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 Louisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners and LAC 46:I §§ 1303.A, 1305.A on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
The pelican is a rule requirement, not a decoration. LAC 46:I § 1303.B provides that in addition to the prescribed words the seal “shall contain the state emblem,” and then identifies it: “For purposes of this rule, the state emblem is the pelican.” A Louisiana architect seal without the pelican is missing a prescribed element, which is not something a generic circular template supplies. The board also prints a sample of the authorized design at § 1303.D, so there is artwork to work from.
The rest of the face is set by § 1303.A: your name, your license number, and the words “Registered Architect, State of Louisiana.” The device is circular and measures approximately one and three-quarter inches in diameter. That is not the Louisiana engineer and land surveyor specification, which is a pair of fixed diameters at 1 5/8 inches and 2 inches, and it is not the Louisiana landscape architect figure of 1 5/8 inches.
What chapter 13 never says is sign or date. The architect rule requires the seal or stamp to be affixed to contract drawings and specifications and stops there. Louisiana engineers and land surveyors must always accompany the seal with a signature and a date, and Louisiana landscape architects sign first and stamp over the signature. Three professions, three answers. Sign and date anyway, because permitting authorities commonly require both.
Louisiana architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Louisiana rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | LAC 46:I §§ 1303.A, 1305.A |
| Required elements | Your name, Your license number, The words Registered Architect, State of Louisiana and The state emblem, which the rule identifies as the pelican | LAC 46:I § 1303.A, B |
| Size and shape | Circular, approximately one and three-quarter inches in diameter. | LAC 46:I § 1303.B |
| Device allowed | “Rubber seals and computer generated seals are acceptable.” Section 1303.C says exactly that and nothing more. | LAC 46:I § 1303.C |
| Signature and date | Not addressed. Chapter 13 of LAC 46:I requires the seal or stamp to be affixed and states no signature requirement, no date requirement and no placement rule. The sources here are §§ 1301, 1303, 1305 and 1307. | LAC 46:I ch. 13 (silent as to signature and date) |
| What must be sealed | All contract drawings and specifications requiring the services of an architect, prepared by the architect or under the architect’s responsible supervision, including construction documents prepared for bidding or for receipt of proposals and documents submitted for permitting. | LAC 46:I § 1305.A, B, C |
| Electronic seal | Louisiana permits a computer generated seal for architects and says nothing else. | LAC 46:I § 1303.C (computer generated seals acceptable |
| Renewal and lapse | Section 1301.A provides that a license for an individual architect “shall expire and become invalid on December 31 of each year” and that an architect wishing to continue in force must renew annually, with subsection B putting the responsibility for timely renewal on the architect. | LAC 46:I § 1301.A, B, D, E |
| Firm requirements | Certificates of authority exist and the individual seal still carries the document. | LAC 46:I § 1301.E |
| Regulator | The Louisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners | LAC Title 46 Part I (Professional and Occupational Standards, Architects), Chapter 13, §§ 1301 (Renewal Procedure), 1303 (Architect’s Seal or Stamp, promulgated LR 29:564 (April 2003), amended LR 39:483 (March 2013)), 1305 (Placing of Seal or Stamp, amended LR 38:1587 (July 2012)) and 1307, read in full from the Board’s published rules document and confirmed on a second, differently phrased reading of the same document |
Is a seal required in Louisiana?
LAC 46:I § 1303.A sets the content: “The seal or stamp of the architect shall contain the name of the architect, the architect’s license number, and the words ‘Registered Architect, State of Louisiana.’” Section 1305.A supplies the duty: “An architect shall affix his or her seal or stamp to all contract drawings and specifications requiring the services of an architect which were prepared by the architect or under the architect’s responsible supervision,” and defines contract drawings and specifications to include construction documents prepared for bidding or for receipt of proposals as well as documents submitted for permitting. Drawings and specifications prepared by a consulting electrical, mechanical, structural or other engineer are sealed only by that consulting engineer.
What must appear on the seal
- Your name
- Your license number
- The words Registered Architect, State of Louisiana
- The state emblem, which the rule identifies as the pelican
Louisiana is one of the few states that puts a state emblem on the face by rule, and then tells you which emblem: § 1303.B provides that in addition to the prescribed words the seal “shall contain the state emblem” and that “For purposes of this rule, the state emblem is the pelican.” Section 1303.D adds that a sample of the seal design authorized by the board is printed in the rule. The legend is Registered Architect, State of Louisiana, which differs from the Louisiana engineer and land surveyor legends under LAC 46:LXI § 2701 and from the Registered Interior Designer wording the interior design board uses. No firm name and no expiry date is authorized.
