance. R4-30-303(A) requires “an ink seal 1 1/2 inches in diameter and identical in style, size, and appearance to the sample shown in Appendix A,” and Appendix A prints the tolerances. The figure is exact rather than a floor, and R4-30-303(B) lets the Board disapprove a seal that misses the exact specifications.
Can I use an embosser in Arizona?
R4-30-303(A) names an ink seal, so an inked rubber stamp is the compliant device; an embosser alone is not authorized in the chapter. R4-30-304(E)(1) accepts either “An original seal imprint or a computer-generated seal that matches the seal on file at the Board’s office,” and R4-30-304(F) rules out everything else: “Methods of transferring a seal other than an original seal imprint or a computer-generated seal are not acceptable.”
Where does the signature go on an Arizona seal?
Across the lower portion. Appendix A instructs: “Sign your name across lower portion of the seal. Do not cover your name or registration number with your signature.” R4-30-304(E) requires an original document to carry the seal imprint, “An original signature that does not obscure either the registrant’s printed name or registration number” and “The date the document was sealed.”
Can the date be built into an Arizona seal?
Effectively not. The seal carries the words date signed as a caption and the date itself is entered each time, since substantive policy statement 7 fixes it as the day the document is sealed and signed and states that “It is not acceptable to change the date on a seal.”
Which Arizona documents need the seal?
The nine categories in R4-30-304(A), including each sheet of drawings or maps, the first or index sheet of each set of specifications, any report or other professional document, and the signature line of any letter or other professional document. R4-30-304(D) requires sealing before the document reaches a client, contractor or reviewing body “unless the document is marked ‘preliminary,’ ‘draft,’ or ‘not for construction.’”
How does Arizona handle electronic documents?
With no named standard and no named product. R4-30-304(G) accepts an electronic signature “in accordance with A.R.S. Title 41 and Title 44” and requires the registrant to “provide adequate security regarding the use of the seal and signature.” A computer-generated seal is permitted under R4-30-304(E)(1) only where it matches the imprint on file. Unsigned electronic copies must be marked under R4-30-304(C) as “Electronic copy of final document; sealed original document is with (identify the registrant’s name and registration number).”
What happens if my Arizona registration lapses?
A.R.S. § 32-125(C) makes it “unlawful for a registrant whose certificate has expired or has been revoked or suspended to use the seal.” A.R.S. § 32-127 bars practice while a registration is inactive or invalid, cancels a certificate after one full renewal period, and then requires reapplication as a new candidate. Whether the registration number survives cancellation is not addressed, which matters more for surveyors than for anyone else because the number is stamped into every marker already in the ground. No rule requires a dead seal or leftover markers to be surrendered or destroyed.
Does an Arizona surveying firm need registration or a seal?
Registration yes, a seal no. A.R.S. § 32-141 provides that “A firm shall not engage in the practice of any board-regulated profession or occupation unless the firm is registered with the board and the professional services are conducted under the full authority and responsible charge of a principal of the firm, who is also a registrant,” with a separate registration for each branch office. Neither § 32-141 nor the seal rules put a firm number or a firm seal on a plat.
