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 New Hampshire Board of Land Surveyors, administered by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification and N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 310-A:67(II) on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
New Hampshire land surveyors use a square seal with a transit in it. N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b): “The seal shall consist of 2 squares with the outer square 1-9/16 inches and the inner square 1-1/2 inches.” Inside the inner square goes a transit, with your full name and license number written horizontally, State of New Hampshire to the left of the transit and Licensed Land Surveyor to the right. A circular blank is simply the wrong object. None of New Hampshire’s other design credentials uses a square: architects take concentric circles at 1-9/16 and 15/16 inches, landscape architects concentric circles at 1-5/8 and 1-1/4 inches inside a twelve-leaf border reaching 1 7/8 inches, and geologists concentric circles at 1-5/8 and 1-1/4 inches.
RSA 310-A:67(II) then makes something unusual a statutory element: the seal must bear “a place for the licensee’s signature,” and the rule puts that line at the bottom of the stamp. The device is designed to be signed on, not merely next to, and Lan 305.03(a) reinforces it by requiring an original signature on all final plans and reports of survey.
The temporary certificate rule catches out-of-state surveyors. RSA 310-A:67(III) requires plans and documents issued under a temporary certificate to be stamped or otherwise noted with the temporary certificate number and both the beginning and the ending date of the certificate, plus the holder’s signature. Two dates, not one.
New Hampshire land surveyor seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | New Hampshire rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 310-A:67(II) |
| Required elements | A transit image inside the inner square; Your full name and license number, written horizontally, within the inner square; State of New Hampshire to the left of the transit; Licensed Land Surveyor to the right of the transit; A line for your signature at the bottom of the stamp | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b) |
| Size and shape | Two squares, an outer square of one and nine-sixteenths inches and an inner square of one and one-half inches. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(b) |
| Device allowed | Two devices, named in the rule: an impression type seal or a rubber stamp. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(a) |
| Signature and date | Seal and original signature, in the signature place the device provides. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(a) |
| What must be sealed | All final plans and reports of survey prepared by the licensee. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(a), (c) |
| Electronic seal | Not addressed. Lan 305.03 names an impression type seal or a rubber stamp, requires an original signature, and contains no electronic or digital seal provision, no technology, no certificate authority and no. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03 (no electronic seal provision |
| Renewal and lapse | RSA 310-A:67(II) provides that documents prepared by licensees must bear the seal and signature while the license is active, with class B misdemeanour penalties for unauthorized sealing after license expiration, suspension or revocation. | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 310-A:67(II) |
| Firm requirements | Not addressed in the seal rule. | N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03 (no firm element) |
| Regulator | The New Hampshire Board of Land Surveyors, administered by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 310-A:67 (Licenses), read in full from the New Hampshire General Court statute site |
Is a seal required in New Hampshire?
RSA 310-A:67, paragraph II, requires each licensee to obtain “a seal of the design authorized by the board, bearing the licensee’s name, the legend ‘Licensed Land Surveyor’, and a place for the licensee’s signature.” Note that last element: New Hampshire builds the signature line into the device itself. N.H. Code Admin. R. Lan 305.03(a) supplies the duty: on issuance of a license the licensee shall obtain an impression type seal or rubber stamp of the design specified by the rules, bearing the licensee’s name and number as shown on the license, and “This seal and original signature shall be affixed on all final plans and reports of survey prepared by the licensee.”
What must appear on the seal
- A transit image inside the inner square
- Your full name and license number, written horizontally, within the inner square
- State of New Hampshire to the left of the transit
- Licensed Land Surveyor to the right of the transit
- A line for your signature at the bottom of the stamp
This is the most pictorial of the four New Hampshire design seals and the only one that is not round. The rule places a transit inside the inner square with the licensee’s full name and license number written horizontally, State of New Hampshire on the left of the transit, Licensed Land Surveyor on the right, and a line at the bottom for the signature, all as illustrated in the rule’s figure. The statute confirms the signature place as a required element. Nothing about a firm or an expiry date is authorized.
