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 Connecticut Architectural Licensing Board, within the Department of Consumer Protection and Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-293 on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
The board approves your seal, and Connecticut publishes no specification for it. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-293 provides that “Each architect shall have a seal approved by the board, which shall contain the name of the architect and the words, ‘Licensed Architect, State of Connecticut’, and such other words or figures as the board deems necessary.” Two elements are fixed and the rest is open-ended by design. No diameter appears in the statute, no device is named, and the Department of Consumer Protection does not publish an architect seal specification on its licensing pages. Get the approved specimen from the board before you order anything.
Note the exact legend: Licensed Architect, State of Connecticut, with the comma and in that order. Connecticut says licensed rather than registered because P.A. 82-419 changed the vocabulary across the chapter. Your license number is not named in the statute and comes in, if at all, through the board-approved design. The landscape architect statute at § 20-372(b) uses the same formula with the words licensed landscape architect, state of Connecticut, so the two devices are easy to confuse in a combined practice.
Enforcement runs through building officials. Except for work exempted by § 20-298, no state, city, town or borough official charged with enforcing construction laws may accept or approve plans or specifications that are not stamped with the seal of a licensed architect or a licensed professional engineer.
Connecticut architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Connecticut rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-293 |
| Required elements | The words “STATE OF CONNECTICUT” around the upper arc; Your place name on a second line beneath it; A serrated outer border of fine radial ticks; A five-pointed star at each side, on the horizontal centerline; The Connecticut state coat of arms, the shield of three grapevines above the ribbon reading Qui Transtulit Sustinet, in the center; The words “LICENSED ARCHITECT” around the lower arc; Your license number beneath the legend, in the form “No. 123456”; A dotted inner ring enclosing the center block | Acorn Sales production artwork, Connecticut architect seal (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-293 fixes the legend only) |
| Size and shape | This is what Acorn actually makes for Connecticut, taken from our own production artwork rather than from a published rule. | Acorn Sales production artwork, Connecticut architect seal |
| Device allowed | Not addressed. Section 20-293 speaks of documents being “stamped with his seal” and names no device: the words embossed, rubber stamp, facsimile and electronic do not appear in chapter 390. The sources here. | Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 390 (no device named) |
| Signature and date | Sealing and authorship are treated together and the statute is silent on the mechanics. | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-293 (silent as to signature and date) |
| What must be sealed | Working drawings and specifications prepared for buildings or structures which by the terms of chapter 390 must be prepared by a licensed architect. | Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 20-293, 20-298 |
| Electronic seal | Not addressed. Chapter 390 contains no electronic or digital seal provision, names no technology, no certificate authority and no verification process, and sets out no stripping language for uncertified electronic. | Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 390 (no electronic seal provision) |
| Renewal and lapse | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-292(a) puts every licensed architect on annual renewal with proof or attestation of twelve hours of continuing professional education, and § 21a-10(b) governs the staggered renewal schedule. | Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 20-292(a), (d), 20-294 |
| Firm requirements | A certificate of authorization is required, and the individual seal still carries the document. | Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 20-298a, 20-298b |
| Regulator | The Connecticut Architectural Licensing Board, within the Department of Consumer Protection | Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 390 (Architects), §§ 20-288 through 20-298c, read in full from the Connecticut General Assembly’s published statutes, with §§ 20-292, 20-293, 20-294, 20-298, 20-298a and 20-298b taken in full |
Is a seal required in Connecticut?
Connecticut puts the whole architect seal rule in one statutory section and delegates the design. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-293 provides that “Each architect shall have a seal approved by the board, which shall contain the name of the architect and the words, ‘Licensed Architect, State of Connecticut’, and such other words or figures as the board deems necessary.” The duty follows in the next sentence: “The working drawings and specifications prepared for such buildings or structures, which by the terms of this chapter shall be prepared by a licensed architect, shall be stamped with his seal.” Enforcement runs through building officials: except for work exempted by § 20-298, no state, city, town or borough official charged with enforcing construction laws may accept or approve plans or specifications that are not stamped with the seal of a licensed architect or a licensed professional engineer.