Size and shape
Circular, approximately one and three-quarter inches in diameter. Section 1303.B: “The architect’s seal or stamp shall be circular in shape and measure approximately 1 3/4″ in diameter.” The word approximately is in the rule. This is not the Louisiana engineer and land surveyor specification, which is a pair of fixed diameters, 1 5/8 inches and 2 inches, under LAC 46:LXI § 2701.A.2, and it is not the Louisiana landscape architect figure of 1 5/8 inches under LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.a.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
“Rubber seals and computer generated seals are acceptable.” Section 1303.C says exactly that and nothing more. The safe buy is a rubber stamp at approximately 1 3/4 inches built to the sample design printed at § 1303.D, with a matching computer generated image for drawing sets. Note that the rule does not name an embossing seal, though the word seal in § 1303.A plainly contemplates one.
Signing and dating
Not addressed. Chapter 13 of LAC 46:I requires the seal or stamp to be affixed and states no signature requirement, no date requirement and no placement rule. The sources here are §§ 1301, 1303, 1305 and 1307 in full from the Board’s published rules. That is a genuine divergence from Louisiana engineers and land surveyors, whose LAC 46:LXI § 2701 provides that a seal “must always be accompanied by the licensee’s signature and date,” and from Louisiana landscape architects, whose LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.c requires the licensee to sign and then affix the seal over the signature. Sign and date anyway; permitting authorities commonly require both.
The pelican is a rule requirement, and the rule never mentions signing
Section 1303.B requires the state emblem on the face and then identifies it: “For purposes of this rule, the state emblem is the pelican.” A Louisiana architect seal without the pelican is missing a prescribed element, which is not something a generic circular template will supply. The board also prints a sample of the authorized design at § 1303.D, so there is artwork to work from.
Which documents must be sealed
All contract drawings and specifications requiring the services of an architect, prepared by the architect or under the architect’s responsible supervision, including construction documents prepared for bidding or for receipt of proposals and documents submitted for permitting. Specifications get their own placement rule at § 1305.B: the architect must clearly identify the specification sections prepared by or under his or her responsible supervision and distinguish them from consulting engineers’ sections, and must affix the seal either to each specification section, page or sheet or to the appropriate portion of a seals page identifying which sections belong to whom. Section 1305.C addresses further certification: where a public or governmental agency requires it, the architect’s certification must describe exactly which drawings and which portions or sections of the specifications were prepared by or under the architect’s responsible supervision and which were prepared by others, and must include a matching certification from any consulting engineers.
Electronic and digital seals
Louisiana permits a computer generated seal for architects and says nothing else. There is no digital signature standard, no certificate authority, no verification criteria and no stripping language for uncertified electronic transmissions in LAC 46:I chapter 13. The sources here are §§ 1301 through 1307 in full. Contrast Louisiana engineers and land surveyors, whose LAC 46:LXI § 2701.A.5 prescribes replacement wording for electronic transmission verbatim. Treat electronic sealing beyond a computer generated image as a question for the board.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Section 1301.A provides that a license for an individual architect “shall expire and become invalid on December 31 of each year” and that an architect wishing to continue in force must renew annually, with subsection B putting the responsibility for timely renewal on the architect. Subsection D preserves the right to renew late on payment of a delinquent fee in addition to the renewal fee. Subsection E points to Chapter 17 for renewal of certificates of authority held by professional architectural corporations, architectural-engineering corporations and architectural firms. Not addressed: whether the license number changes on reinstatement, and whether the device must be surrendered or destroyed. The sources here are chapter 13 in full.
Firm requirements
Certificates of authority exist and the individual seal still carries the document. Section 1301.E refers the reader to Chapter 17 of LAC 46:I for the rules on renewing certificates of authority of professional architectural corporations, architectural-engineering corporations and architectural firms. Nothing in § 1303 or § 1305 puts a firm name, a firm number or a firm seal on a sealed drawing or specification; the seal face is limited to the architect’s name, license number, the prescribed words and the pelican. Compare Louisiana engineers and land surveyors, where LAC 46:LXI § 2701.A.1 states flatly that firms are not authorized to possess or use seals.
What to check before you order
Order a circular device measuring approximately one and three-quarter inches in diameter carrying your name, your Louisiana license number, the words Registered Architect, State of Louisiana, and the state emblem, which the rule identifies as the pelican. Build to the sample design the board prints in its rules. Rubber seals and computer generated seals are both acceptable, and a rubber stamp is the practical choice. Affix the seal to all contract drawings and specifications requiring an architect that you prepared or supervised, including bid documents and permit submissions. On specifications, either seal each section, page or sheet you prepared or seal the appropriate part of a seals page that identifies which sections are yours and which are the consulting engineers’. Do not seal a consulting engineer’s drawings or specifications; those carry the engineer’s own seal.
