Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against not a single body: landscape architecture in Canada is regulated provincially, and in the three provinces read the statute protects the title while the sealing rules come from the association; British Columbia: Architects (Landscape) Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 18, s. 12, and BCSLA licensure, membership and practice documents; Alberta: AALA Stamps & Seals page; Ontario: OALA Digital Seal page and Ontario Association of Landscape Architects Act, 1984 on 25 September 2026 · Updated 25 September 2026
British Columbia does have a professional stamp for landscape architects, and it comes from the Society rather than from the Act. Under the Architects (Landscape) Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 18, the title is protected and no practice is reserved. Section 12(1) provides that “A person who is a member in good standing of the society is entitled to use the designation ‘Landscape Architect’,” and s. 12(2) that “A person who is not a member in good standing of the society must not assume or use that designation in any manner or represent that the person is entitled to do so.” That is the whole of the statutory restriction. The stamp sits in the Society’s own process: its licensure guide lists “the BCSLA professional stamp” among what a new registrant receives, and only a Registered Landscape Architect uses it.
The Act does contain the word seal twice, and both times it means something else. Section 2(2) provides that “The society must have a common seal,” and s. 10(2)(j) authorizes the board to make bylaws on the custody and use of the society seal. That is the corporate seal of The British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects, used on the society’s own instruments in the ordinary corporate way. A member has no entitlement to reproduce it, and it is not something to order from a supplier. It is also a separate thing from the professional stamp the Society issues to registrants.
What follows is that the official device in British Columbia is the Society’s to supply, not a design decision. Members give the stamp back when they become inactive, retire or resign, and municipal jurisdictions commonly want a registered landscape architect’s stamp and seal on permit documents. Alberta runs the same way with a different emphasis: the AALA keeps the ink stamp in its own hands and is the sole source of the Digital Seal. Ontario’s OALA confirms who may seal but, in the sources that loaded, not who supplies the ink seal. Each province has its own page: British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
Canada landscape architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Canada rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Provincial, and issued or controlled by the association where verified | British Columbia: BCSLA Step-by-Step Licensure Guide (2021), Step 10; Alberta: AALA Stamps & Seals page; Ontario: OALA Digital Seal page |
| Required elements | British Columbia: whatever the BCSLA puts on the stamp it issues. Alberta: whatever the AALA puts on the ink stamp it controls. Ontario: not published in the sources read | BCSLA Step-by-Step Licensure Guide; AALA Stamps & Seals page; OALA Digital Seal page |
| Size and shape | Not applicable in the usual sense in British Columbia and Alberta, where the association supplies or controls the device. Not verified in Ontario | BCSLA Step-by-Step Licensure Guide; AALA Stamps & Seals page; OALA Digital Seal page |
| Device allowed | British Columbia: Society stamp plus a digital stamp for a fee. Alberta: AALA ink stamp plus AALA Digital Seal. Ontario: ink seal on drawings, Digital Seal on electronic documents | BCSLA Step-by-Step Licensure Guide; AALA Stamps & Seals page; OALA Digital Seal page |
| Signature and date | British Columbia: no signing, stamping or sealing of work outside the RLA’s direct control and personal supervision, with two exceptions. Not addressed in the Alberta and Ontario sources read | British Columbia: BCSLA Standards (adopted 2010), S2.3.3 |
| What must be sealed | British Columbia: municipal jurisdictions commonly require an RLA stamp and seal on permit documents. Alberta: any seal image sent electronically needs the Digital Seal. Ontario: no list found | Designation Intentions Report on the BCSLA (July 2022); AALA Stamps & Seals page; OALA Digital Seal page |
| Electronic seal | Notarius in all three provinces read: a BCSLA Digital Seal Policy, the AALA Digital Seal and the OALA Digital Seal | BCSLA Policies and Procedures page; AALA Stamps & Seals page; OALA Digital Seal page |
| Renewal and lapse | British Columbia: the stamp goes back to the Society on a change to inactive, retired or resigned status, and the title follows good standing | BCSLA Change of Membership Status Request Form (2023); Architects (Landscape) Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 18, s. 12 |
| Firm requirements | Not applicable in British Columbia under the Act. | British Columbia: Architects (Landscape) Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 18, ss. 2, 10, 12 |
| Regulator | Not a single body: landscape architecture in Canada is regulated provincially, and in the provinces read the statute protects the title while the association sets the sealing rules | British Columbia: Architects (Landscape) Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 18, ss. 1 through 13 read in full from BC Laws, current to September 15, 2026, in particular s. 2(2) (the society’s common seal), s. 10(2)(j) (bylaws on custody and use of the society seal), s. 11 (objects) and s. 12 (Designation), with the BCSLA licensure guide, membership forms, Standards and Policies and Procedures page read September 2026. Alberta: AALA Stamps & Seals and Landscape Architect Title Act pages. Ontario: the OALA Act of 1984 (S.O. 1984, c. Pr12) and the OALA Digital Seal page. Canada is not a country-level regime: landscape architecture is regulated provincially. Not reached at the time of writing: the landscape architecture regulators of Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces, so no seal, dimension, device type, signature or date rule is reported for them. |
Is a seal required in Canada?
