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 Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design and Fla. Stat. § 481.221(3) on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
The Florida interior designer seal is hexagonal, and the circular one belongs to architects. Rule 61G1-16.002(1) says it plainly: “the seal of the architect shall be circular, and the seal of the interior designer shall be hexagonal.” Same approximate two inch size, same two circular lines inside the figure, same State of Florida legend at the top, different outline. Florida is the one state that identifies the profession by the shape of the die, and a round interior design seal is simply the wrong device.
Four elements go inside, under rule 61G1-16.002(1): State of Florida within the two circular lines at the top, registered interior designer within them at the bottom, the name of one interior designer, and the registration number. Section 481.221(3) carries the duty: each registered interior designer obtains a seal as prescribed by the board, and all drawings, plans, specifications or reports prepared or issued by the registrant and filed for public record bear the signature and seal and the date on which they were sealed.
Two wrinkles are worth knowing before you order. Older wording survives: the same subsection provides that “Seals stating ‘Licensed Interior Designer,’ lawfully obtained by registered interior designers prior to January 1, 2015, may continue to be lawfully used,” so two lawful legends are circulating at once and a pre-2015 device need not be replaced. And a dual registrant carries one stamp, not two: rule 61G1-16.002(2) requires an individual registered as both an architect and an interior designer to use a seal containing both registration numbers.
Florida interior designer seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Florida rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | Fla. Stat. § 481.221(3) |
| Required elements | State of Florida within the two circular lines at the top, Registered interior designer within the two circular lines at the bottom, The name of one interior designer and The registration number | Fla. Admin. Code r. 61G1-16.002(1) |
| Size and shape | Approximately two inches in diameter. | Fla. Admin. Code r. 61G1-16.002(1) |
| Device allowed | Ink, embossing or a computer generated impression, with a legibility standard. | Fla. Admin. Code r. 61G1-16.001 |
| Signature and date | Seal, personal signature and date, on documents filed for public record. | Fla. Stat. § 481.221(3) |
| What must be sealed | Drawings, plans, specifications and reports prepared or issued by the registered interior designer and filed for public record. | Fla. Stat. § 481.221(3), (5), (7), (9) |
| Electronic seal | The same rule as architects, and it names a federal standard. | Fla. Admin. Code r. 61G1-16.005 |
| Renewal and lapse | Surrender is a real obligation. | Fla. Stat. § 481.221(11), (12) |
| Firm requirements | No certificate of authorization for the entity. | Fla. Stat. §§ 481.219, 481.221(10) |
| Regulator | The Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design | Fla. Stat. ch. 481, pt. I, principally §§ 481.219 and 481.221, 2024 edition |
Is a seal required in Florida?
Florida registers interior designers and gives them a seal by statute. Section 481.221(3) directs the board to adopt a rule prescribing “the distinctly different seals to be used by registered interior designers holding valid certificates of registration,” and then imposes the duty: “Each registered interior designer shall obtain a seal as prescribed by the board, and all drawings, plans, specifications, or reports prepared or issued by the registered interior designer and being filed for public record shall bear the signature and seal of the registered interior designer who prepared or approved the document and the date on which they were sealed.” The seal is described in Florida Administrative Code rule 61G1-16.002.
What must appear on the seal
- State of Florida within the two circular lines at the top
- Registered interior designer within the two circular lines at the bottom
- The name of one interior designer
- The registration number
Two points of detail matter more here than anywhere else in Florida. First, the device is hexagonal: rule 61G1-16.002(1) provides that “the seal of the architect shall be circular, and the seal of the interior designer shall be hexagonal.” Second, older wording survives. The same subsection provides that “Seals stating ‘Licensed Interior Designer,’ lawfully obtained by registered interior designers prior to January 1, 2015, may continue to be lawfully used.” New devices read registered interior designer. A dual registrant uses a single seal carrying both the architect and interior design registration numbers under rule 61G1-16.002(2).
Size and shape
Approximately two inches in diameter. Rule 61G1-16.002(1) applies the same figure to both seals: “Both seals shall be approximately 2″ in diameter with two circular lines between which lines shall appear” the State of Florida legend at the top and the profession at the bottom. On a hexagonal die that is the across dimension of the figure carrying the two circular lines.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Ink, embossing or a computer generated impression, with a legibility standard. Rule 61G1-16.001 applies to architects and interior designers alike and requires a seal “capable of leaving a permanent ink representation or other form of embossing or opaque and permanent impression, which also may be computer generated impressions, on the surface of prints or other duplications of drawings, and, as appropriate, upon specification pages, and other articles of service.” An unfilled dry embossing is not an opaque impression on a print. The safe buy is an inked hexagonal stamp. Electronic files are sealed under rule 61G1-16.005.