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Frequently asked questions
Is an architect seal required in Louisiana?
Yes. LAC 46:I § 1305.A provides that “An architect shall affix his or her seal or stamp to all contract drawings and specifications requiring the services of an architect which were prepared by the architect or under the architect’s responsible supervision,” and defines contract drawings and specifications to include construction documents prepared for bidding or for receipt of proposals as well as documents submitted for permitting.
What has to appear on a Louisiana architect seal?
Four things: your name, your license number, the words Registered Architect, State of Louisiana, and the state emblem, which § 1303.B identifies as the pelican. The legend is Registered Architect, which differs from the Louisiana engineer and land surveyor legends under LAC 46:LXI § 2701 and from the Registered Interior Designer wording the interior design board uses. No firm name and no expiry date is authorized.
What size is a Louisiana architect seal?
Section 1303.B: “The architect’s seal or stamp shall be circular in shape and measure approximately 1 3/4″ in diameter.” The word approximately is in the rule, so there is real tolerance, but the target is 1 3/4 inches and not the figures that belong to the other Louisiana design boards.
Can I use a rubber stamp in Louisiana?
Yes. Section 1303.C says “Rubber seals and computer generated seals are acceptable,” and nothing more. A rubber stamp at approximately 1 3/4 inches built to the sample design printed at § 1303.D is the practical buy, with a matching computer generated image for drawing sets. The rule does not name an embossing seal, though the word seal in § 1303.A plainly contemplates one.
Does Louisiana require a signature and a date?
Chapter 13 of LAC 46:I does not. Sections 1301, 1303, 1305 and 1307 require the seal or stamp to be affixed and state no signature requirement, no date requirement and no placement rule. Louisiana engineers and land surveyors are told at LAC 46:LXI § 2701 that a seal “must always be accompanied by the licensee’s signature and date,” and Louisiana landscape architects at LAC 7:XXIX § 117.B.3.c must sign and then affix the seal over the signature. Neither rule reaches an architect.
Which documents have to be sealed in Louisiana?
All contract drawings and specifications requiring the services of an architect, prepared by you or under your responsible supervision, including construction documents prepared for bidding or for receipt of proposals and documents submitted for permitting. Drawings and specifications prepared by a consulting electrical, mechanical, structural or other engineer are sealed only by that consulting engineer.
How do I seal specifications in Louisiana?
Two routes under § 1305.B. You must clearly identify the specification sections prepared by or under your responsible supervision and distinguish them from consulting engineers’ sections, and then either affix the seal to each specification section, page or sheet, or affix it to the appropriate portion of a seals page identifying which sections belong to whom. Take the second route and the seals page has to be accurate, because § 1305.C then requires any further agency certification to describe exactly which drawings and which portions or sections were prepared by or under your responsible supervision and which were prepared by others, with a matching certification from any consulting engineers.
Can I seal electronically in Louisiana?
A computer generated seal is acceptable and the chapter says nothing else. There is no digital signature standard, no certificate authority, no verification criteria and no stripping language for uncertified electronic transmissions anywhere in LAC 46:I chapter 13, sections 1301 through 1307. Louisiana engineers and land surveyors do have prescribed replacement wording for electronic transmission at LAC 46:LXI § 2701.A.5. Treat electronic sealing beyond a computer generated image as a question for the board.
When does a Louisiana architect license expire?
Section 1301.A provides that a license for an individual architect “shall expire and become invalid on December 31 of each year” and that an architect wishing to continue in force must renew annually, with subsection B putting the responsibility for timely renewal on the architect and subsection D preserving the right to renew late on payment of a delinquent fee in addition to the renewal fee. Whether the license number changes on reinstatement, and whether the device must be surrendered or destroyed, is not covered in chapter 13.
Does a Louisiana architecture firm get a seal?
No. Section 1301.E refers to Chapter 17 of LAC 46:I for renewing certificates of authority of professional architectural corporations, architectural-engineering corporations and architectural firms, but nothing in § 1303 or § 1305 puts a firm name, a firm number or a firm seal on a sealed drawing or specification. The seal face is limited to your name, license number, the prescribed words and the pelican. Louisiana engineers and land surveyors go further still: LAC 46:LXI § 2701.A.1 states flatly that firms are not authorized to possess or use seals.
