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 Delaware Board of Landscape Architecture, within the Division of Professional Regulation and 24 DE Admin. Code 200, s. 5.1.1, 5.1.2 on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
One and thirteen sixteenths of an inch across the center. Rule 5.1.3 requires a seal “of the embossing type or a rubber stamp” with two concentric circles, and “The outside circle measures across the center 1 13/16 inches.” No other Delaware board uses that figure, and no vendor blank sized for a neighboring state will match it. The rule was amended effective 1 May 2025, so read the current text before repeating a number from older guidance.
The face is a closed specification. The inner circle “shall contain only the words ‘NO.’ and ‘State of Delaware,’” which excludes everything else from it. Your name sits at the top and the words Registered Landscape Architect run along the bottom reading counterclockwise. Note the wording: Delaware issues a landscape architect license and letters the seal Registered Landscape Architect. Getting the reading direction wrong is the most common artwork defect on a device that otherwise has the right words.
The stamping rule is unusually workable. Rule 5.1.2 provides that applying the impression or rubber stamp to the first sheet of the bound sheets with the index of drawings included, to the title page of specifications, and to other drawings and contract documents constitutes your stamp. There is no sheet-by-sheet requirement for a bound set, which is the opposite of what Delaware land surveyors face.
Delaware landscape architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Delaware rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | 24 DE Admin. Code 200, s. 5.1.1, 5.1.2 |
| Required elements | NO. and State of Delaware inside the inner circle, and nothing else, Registered Landscape Architect at the bottom, reading counterclockwise and Your name at the top | 24 DE Admin. Code 200, s. 5.1.3 |
| Size and shape | An outside circle measuring one and thirteen sixteenths of an inch across the center. | 24 DE Admin. Code 200, s. 5.1.3 (amended effective May 1, 2025) |
| Device allowed | Two devices are named and only two: “It shall be of the embossing type or a rubber stamp.” Section 5.0 names no computer-generated or electronic seal. | 24 DE Admin. Code 200, s. 5.1.3 |
| Signature and date | The section is written around signing and sealing together: rule 5.1.1 opens “For the purpose of signing and sealing drawings,” and rule 5.2.1 provides that “Landscape architects shall not sign or seal drawings unless they were prepared by them or under their direct supervision.” Rule 5.2.3 adds that “Signing or sealing of drawings prepared by another shall be a representation by the registered landscape architect that the landscape architect has detailed professional knowledge of and vouches for the contents of the drawings.” Not addressed: whether a date must appear with the seal and whether the signature must cross the impression. | 24 DE Admin. Code 200, s. 5.1.1, 5.2.1, 5.2.3 (silent as to date and placement) |
| What must be sealed | Drawings, specifications, contract documents, plans, reports and other documents prepared by the landscape architect or under direct supervision for use in Delaware. | 24 DE Admin. Code 200, s. 5.1.1, 5.1.2, 5.2.2, 5.2.3 |
| Electronic seal | Not addressed. Section 5.0 names an embossing seal and a rubber stamp and nothing else; the words electronic, digital and computer-generated do not appear in it. The sources here are 24 DE Admin. Code 200 in full. | 24 DE Admin. Code 200, s. 5.0 (no electronic seal provision) |
| Renewal and lapse | Rule 6.1 provides that a renewal application or request for inactive status is due on or before the expiration date, that a practitioner may still renew within sixty days after expiry on payment of a late fee, and that sixty days after the expiration date “an unrenewed license shall be deemed terminated and the practitioner must reapply pursuant to the terms of 24 Del.C. §210(b).” Rule 8.1 allows inactive status for a maximum of ten years, with reinstatement on a pro rated fee and twenty continuing education hours for each biennial period of inactivity. | 24 DE Admin. Code 200, s. 6.1, 8.1, 8.2 (amended effective May 1, 2025) |
| Firm requirements | A certificate of authorization exists for business entities and it does not produce a seal. | 24 DE Admin. Code 200, s. 3.0 |
| Regulator | The Delaware Board of Landscape Architecture, within the Division of Professional Regulation | 24 DE Admin. Code 200 (Board of Landscape Architecture), read in full from the Delaware Regulations site, principally section 5.0 (Seal), section 3.0 (Filing of Applications for Certificate of Authorization), section 6.0 (Renewal of Licenses) and section 8.0 (Inactive Status), with the May 2025 amendment noted in the chapter’s history lines |
Is a seal required in Delaware?