Signing and dating
Seal, personal signature and date, on documents filed for public record. Rule 61G1-16.003(1) covers interior designers in the same breath as architects: the personal seal, signature and date shall appear on all architectural or interior design documents to be filed for public record, a corporate seal alone is insufficient, documents are signed personally by the responsible registrant, signing and sealing the specification index sheets is adequate for specifications, and all drawing sheets and pages are signed and sealed. Section 481.221(3) adds the statutory weight: the signature, date and seal are evidence of the authenticity of that to which they are affixed.
The hexagon, and the 2015 wording change that was never forced
Florida is one of a small number of states that registers interior designers, and the only one that identifies them by the shape of the die. Rule 61G1-16.002(1) makes the architect’s seal circular and the interior designer’s seal hexagonal. Same approximate two inch size, same two circular lines, same State of Florida legend at the top, different outline. A round interior design seal is simply the wrong device.
Which documents must be sealed
Drawings, plans, specifications and reports prepared or issued by the registered interior designer and filed for public record. Section 481.221(5) bars affixing the seal or signature “to any plan, specification, drawing, or other document which depicts work which she or he is not competent or registered to perform,” and section 481.221(7) bars sealing work not prepared by the registrant or under the registrant’s responsible supervising control, or by another registered interior designer and reviewed, approved or modified and adopted as the registrant’s own. Section 481.221(9) sets the quality floor: studies, drawings, specifications and other related documents prepared in providing interior design services must be of a sufficiently high standard to clearly and accurately indicate all necessary parts of the work. Rule 61G1-16.003(2) allows a digitally signed and sealed cover or first sheet to carry a single bound and secured transmitted set, provided an accurate index of drawings with sheet numbers and latest revision dates appears on that sheet.
Electronic and digital seals
The same rule as architects, and it names a federal standard. Rule 61G1-16.005(2) requires the digital or electronic signature to be unique to the person using it, capable of verification within the native software and without use of a third party, under the sole control of the person using it, and linked to the document so that it is invalidated if any data in the document changes. Rule 61G1-16.005(3) requires an authentication code defined as a message digest described in Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 180-4, Secure Hash Standard, March 2012. Rule 61G1-16.005(1)(a) bars a scanned image of an original signature in place of a digital or electronic signature outside the narrow Covid-19 exception, and rule 61G1-16.005(1)(b) requires the creation or placement date to appear on the document as it would under manual sealing. Section 481.221(3) allows electronic transmission and electronic sealing in accordance with sections 668.001 to 668.006.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Surrender is a real obligation. Section 481.221(11) requires a registered interior designer whose certificate has been revoked or suspended to surrender the seal to the secretary of the board within thirty days after the revocation or suspension becomes effective, with return of the seal at the end of a fixed suspension. Section 481.221(12) repeats the duty naming the executive director, adds written confirmation of the cancellation of the electronic signature, and provides that a person may not sign and seal by any means any final plan, specification or report after the certificate has expired or is suspended or revoked. Rule 61G1-16.003(1) bars use of the seal unless the registrant holds a certificate of registration and all required renewals at the time. The registration number does not change on renewal and no date appears on the seal.
Firm requirements
No certificate of authorization for the entity. Section 481.219 provides that the section may not be construed to mean that a certificate of registration must be held by a business organization; the business practices through a qualifying agent. Section 481.221(10) requires the business organization to include the license number of the registered licensee serving as its qualifying agent in any newspaper, telephone directory or other advertising medium. No firm identifier appears on the seal, whose content is closed by rule 61G1-16.002(1) to one name and the registration number.
What to check before you order
Order a hexagonal seal of approximately two inches with two circular lines inside it, STATE OF FLORIDA between them at the top and REGISTERED INTERIOR DESIGNER between them at the bottom, plus one registrant name and the registration number. The hexagon is required; the circular version belongs to architects. If you hold Florida registration as both an architect and an interior designer, order a single seal carrying both registration numbers. Choose ink over a dry embosser so the impression stays opaque on prints. If you already use a lawfully obtained pre 2015 seal reading Licensed Interior Designer, the rule lets you keep using it.
Browse interior designer stamps and seals.
Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for a Florida registered interior designer?
Yes. Section 481.221(3) directs the board to adopt a rule prescribing “the distinctly different seals to be used by registered interior designers holding valid certificates of registration,” and then requires each registrant to obtain one and to apply the signature, seal and date to all drawings, plans, specifications or reports prepared or issued by that registrant and filed for public record. The statute makes the signature, date and seal evidence of the authenticity of what they are affixed to.