What must appear on the seal
- The words “STATE OF CONNECTICUT” around the upper arc
- Your place name on a second line beneath it
- A serrated outer border of fine radial ticks
- A five-pointed star at each side, on the horizontal centerline
- The Connecticut state coat of arms, the shield of three grapevines above the ribbon reading Qui Transtulit Sustinet, in the center
- The words “LICENSED ARCHITECT” around the lower arc
- Your license number beneath the legend, in the form “No. 123456”
- A dotted inner ring enclosing the center block
The list above is Acorn’s own production artwork, not a published specification. It is what we cut and ship for this credential, and it is offered as a starting point rather than as the rule. As for what the state itself publishes: Two elements are fixed by statute and the rest is open-ended by design. The legend is exactly “Licensed Architect, State of Connecticut”, with a comma and in that order, and Connecticut says licensed rather than registered because P.A. 82-419 changed the vocabulary across the chapter. The license number is not named in the statute; it comes in, if at all, through the board-approved design. Take the layout from the specimen the board approves for you rather than from a template. Note the parallel drafting: the Connecticut landscape architect statute at § 20-372(b) uses the same formula with the words “licensed landscape architect, state of Connecticut”, so the two devices are easy to confuse in a combined practice.
Size and shape
This is what Acorn actually makes for Connecticut, taken from our own production artwork rather than from a published rule. Section 20-293 requires a seal approved by the board and states no diameter, shape or proportion, and the Department of Consumer Protection publishes none. What follows is the die we cut. The printed die measures 1-1/2 inches across, drawn inside a guide circle a shade over that, so 1-1/2 inches is the figure to work from. That is the same plate size across all three Connecticut credentials we cut, which is worth knowing because Connecticut delegates the design to three different boards and none of them prints a diameter.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Not addressed. Section 20-293 speaks of documents being “stamped with his seal” and names no device: the words Embosser, rubber stamp, facsimile and electronic do not appear in chapter 390. The sources here are §§ 20-288 through 20-298c. Because the operative verb is stamped and because building officials must be able to see the seal on the plans they accept, an inked stamp cut to the board-approved design is the safe buy. Do not assume the engineer and land surveyor provisions at § 20-300-10(b) and (c), which do address rubber stamps and digital signatures, reach an architect; that regulation is made under chapter 391.
Signing and dating
Sealing and authorship are treated together and the statute is silent on the mechanics. Section 20-293 provides that “No person shall designate or imply that he is the author of such working drawings or specifications unless he was in responsible charge of their preparation, whether made by him personally or by his employee or agent under his immediate supervision,” and that “Working drawings and specifications prepared by an architectural firm shall be sealed by a principal member or officer of the firm.” Not addressed: whether a signature must accompany the seal, whether a date is required, and whether the signature must cross the impression. Checked § 20-293 in full and the rest of chapter 390.
The board approves the seal and Connecticut publishes no specification
Section 20-293 gives you two words of legend and a delegation. The seal must be “approved by the board” and may carry “such other words or figures as the board deems necessary.” There is no diameter in the statute, no device named, and the Department of Consumer Protection does not publish an architect seal specification on its licensing pages. That is the same posture Connecticut takes with engineers and land surveyors, whose regulation refers to a size and design prescribed by the board without printing it. Get the approved specimen from the board before you order anything.
Which documents must be sealed
Working drawings and specifications prepared for buildings or structures which by the terms of chapter 390 must be prepared by a licensed architect. The carve-outs are in § 20-298 and they are unusually generous: engineering by a licensed professional engineer and architectural work incidental to it; residential buildings of not more than two families and their garages and accessory buildings; farm buildings; details and shop drawings prepared by others for their own work; employees of Connecticut licensed architects acting under supervision; superintendence by builders; public utility and federal government employees; and, most significantly, any building, addition or alteration under five thousand square feet in total area, except in the Assembly, educational, institutional, high hazard and transient residential use groups defined in the State Building Code.