Rule 5.1.1 states the duty and the purpose together: “For the purpose of signing and sealing drawings, specifications, contract documents, plans, reports and other documents (hereinafter collectively referred to as ‘drawings’), each landscape architect shall have an individual seal of design and size as approved by the Board to be used as hereinafter directed on documents prepared by the landscape architect or under direct supervision for use in the State of Delaware.” Rule 5.1.2 then defines what counts as stamping: “The application of the seal impression or rubber stamp to the first sheet of the bound sheets of the drawings with index of drawings included, title page of specifications, and other drawings and contract documents shall constitute the licensed landscape architect’s stamp.”
What must appear on the seal
- NO. and State of Delaware inside the inner circle, and nothing else
- Registered Landscape Architect at the bottom, reading counterclockwise
- Your name at the top
Rule 5.1.3 is a closed specification: the inner circle “shall contain only the words ‘NO.’ and ‘State of Delaware.’” That word only excludes everything else from the inner ring. The legend at the bottom reads counterclockwise, and the licensee’s name sits at the top. Note the legend wording: Delaware licenses landscape architects but letters the seal Registered Landscape Architect. No firm name, no discipline and no expiry date is authorized. The Delaware land surveyor device at 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.4 uses the same counterclockwise convention with different words, so the two look alike at a glance.
Size and shape
An outside circle measuring one and thirteen sixteenths of an inch across the center. Rule 5.1.3: the seal “shall be of the embossing type or a rubber stamp and have 2 concentric circles. The outside circle measures across the center 1 13/16 inches.” The rule states no inner circle diameter. This is not a figure shared with any other Delaware board: the land surveyor seal is a one inch inner and one and one-half inch outer circle under 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.5, the geologist seal is not less than one and one-half inches under 24 DE Admin. Code 3600, s. 3.2, and the architect seal is fixed by specimen image with no printed dimension.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Two devices are named and only two: “It shall be of the embossing type or a rubber stamp.” Section 5.0 names no computer-generated or electronic seal. The safe buy is a rubber stamp at the specified outside diameter, because the stamping rule in 5.1.2 works by applying the impression to the first sheet of a bound set and to specification title pages, which have to read on reproductions. An embosser satisfies the rule and does not reproduce.
Signing and dating
The section is written around signing and sealing together: rule 5.1.1 opens “For the purpose of signing and sealing drawings,” and rule 5.2.1 provides that “Landscape architects shall not sign or seal drawings unless they were prepared by them or under their direct supervision.” Rule 5.2.3 adds that “Signing or sealing of drawings prepared by another shall be a representation by the registered landscape architect that the landscape architect has detailed professional knowledge of and vouches for the contents of the drawings.” Not addressed: whether a date must appear with the seal and whether the signature must cross the impression. The sources here are section 5.0 in full.
One and thirteen sixteenths of an inch, and the seal goes on the first sheet of the bound set
Delaware gives this board an odd and very specific diameter. Rule 5.1.3 requires two concentric circles with the outside circle measuring 1 13/16 inches across the center. No other Delaware board uses that figure, and no vendor blank sized for a neighboring state will match it. The rule was amended effective 1 May 2025, so read the current text before repeating the number from older guidance.