Why is the Florida interior designer seal hexagonal?
Because rule 61G1-16.002(1) makes the shape the distinguishing mark between the two credentials this board regulates. Architects are circular and interior designers are hexagonal, with everything else about the construction held in common. If a supplier offers you a round Florida interior design seal, the shape is wrong regardless of how correct the lettering is.
What size is the Florida interior designer seal?
Approximately two inches. Rule 61G1-16.002(1) applies the same figure to both seals: “Both seals shall be approximately 2″ in diameter with two circular lines between which lines shall appear” the State of Florida legend at the top and the profession at the bottom. On a hexagonal die that is the across dimension of the figure carrying the two circular lines.
Ink or embosser for a Florida interior designer seal?
Ink. Rule 61G1-16.001 requires a seal “capable of leaving a permanent ink representation or other form of embossing or opaque and permanent impression, which also may be computer generated impressions, on the surface of prints or other duplications of drawings.” An unfilled dry embossing is not an opaque impression on a print, so an inked hexagonal stamp is the safe buy. Electronic files are sealed under rule 61G1-16.005.
I am registered as both an architect and an interior designer. Do I need two seals?
No, one. Rule 61G1-16.002(2) requires an individual registered as both to use a single seal containing both registration numbers. Ordering two devices and picking between them is not what the rule contemplates.
Can I keep using my old Licensed Interior Designer seal in Florida?
Yes, if it was lawfully obtained before January 1, 2015. Rule 61G1-16.002(1), as amended effective 22 March 2015, expressly preserves those devices. New seals read registered interior designer. Both legends are lawful and there is no obligation to replace a grandfathered device.
Which Florida documents get the seal?
Drawings, plans, specifications and reports prepared or issued by the registrant and filed for public record. Rule 61G1-16.003(1) requires the personal seal, signature and date on all architectural or interior design documents filed for public record, makes a corporate seal alone insufficient, requires personal signature by the responsible registrant, treats signing and sealing the specification index sheets as adequate for specifications, and requires all drawing sheets and pages to be signed and sealed. Rule 61G1-16.003(2) allows a digitally signed and sealed cover or first sheet to carry a single bound and secured transmitted set, where that sheet shows an accurate index of drawings with sheet numbers and latest revision dates.
What may I not seal in Florida?
Section 481.221(5) bars affixing the seal or signature “to any plan, specification, drawing, or other document which depicts work which she or he is not competent or registered to perform,” and § 481.221(7) bars sealing work not prepared by you or under your responsible supervising control, or prepared by another registered interior designer and reviewed, approved or modified and adopted as your own. Section 481.221(9) sets a quality floor, requiring documents to be of a sufficiently high standard to clearly and accurately indicate all parts of the work.
How does electronic sealing work in Florida?
Rule 61G1-16.005(2) requires the digital or electronic signature to be unique to the person using it, capable of verification within the native software and without use of a third party, under that person’s sole control, and linked to the document so that it is invalidated if any data in the document changes. Rule 61G1-16.005(3) requires an authentication code defined as a message digest described in Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 180-4, Secure Hash Standard, March 2012. A workflow depending on a third-party verification portal does not meet that text.
Can I scan my signature onto a Florida sealed document?
No. Rule 61G1-16.005(1)(a) bars a scanned image of an original signature in place of a digital or electronic signature outside the narrow Covid-19 exception, and rule 61G1-16.005(1)(b) requires the creation or placement date to appear on the document as it would under manual sealing.
What happens to my Florida seal on suspension or revocation?
You surrender it. Section 481.221(11) requires a registered interior designer whose certificate has been revoked or suspended to surrender the seal to the secretary of the board within thirty days after the action becomes effective, with return of the seal at the end of a fixed suspension. Section 481.221(12) repeats the duty naming the executive director, adds written confirmation of the cancellation of the electronic signature, and bars signing and sealing any final plan, specification or report by any means after the certificate has expired or is suspended or revoked. Rule 61G1-16.003(1) bars use of the seal unless you hold a certificate of registration and all required renewals at the time.
Does my Florida firm need a certificate of authorization?
No. Section 481.219 provides that the section may not be construed to mean that a certificate of registration must be held by a business organization; the business practices through a qualifying agent. Section 481.221(10) requires the business organization to include the license number of the registered licensee serving as its qualifying agent in any newspaper, telephone directory or other advertising medium. No firm identifier goes on the seal, whose content is closed by rule 61G1-16.002(1) to one name and the registration number.