There is no national answer to give. Landscape architecture in Canada is regulated province by province. In British Columbia the Architects (Landscape) Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 18, protects the title and reserves no practice. Section 12(1): “A person who is a member in good standing of the society is entitled to use the designation ‘Landscape Architect’,” and s. 12(2): “A person who is not a member in good standing of the society must not assume or use that designation in any manner or represent that the person is entitled to do so.” The seal question is answered outside the statute: the BCSLA issues a professional stamp to Registered Landscape Architects, and municipal jurisdictions commonly ask for it on permit documents. In Alberta the Digital Seal is required whenever a seal image is transmitted electronically. In Ontario the OALA gives Full Members with Certificate and Seal the right to seal.
What must appear on the seal
- British Columbia: whatever the BCSLA puts on the professional stamp it issues
- Alberta: whatever the AALA puts on the ink stamp it controls
- Ontario: not published in the OALA sources read
The seal named in the British Columbia Act belongs to the corporation, not to the practitioner. Section 2(2): “The society must have a common seal,” and s. 10(2)(j) gives the board power to make bylaws for the “custody and use of the society seal.” That is the corporate seal of The British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects, used on the society’s own instruments in the ordinary corporate way. It is not the professional stamp, and a member has no entitlement to reproduce it. The professional stamp is a separate device that the Society issues to Registered Landscape Architects at registration, and its face is the Society’s to decide.
Size and shape
Not applicable in the usual sense in British Columbia and Alberta. In both provinces the association supplies or controls the device, and none of the documents read gives a dimension. Not verified for Ontario or the other provinces, whose seal specifications were either not found or not read for this update.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
It depends on the province, and in each one read the association decides. British Columbia: the BCSLA issues a professional stamp, and its licensure guide adds that a digital stamp can be had for a fee. Alberta: the AALA keeps issuance of the ink stamp to itself and supplies the Digital Seal through Notarius, and a hand sealed page that has been scanned does not count for electronic transmission. Ontario: the OALA permits drawings to be sealed in ink and electronic files to carry the Digital Seal. None of the three sources names an embosser.
Signing and dating
British Columbia’s rule comes from the Society’s Standards of Professional Conduct and Practice rather than from the Act. Under S2.3.3 a Registered Landscape Architect does not sign, stamp or seal work that was outside the RLA’s direct control and personal supervision, with exceptions for reviewed consultants’ work and for an employee’s acknowledgment, which may be signed but not stamped. Not addressed in the Alberta and Ontario sources read, and no date rule was found in any of the three.
In British Columbia the only seal in the Act is the society’s own
This is where the Canadian picture diverges most from the United States. Landscape architecture is regulated provincially, and in British Columbia the statute protects the title and nothing else. The Architects (Landscape) Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 18 continues The British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects as a corporation, sets up a board of examiners, and then restricts one thing: s. 12 confines the designation Landscape Architect to members in good standing and forbids anyone else to assume or use it. There is no reserved practice. The professional stamp is not in the Act at all; it comes from the Society’s registration process, and only Registered Landscape Architects use it.
Which documents must be sealed
In British Columbia the answer is municipal rather than statutory. The Designation Intentions Report on the BCSLA (July 2022) records that municipal jurisdictions commonly require a registered landscape architect to stamp and seal development permit and building permit documents, and that letters of assurance carry no such requirement because landscape architects are outside the BC Building Code. The Act’s objects at s. 11 are framed around upholding public health, safety and welfare as it relates to the professional practice of landscape architecture, advancing landscape architectural knowledge and technique, and maintaining proper standards of practice, and nothing in the Act attaches a sealing duty to a drawing or report. Membership is governed by s. 6 and examinations by s. 8, through a board of examiners that includes appointees nominated by Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the University of British Columbia.
Electronic and digital seals
Notarius sits behind the electronic seal in each province read. British Columbia: the BCSLA lists a Digital Seal Policy (2023) with Notarius support links, and its guide offers a digital stamp for a fee. Alberta: the AALA Digital Seal is mandatory whenever a seal image is sent electronically and must stay under the holder’s sole control. Ontario: a Full Member registers with Notarius and needs OALA confirmation of good standing. The Act in British Columbia sets no electronic signature standard of its own.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
In British Columbia losing good standing has a title consequence and a device consequence. Section 12 confines the designation Landscape Architect to “a person who is a member in good standing of the society,” and a person who is not must not assume or use it in any manner or represent an entitlement to do so. Separately, the Society’s change of status form requires a member who becomes inactive, retires or resigns to return the stamp promptly.