Which documents must be sealed
Drawings, specifications, contract documents, plans, reports and other documents prepared by the landscape architect or under direct supervision for use in Delaware. The placement rule is generous and precise at the same time: applying the impression or rubber stamp to the first sheet of the bound sheets with the index of drawings included, to the title page of specifications, and to other drawings and contract documents constitutes the stamp. Rule 5.2.2 defines supervision as direct supervision involving responsible control over and detailed professional knowledge of the contents throughout preparation, and states that reviewing or correcting drawings prepared by others does not qualify. Rule 5.2.3 makes the seal prima facie evidence that the drawings were prepared by or under the direct supervision of the person who signed or sealed them. Section 5.0 states no preliminary or draft carve-out.
Electronic and digital seals
Not addressed. Section 5.0 names an embossing seal and a rubber stamp and nothing else; the words electronic, digital and computer-generated do not appear in it. The sources here are 24 DE Admin. Code 200 in full, including the May 2025 amendments to sections 5.0 and 8.0, and checked 24 Del. C. ch. 2, whose § 205(a)(1) authorizes the Board to make rules relating to official seals but states no electronic provision. Delaware does address electronic seals expressly for architects at 24 DE Admin. Code 300, r. 7.6.1.1 and for geologists at 24 DE Admin. Code 3600, s. 3.2; neither reaches a landscape architect. Treat an electronic Delaware landscape architect seal as unverified rather than authorized.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Rule 6.1 provides that a renewal application or request for inactive status is due on or before the expiration date, that a practitioner may still renew within sixty days after expiry on payment of a late fee, and that sixty days after the expiration date “an unrenewed license shall be deemed terminated and the practitioner must reapply pursuant to the terms of 24 Del.C. §210(b).” Rule 8.1 allows inactive status for a maximum of ten years, with reinstatement on a pro rated fee and twenty continuing education hours for each biennial period of inactivity. Not addressed: whether the license number changes on reapplication after termination, and whether the seal must be surrendered or destroyed. Checked sections 5.0, 6.0 and 8.0.
Firm requirements
A certificate of authorization exists for business entities and it does not produce a seal. Rule 3.0 requires a business entity seeking a certificate of authorization under 24 Del. C. § 212 to file an application listing the officers, partners, members, managers or principals and the individuals licensed in Delaware who will be in responsible charge under § 212(b)(1), to renew biennially, and to notify the Board in writing within thirty days of any change in the information provided. The entity gets no seal of its own, and neither section 5.0 nor 24 Del. C. ch. 2 requires the certificate of authorization number on a sealed drawing.
What to check before you order
Order an embossing seal or a rubber stamp with two concentric circles, the outside circle measuring one and thirteen sixteenths of an inch across the center. The inner circle carries only the words NO. and State of Delaware. Your name goes at the top and the words Registered Landscape Architect go along the bottom, reading counterclockwise. A rubber stamp is the practical choice because the rule works by applying the stamp to the first sheet of the bound set with the index included and to the title page of specifications, and an embossed impression will not reproduce on those. Send the Board an impression of the seal for your file, as rule 5.1.4 requires. Sign and seal only drawings you prepared or directly supervised.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for landscape architects in Delaware?
Yes. Rule 5.1.1 states the duty and the purpose together: “For the purpose of signing and sealing drawings, specifications, contract documents, plans, reports and other documents (hereinafter collectively referred to as ‘drawings’), each landscape architect shall have an individual seal of design and size as approved by the Board to be used as hereinafter directed on documents prepared by the landscape architect or under direct supervision for use in the State of Delaware.” The statutory authority is 24 Del. C. §§ 205(a)(1) and 212(a).
What has to appear on a Delaware landscape architect seal?
Three things, in fixed positions under rule 5.1.3: the words NO. and State of Delaware inside the inner circle and nothing else, Registered Landscape Architect at the bottom reading counterclockwise, and your name at the top. The word only in the rule closes the inner circle to anything further. No firm name, no discipline line and no expiry date is authorized.