Size and shape
Two squares, an outer square of one and nine-sixteenths inches and an inner square of one and one-half inches. Lan 305.03(b): “The seal shall consist of 2 squares with the outer square 1-9/16 inches and the inner square 1-1/2 inches.” A square seal is rare, and none of New Hampshire’s other design credentials uses one: architects take concentric circles at 1-9/16 and 15/16 inches, landscape architects concentric circles at 1-5/8 and 1-1/4 inches inside a twelve-leaf border reaching 1 7/8 inches, and geologists concentric circles at 1-5/8 and 1-1/4 inches.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Two devices, named in the rule: an impression type seal or a rubber stamp. Lan 305.03 names no computer generated or digital seal, unlike the New Hampshire landscape architect rule at Lsa 305.03(a). The safe buy is a rubber stamp at the specified square geometry, because the rule requires an original signature alongside the seal on final plans and reports of survey and both have to read on the recorded document.
Signing and dating
Seal and original signature, in the signature place the device provides. Lan 305.03(a) requires the seal and the original signature on all final plans and reports of survey prepared by the licensee, and RSA 310-A:67(II) makes a place for the licensee’s signature part of the seal design itself, with the rule putting that line at the bottom of the stamp. Not addressed in Lan 305.03: a date requirement. Note the contrast with the three other New Hampshire design credentials, whose statutes at RSA 310-A:44, 310-A:130 and 310-A:152 each require papers or documents filed for public record to be dated as well as signed and sealed.
A square seal with a transit in it, and the signature line is part of the design
New Hampshire land surveyors are the only one of the state’s four design credentials with a square device. Lan 305.03(b) specifies two squares, the outer 1-9/16 inches and the inner 1-1/2 inches, with a transit inside the inner square, the licensee’s full name and license number written horizontally, State of New Hampshire to the left of the transit and Licensed Land Surveyor to the right. A circular blank is simply the wrong object.
Which documents must be sealed
All final plans and reports of survey prepared by the licensee. Lan 305.03(c) sets the two prohibitions: it is a violation of the rules for the licensee to stamp or seal any documents after the license has expired or been revoked, or while it is under suspension, and it is a violation to stamp or seal any document not prepared by the licensee personally or under the licensee’s direct supervision. RSA 310-A:67(III) adds the temporary certificate rule: “All plans and documents issued under a temporary certificate shall be stamped or otherwise noted to indicate the land surveyor’s temporary certificate number and the beginning and ending date to the temporary certificate,” and must carry the holder’s signature.
Electronic and digital seals
Not addressed. Lan 305.03 names an impression type seal or a rubber stamp, requires an original signature, and contains no electronic or digital seal provision, no technology, no certificate authority and no verification standard. The sources here are Lan 305.03 in full from the General Court rules site. The New Hampshire landscape architect rule does permit a digital seal at Lsa 305.03(a); that rule belongs to a different board. Treat an electronic New Hampshire land surveyor seal as unverified rather than authorized.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
RSA 310-A:67(II) provides that documents prepared by licensees must bear the seal and signature while the license is active, with class B misdemeanour penalties for unauthorized sealing after license expiration, suspension or revocation. Lan 305.03(c) makes the same conduct a violation of the board’s rules. Not addressed: whether the license number changes on reinstatement and whether the device must be surrendered or destroyed. The sources here are Lan 305.03 in full and checked RSA 310-A:67.
Firm requirements
Not addressed in the seal rule. Lan 305.03 limits the face to the transit, the name, the license number, the two legends and the signature line, and puts no firm name or firm number on it. The sources here are Lan 305.03 in full. Compare New Hampshire architecture, where N.H. Code Admin. R. Arch 307.01 requires business organizations offering architectural services to meet the requirements of RSA 310-A:42-a. Take any land surveying business organization requirement from the board rather than by analogy.
What to check before you order
Order an impression type seal or a rubber stamp built as two squares, the outer 1-9/16 inches and the inner 1-1/2 inches, matching the figure in the board’s rules. Inside the inner square put a transit with your full name and license number written horizontally, the words State of New Hampshire to the left of the transit and Licensed Land Surveyor to the right, and a line at the bottom of the stamp for your signature. A rubber stamp is the practical choice, because the rule requires an original signature on all final plans and reports of survey and the rules provide no digital seal for this board. Do not order a circular blank. If you are working under a temporary certificate, your plans must also be noted with the temporary certificate number and its beginning and ending dates.
