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 State Board of Professional Land Surveyors, within the Division of Professional Regulation and 24 Del. C. § 2719 on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
A raised seal is the default and a rubber seal is allowed only in red ink. Rule 16.1 of 24 DE Admin. Code 2700 says “A raised seal shall be used wherever possible,” and rule 16.2 says “When a raised seal cannot be used, a rubber seal may be used, but only with red ink so that the lettering will stand out.” A black rubber stamp on a Delaware survey is not compliant. Plan on owning both devices, because rule 16.6 requires that “All new licensees shall provide to the Board a copy of both the raised and rubber seal within 30 days of issuance of their license.” That sentence presumes you have both.
Rule 16.3 closes off the modern shortcut in seven words: “The signature must be originally handwritten.” No scanned image, no signature font, no digital signature. Combined with the absence of any electronic seal provision in section 16.0, a Delaware survey plan is still a wet-ink document.
The artwork is fixed down to the direction the words read. The inner circle “shall contain only the words ‘REGISTERED,’ ‘NO.,’ and ‘DELAWARE,’” the space between the circles carries PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR at the bottom “reading counterclockwise” and your name at the top “reading clockwise.”
Delaware land surveyor seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Delaware rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | 24 Del. C. § 2719 |
| Required elements | REGISTERED, NO. and DELAWARE inside the inner circle; PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR at the bottom of the space between the circles, reading counterclockwise; Your name at the top of the space between the circles, reading clockwise | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.4 |
| Size and shape | Two concentric circles: an inner circle one inch in diameter and an outer circle one and one-half inches in diameter. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.5 |
| Device allowed | A raised seal is the default and the rubber alternative is conditional on ink color. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.1, 16.2 |
| Signature and date | The signature must be handwritten. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.3 (silent as to date and placement) |
| What must be sealed | All technical submissions prepared by the land surveyor or under his or her direct supervision, under 24 Del. C. § 2719, which also forbids impressing the seal on anything not prepared under that direct supervision and forbids state and local officials from accepting or approving plans or other documents prepared within the meaning of the chapter that are not sealed and signed by the professional land surveyor under whose responsible charge they were completed. | 24 Del. C. § 2719 |
| Electronic seal | Not addressed. Section 16.0 names no electronic seal, no digital signature and no technology, and its rule 16.3 requires an originally handwritten signature, which points the other way. The sources here are section 16.0. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 16.0 (no electronic seal provision) |
| Renewal and lapse | Rule 9.8 creates Professional Land Surveyor Emeritus status: the emeritus licensee keeps the license or registration number issued by the Division, is excused from the continuing education requirement, and uses the emeritus title for work that does not require seal or certification. | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700, s. 9.8, 10.0 |
| Firm requirements | Not addressed as a seal matter. | 24 Del. C. § 2722 |
| Regulator | The Delaware State Board of Professional Land Surveyors, within the Division of Professional Regulation | 24 DE Admin. Code 2700 (Board of Professional Land Surveyors), section 16.0 (Professional Seals, Rubber Stamps and Signatures), read in full from the Delaware Regulations site, with amendment history 6 DE Reg. 271 (09/01/02), 11 DE Reg. 1664 (06/01/08), 17 DE Reg. 1098 (05/01/14), 27 DE Reg. 690 (03/01/24) and 29 DE Reg. 223 (09/01/25), together with sections 9.8 and 10.0 |
Is a seal required in Delaware?
The statute creates the duty and the rule fixes the artwork. 24 Del. C. § 2719 provides that “Every land surveyor licensed in this State shall have a seal of a design authorized by the Board by regulation and which bears the professional land surveyor’s name,” that “All technical submissions prepared by such land surveyor, or under that land surveyor’s direct supervision, shall be stamped with the impression of the professional land surveyor’s seal,” and that no land surveyor shall impress the seal on any technical submission not prepared under his or her direct supervision. 24 DE Admin. Code 2700 section 16.0 supplies the design and the media rules.
What must appear on the seal
- REGISTERED, NO. and DELAWARE inside the inner circle
- PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR at the bottom of the space between the circles, reading counterclockwise
- Your name at the top of the space between the circles, reading clockwise
Delaware specifies not only the words but which way round they read. Rule 16.4: the inner circle “shall contain only the words ‘REGISTERED,’ ‘NO.,’ and ‘DELAWARE.’” The word only excludes anything else from the inner circle. The space between the circles carries PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR at the bottom “reading counterclockwise” and the licensee’s name at the top “reading clockwise.” Nothing about a firm name, a discipline or an expiry date appears in the section. The same counterclockwise convention appears in the Delaware landscape architect rule at 24 DE Admin. Code 200, s. 5.1.3, which is a sign of common drafting rather than a shared device.