What size is a Delaware landscape architect seal?
Two concentric circles with the outside circle measuring 1 13/16 inches across the center, under rule 5.1.3 as amended effective 1 May 2025. The rule states no inner circle diameter. That outer figure is not shared with any other Delaware board: the land surveyor seal is a one inch inner and one and one-half inch outer circle under 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.5, the geologist seal is not less than one and one-half inches under 24 DE Admin. Code 3600, s. 3.2, and the architect seal is fixed by specimen image with no printed dimension.
Embosser or rubber stamp in Delaware?
Two devices are named and only two: “It shall be of the embossing type or a rubber stamp.” Section 5.0 names no computer-generated or electronic seal. A rubber stamp at the specified outside diameter is the practical buy, because the stamping rule works by applying the impression to the first sheet of a bound set and to specification title pages, which have to read on reproductions. An embosser satisfies the rule and does not reproduce.
Where does the Delaware seal go on a set of drawings?
Rule 5.1.2 defines the act: “The application of the seal impression or rubber stamp to the first sheet of the bound sheets of the drawings with index of drawings included, title page of specifications, and other drawings and contract documents shall constitute the licensed landscape architect’s stamp.” A bound set does not need a seal on every sheet.
Does the Delaware rule require a date or a signature across the seal?
Section 5.0 does not address either. It is written around signing and sealing together, with rule 5.1.1 opening “For the purpose of signing and sealing drawings,” but it states no date requirement and no rule that the signature must cross the impression. What it does regulate is whose work you may seal.
Whose drawings can a Delaware landscape architect seal?
Only your own or those prepared under your direct supervision. Rule 5.2.1: “Landscape architects shall not sign or seal drawings unless they were prepared by them or under their direct supervision.” Rule 5.2.2 defines supervision as direct supervision involving responsible control over and detailed professional knowledge of the contents throughout preparation, and says that reviewing or correcting drawings prepared by others does not qualify. Rule 5.2.3 adds that signing or sealing drawings prepared by another is a representation that you have detailed professional knowledge of and vouch for the contents, and makes the seal prima facie evidence that the drawings were prepared by or under the direct supervision of the person who signed or sealed them.
Is an electronic seal allowed for Delaware landscape architects?
Section 5.0 names an embossing seal and a rubber stamp and nothing else. The words electronic, digital and computer-generated do not appear in it, including in the May 2025 amendments, and 24 Del. C. § 205(a)(1), which authorizes the Board to make rules relating to official seals, states no electronic provision. Delaware does address electronic seals expressly for architects at 24 DE Admin. Code 300, r. 7.6.1.1 and for geologists at 24 DE Admin. Code 3600, s. 3.2, and neither reaches a landscape architect. Treat an electronic Delaware landscape architect seal as unverified rather than authorized, and ask the Board.
What happens to a Delaware license that is not renewed?
Rule 6.1 puts the renewal application or request for inactive status on or before the expiration date, allows renewal within sixty days after expiry on payment of a late fee, and provides that sixty days after the expiration date “an unrenewed license shall be deemed terminated and the practitioner must reapply pursuant to the terms of 24 Del.C. §210(b).” Rule 8.1 allows inactive status for a maximum of ten years, with reinstatement on a pro rated fee and twenty continuing education hours for each biennial period of inactivity. Whether the license number changes on reapplication, and whether the seal must be surrendered or destroyed, are not covered.
Does a Delaware landscape architecture firm need a seal?
No. A certificate of authorization exists for business entities and it produces no seal. Rule 3.0 requires a business entity seeking one under 24 Del. C. § 212 to file an application listing the officers, partners, members, managers or principals and the individuals licensed in Delaware who will be in responsible charge under § 212(b)(1), to renew biennially, and to notify the Board in writing within thirty days of any change. Neither section 5.0 nor 24 Del. C. ch. 2 requires the certificate of authorization number on a sealed drawing.