Electronic and digital seals
Not addressed. Chapter 390 contains no electronic or digital seal provision, names no technology, no certificate authority and no verification process, and sets out no stripping language for uncertified electronic transmissions. The sources here are §§ 20-288 through 20-298c. Connecticut does have a detailed digital signature regulation for engineers and land surveyors at Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 20-300-10(c), which requires conformity with the NIST Digital Signature Standard, but that regulation is adopted under chapter 391 and does not on its face reach an architect. Treat an electronic Connecticut architect seal as an open question for the board.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-292(a) puts every licensed architect on annual renewal with proof or attestation of twelve hours of continuing professional education, and § 21a-10(b) governs the staggered renewal schedule. Section 20-292(d) creates Architect Emeritus registration for a retired architect who is sixty-five or older or has held a Connecticut license for at least ten years, and is explicit that “An Architect Emeritus may not engage in the practice of architecture without applying for and receiving an architect license.” Section 20-294 allows suspension for up to one year, revocation, censure and a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars per violation, and allows reissuance. Not addressed: whether the license number changes on reissuance and whether a seal must be surrendered or destroyed. Checked §§ 20-292, 20-293 and 20-294.
Firm requirements
A certificate of authorization is required, and the individual seal still carries the document. Section 20-298b permits corporate practice where the personnel act as architects, the chief executive officer is licensed, at least two-thirds of the voting stock of a professional corporation is held by licensees, and the board has issued a certificate of authorization. The document rule is express: “All plans, specifications, sketches, drawings and documents pertaining to any such services rendered by the corporation shall be signed and bear the seal of a Connecticut licensed architect in accordance with the provisions of section 20-293.” The corporation gets no seal of its own and its certificate number is not required on the sheet. Section 20-298a separately allows an architect and engineer partnership whose title includes both words, provided at least half the partners or principals are licensed architects.
What to check before you order
Ask the Architectural Licensing Board for the seal design it approves for you before you order, because Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-293 requires a seal approved by the board and Connecticut publishes no dimension or layout. The statute fixes two things: your name and the words Licensed Architect, State of Connecticut. The board may require other words or figures, and your license number will normally come from its specimen. Buy an inked stamp, because the statute speaks of drawings being stamped and because a Connecticut building official may not accept plans that are not stamped. Seal working drawings and specifications for any building that the chapter requires an architect to prepare. If you practice through a corporation, the plans still bear your individual seal under § 20-298b, and the corporation needs its own certificate of authorization.
Browse architect stamps and seals.
Frequently asked questions
Is an architect seal required in Connecticut?
Yes. Section 20-293 provides that “The working drawings and specifications prepared for such buildings or structures, which by the terms of this chapter shall be prepared by a licensed architect, shall be stamped with his seal.” The same section bars enforcement officials from accepting or approving plans or specifications that are not stamped with the seal of a licensed architect or a licensed professional engineer, except for work exempted by § 20-298.
What has to appear on a Connecticut architect seal?
Your name and the words Licensed Architect, State of Connecticut, plus such other words or figures as the board deems necessary. That third category is what makes the board-approved specimen the real authority. Take the layout from the specimen the board approves for you rather than from a template. Acorn’s own production artwork carries STATE OF CONNECTICUT on the upper arc with the place name beneath it, LICENSED ARCHITECT on the lower arc with the license number beneath that, the Connecticut coat of arms, the three-grapevine shield over the Qui Transtulit Sustinet ribbon in the center, a star at each side, a dotted inner ring and a serrated outer border. That is what we cut, not a published specification.
What size is a Connecticut architect seal?
The statute states no diameter, shape or proportion. Section 20-293 requires a seal “approved by the board” and stops there, and chapter 390 in full, sections 20-288 through 20-298c, adds nothing. Connecticut does the same to its engineers and land surveyors, whose regulation at Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 20-300-10(a) speaks only of a seal “of a size and design prescribed by the Board” without printing either. Build from the approved specimen, not from an inch figure found elsewhere. Acorn’s own production artwork for this seal prints at 1-1/2 inches across, the same plate we cut for Connecticut landscape architects and land surveyors. That is our production record rather than a published rule, so the board remains the authority if it later publishes a figure.