Firm requirements
Not applicable in British Columbia. The Act creates no firm registration and no certificate of authorization, and it provides no firm seal for landscape architecture. The society itself is continued as a corporation under s. 2 with the powers to acquire and deal with property, and the Societies Act applies to it subject to listed exceptions, but none of that reaches a practitioner’s firm.
What to check before you order
In British Columbia the official stamp comes from the BCSLA, which issues it to Registered Landscape Architects and takes it back on a change of status; only a member in good standing may use the designation Landscape Architect. In Alberta both devices come from the AALA, the ink stamp and the Notarius based Digital Seal. In Ontario the OALA confirms who may seal, and the question of who supplies the ink seal is one to put to the Association directly. For any other Canadian province, ask that province’s regulator, because landscape architecture is regulated provincially and we verified these three only.
Browse landscape architect stamps and seals.
- British Columbia Landscape Architect Seal: Who Issues It
- Alberta Landscape Architect Seal: AALA Ink Stamp and Digital Seal
- Ontario Landscape Architect Seal: What the OALA Says
Frequently asked questions
Do landscape architects in British Columbia need a seal?
Registered Landscape Architects have one, and it comes from the BCSLA rather than from the Act. The Society issues the professional stamp at registration, and municipal jurisdictions commonly require an RLA stamp and seal on development permit and building permit documents. The Architects (Landscape) Act itself imposes no sealing duty.
What is the seal the British Columbia Act mentions?
The society’s own. Section 2(2) says “The society must have a common seal,” and s. 10(2)(j) lets the board make bylaws for the “custody and use of the society seal.” That is an ordinary corporate seal belonging to The British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects as a legal person. It is not the professional stamp the Society issues to registrants, and a member has no entitlement to use it.
Can I put Landscape Architect on a stamp in British Columbia?
If you are a member in good standing of the society, s. 12(1) entitles you to use the designation, and s. 12(2) forbids anyone else to assume or use it in any manner or to represent that they are entitled to do so. The official professional stamp is a different matter: the Society issues it to Registered Landscape Architects.
Who supplies the landscape architect stamp in British Columbia?
The BCSLA. Its licensure guide lists the professional stamp among what a registrant is issued, a non-stamp Landscape Architect member does not use one, and the stamp is returned on a change to inactive, retired or resigned status. The details are on the British Columbia page.
Does a British Columbia landscape architect have to sign and date drawings?
The Act sets no signing or dating rule. The Society’s Standards at S2.3.3 do govern signing, stamping and sealing: a Registered Landscape Architect should not sign, stamp or seal work outside the RLA’s direct control and personal supervision, subject to two exceptions. No date rule was found.
Whose seal goes on a sealed drawing for a British Columbia project?
For landscape work on permit drawings, commonly a Registered Landscape Architect’s. The July 2022 Designation Intentions Report says municipal jurisdictions commonly require an RLA stamp and seal on development permit and building permit documents. Letters of assurance are different, because landscape architects are not in the BC Building Code.
Is there an electronic seal rule for landscape architects in British Columbia?
The Society has one. It lists a Digital Seal Policy (2023) with Notarius support links, and its licensure guide says a digital stamp is available for a fee. The Act itself sets no electronic signature standard.
What happens if I lose good standing in British Columbia?
You lose the title, and the stamp goes back. Section 12 confines the designation Landscape Architect to “a person who is a member in good standing of the society,” and the Society’s change of status form requires a member who becomes inactive, retires or resigns to return the stamp promptly. Any private stamp, plate or letterhead carrying the designation would also need to change.
Does a British Columbia landscape architecture firm need registration or a firm seal?
Not under this Act. It creates no firm registration and no certificate of authorization, and it provides no firm seal for landscape architecture. The society itself is continued as a corporation under s. 2 with powers to acquire and deal with property, and the Societies Act applies to it subject to listed exceptions, but none of that reaches a practitioner’s firm.
Who supplies the seal in Alberta and Ontario?
In Alberta, the AALA supplies both, keeping the ink stamp under its control and acting as sole source of the Digital Seal, as set out on the Alberta page. In Ontario the OALA sources that loaded confirm that Full Members with Certificate and Seal may seal but do not say who supplies the ink seal, as explained on the Ontario page.
Does this answer apply everywhere in Canada?
No, and that is the point worth carrying away. Landscape architecture is regulated provincially, and the three provinces read here each handle the seal through the association rather than the statute. Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces were not read. Ask your own province’s regulator rather than generalizing from these three, and do not reason across from architecture or surveying either, where Ontario issues practitioner seals and takes them back on suspension.