Browse land surveyor stamps and seals.
- Get It Right: New Hampshire Land Surveyor Stamp Purchase Guide
- How to Choose Your Custom New Hampshire Land Surveyor Stamp
Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for land surveyors in New Hampshire?
Yes. RSA 310-A:67(II) requires each licensee to obtain “a seal of the design authorized by the board, bearing the licensee’s name, the legend ‘Licensed Land Surveyor’, and a place for the licensee’s signature.” Lan 305.03(a) supplies the duty: on issuance of a license the licensee shall obtain an impression type seal or rubber stamp of the design specified by the rules, bearing the licensee’s name and number as shown on the license, and “This seal and original signature shall be affixed on all final plans and reports of survey prepared by the licensee.”
What has to appear on a New Hampshire land surveyor seal?
Five things under Lan 305.03(b): a transit image inside the inner square, your full name and license number written horizontally within the inner square, State of New Hampshire to the left of the transit, Licensed Land Surveyor to the right of it, and a line for your signature at the bottom of the stamp. Nothing about a firm or an expiry date is authorized.
What size and shape is a New Hampshire land surveyor seal?
Two squares: an outer square of one and nine-sixteenths inches and an inner square of one and one-half inches. Square, not round, and matching the figure printed in the board’s rules.
Impression seal or rubber stamp in New Hampshire?
Either. Lan 305.03(a) names an impression type seal or a rubber stamp and names no computer generated or digital seal, unlike the New Hampshire landscape architect rule at Lsa 305.03(a). A rubber stamp is the safe buy, because the rule requires an original signature alongside the seal on final plans and reports of survey and both have to read on the recorded document.
Does New Hampshire require a date beside the seal?
Lan 305.03 does not address one. It requires the seal and the original signature on all final plans and reports of survey. That contrasts with the three other New Hampshire design credentials, whose statutes at RSA 310-A:44, 310-A:130 and 310-A:152 each require papers or documents filed for public record to be dated as well as signed and sealed.
Which New Hampshire documents get the seal?
All final plans and reports of survey prepared by the licensee, under Lan 305.03(a).
What may I not seal in New Hampshire?
Two things, under Lan 305.03(c). It is a violation of the rules for the licensee to stamp or seal any documents after the license has expired or been revoked, or while it is under suspension, and it is a violation to stamp or seal any document not prepared by the licensee personally or under the licensee’s direct supervision.
What goes on a plan issued under a New Hampshire temporary certificate?
RSA 310-A:67(III): “All plans and documents issued under a temporary certificate shall be stamped or otherwise noted to indicate the land surveyor’s temporary certificate number and the beginning and ending date to the temporary certificate,” and they must carry the holder’s signature.
Is an electronic New Hampshire surveyor seal authorized?
Not addressed. Lan 305.03 names an impression type seal or a rubber stamp, requires an original signature, and contains no electronic or digital seal provision, no technology, no certificate authority and no verification standard. The New Hampshire landscape architect rule does permit a digital seal at Lsa 305.03(a), but that rule belongs to a different board. Treat an electronic New Hampshire land surveyor seal as unverified rather than authorized.
What happens to my New Hampshire seal if the license lapses?
You stop using it. RSA 310-A:67(II) provides that documents prepared by licensees must bear the seal and signature while the license is active, with class B misdemeanor penalties for unauthorized sealing after license expiration, suspension or revocation, and Lan 305.03(c) makes the same conduct a violation of the board’s rules. Whether the license number changes on reinstatement and whether the device must be surrendered or destroyed are not addressed.
Does a New Hampshire surveying firm appear on the seal?
No. Lan 305.03 limits the face to the transit, the name, the license number, the two legends and the signature line, and puts no firm name or firm number on it. Compare New Hampshire architecture, where Arch 307.01 requires business organizations offering architectural services to meet the requirements of RSA 310-A:42-a. Take any land surveying business organization requirement from the board rather than by analogy.