Can I use an embosser or a rubber stamp in Connecticut?
Chapter 390 names no device at all. The words embossed, rubber stamp, facsimile and electronic do not appear in sections 20-288 through 20-298c. Because the operative verb is stamped, and because building officials must be able to see the seal on the plans they accept, an inked stamp cut to the board-approved design is the safe buy. Do not assume the engineer and land surveyor provisions at § 20-300-10(b) and (c), which do address rubber stamps and digital signatures, reach an architect; that regulation is made under chapter 391.
Does Connecticut require a signature and date with the seal?
The statute does not say. Section 20-293 is silent on whether a signature must accompany the seal, whether a date is required, and whether the signature must cross the impression. What it does address is authorship: no person may designate or imply that he is the author of working drawings or specifications unless he was in responsible charge of their preparation, whether made personally or by an employee or agent under his immediate supervision, and “Working drawings and specifications prepared by an architectural firm shall be sealed by a principal member or officer of the firm.”
Which documents have to be sealed in Connecticut?
Working drawings and specifications prepared for buildings or structures which by the terms of chapter 390 must be prepared by a licensed architect. The carve-outs in § 20-298 are unusually generous and include engineering by a licensed professional engineer with incidental architectural work, residential buildings of not more than two families with their garages and accessory buildings, farm buildings, details and shop drawings prepared by others for their own work, employees of Connecticut licensed architects acting under supervision, superintendence by builders, and public utility and federal government employees.
Is there a square footage threshold in Connecticut?
Yes, and it surprises out-of-state architects. Under § 20-298(8), plans for a building, addition or alteration under five thousand square feet in total area need no architect at all, unless the building falls in the Assembly, educational, institutional, high hazard or transient residential use groups defined in the State Building Code. Area is measured from the exterior dimensions of the outside walls and includes all occupiable floors.
Can I seal drawings electronically in Connecticut?
Chapter 390 contains no electronic or digital seal provision. It names no technology, no certificate authority and no verification process, and sets out no stripping language for uncertified electronic transmissions across sections 20-288 through 20-298c. Connecticut does have a detailed digital signature regulation for engineers and land surveyors at Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 20-300-10(c), requiring conformity with the NIST Digital Signature Standard, but that regulation is adopted under chapter 391 and does not on its face reach an architect. Treat electronic sealing as a question for the board.
How often does a Connecticut architect license renew?
Annually. Section 20-292(a) puts every licensed architect on annual renewal with proof or attestation of twelve hours of continuing professional education, and § 21a-10(b) governs the staggered schedule. Section 20-292(d) creates Architect Emeritus registration for a retired architect who is sixty-five or older or has held a Connecticut license for at least ten years, and states that “An Architect Emeritus may not engage in the practice of architecture without applying for and receiving an architect license.” Section 20-294 allows suspension for up to one year, revocation, censure, a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars per violation, and reissuance. Whether the license number changes on reissuance, and whether a seal must be surrendered, are not covered in §§ 20-292, 20-293 or 20-294.
Does a Connecticut architecture firm get its own seal?
No, though it does need a certificate of authorization. Section 20-298b permits corporate practice where the personnel act as architects, the chief executive officer is licensed, at least two-thirds of the voting stock of a professional corporation is held by licensees, and the board has issued a certificate of authorization. The document rule is express: “All plans, specifications, sketches, drawings and documents pertaining to any such services rendered by the corporation shall be signed and bear the seal of a Connecticut licensed architect in accordance with the provisions of section 20-293.” The corporation gets no seal and its certificate number is not required on the sheet. Section 20-298a separately allows an architect and engineer partnership whose title includes both words, provided at least half the partners or principals are licensed architects.