Size and shape
Two concentric circles: an inner circle one inch in diameter and an outer circle one and one-half inches in diameter. Rule 16.5 identifies it by trade name as well as by figure: “The seal acceptable to the Board is the 1 recognized in the trade as the No. 1 official pocket size, which has an inner circle 1″ in diameter and an outer circle 1 ½″ in diameter.” A sample is printed in the rule with the instruction to replace the specimen name and number with your own.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
A raised seal is the default and the rubber alternative is conditional on ink color. Rule 16.1: “A raised seal shall be used wherever possible.” Rule 16.2: “When a raised seal cannot be used, a rubber seal may be used, but only with red ink so that the lettering will stand out.” Buy both: an embosser for originals and a red-ink rubber stamp for everything the embosser cannot handle. Section 16.0 names no computer-generated or electronic device.
Signing and dating
The signature must be handwritten. Rule 16.3 is one sentence and leaves no room: “The signature must be originally handwritten.” Delaware does not permit a facsimile, scanned or digital signature on a land surveyor’s sealed document under section 16.0. Not addressed: whether a date is required beside the seal, and whether the signature must cross the impression. The sources here are section 16.0 in full and checked 24 Del. C. ch. 27 subchapter III.
Red ink, a handwritten signature, and a specimen of both seals filed with the Board
Delaware is the state where the ink color is in the rule. Rule 16.1 says a raised seal shall be used wherever possible, and rule 16.2 allows a rubber seal only when a raised seal cannot be used, and then “only with red ink so that the lettering will stand out.” A black rubber stamp on a Delaware survey is not compliant.
Which documents must be sealed
All technical submissions prepared by the land surveyor or under his or her direct supervision, under 24 Del. C. § 2719, which also forbids impressing the seal on anything not prepared under that direct supervision and forbids state and local officials from accepting or approving plans or other documents prepared within the meaning of the chapter that are not sealed and signed by the professional land surveyor under whose responsible charge they were completed. Rule 16.0 states no preliminary or draft carve-out. Rule 9.8.2.3 gives the one express exemption on the other side: a Professional Land Surveyor Emeritus uses that title for teaching, consulting, expert witness work and “other purposes that do not require seal or certification.”
Electronic and digital seals
Not addressed. Section 16.0 names no electronic seal, no digital signature and no technology, and its rule 16.3 requires an originally handwritten signature, which points the other way. The sources here are section 16.0 in full, as amended at 27 DE Reg. 690 (03/01/24) and 29 DE Reg. 223 (09/01/25), and checked 24 Del. C. ch. 27 subchapter III. Delaware does address electronic seals expressly for its geologists at 24 DE Admin. Code 3600, s. 3.2 and for its architects at 24 DE Admin. Code 300, r. 7.6.1.1; neither reaches a land surveyor. Treat an electronic Delaware land surveyor seal as unverified rather than authorized.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Rule 9.8 creates Professional Land Surveyor Emeritus status: the emeritus licensee keeps the license or registration number issued by the Division, is excused from the continuing education requirement, and uses the emeritus title for work that does not require seal or certification. License renewal and professional development hours sit at rule 10.0, which also contains a sentence that catches people out: on audit, “The licensee shall sign and seal all verification documentation with a Board approved seal.” Not addressed: whether the license number changes on reinstatement and whether the physical device must be surrendered or destroyed on revocation. Checked section 16.0 in full and sections 9.0 and 10.0.
Firm requirements
Not addressed as a seal matter. Section 16.0 puts nothing about a firm on the device and prescribes no firm seal. 24 Del. C. § 2722 provides for a certificate of authorization, and rule 5.0 of the chapter governs reciprocity rather than firms; neither section 16.0 nor § 2719 requires a certificate of authorization number to appear on a sealed plan. Compare Delaware architects, who have no firm certificate at all but must keep a resident architect in each Delaware office.
What to check before you order
Order two devices. The embosser is the primary one, because rule 16.1 requires a raised seal wherever possible, and the rubber stamp is the fallback and must be inked in red. Both are built to the same design: two concentric circles at the trade size known as the No. 1 official pocket seal, with a one inch inner circle and a one and one-half inch outer circle. The inner circle carries only the words REGISTERED, NO. and DELAWARE. Between the circles, your name runs clockwise across the top and PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR runs counterclockwise across the bottom. Sign in your own hand; the rule requires an originally handwritten signature and Delaware provides no electronic route for land surveyors. Send the Board a copy of both the raised and the rubber seal within thirty days of licensure.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for land surveyors in Delaware?
Yes. 24 Del. C. § 2719 provides that “Every land surveyor licensed in this State shall have a seal of a design authorized by the Board by regulation and which bears the professional land surveyor’s name,” that “All technical submissions prepared by such land surveyor, or under that land surveyor’s direct supervision, shall be stamped with the impression of the professional land surveyor’s seal,” and that no land surveyor shall impress the seal on any technical submission not prepared under his or her direct supervision. 24 DE Admin. Code 2700 section 16.0 supplies the design and the media rules.
What has to appear on a Delaware land surveyor seal?
Rule 16.4 specifies the words and which way round they read. The inner circle contains only REGISTERED, NO. and DELAWARE. The space between the circles carries PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR at the bottom reading counterclockwise and your name at the top reading clockwise. Nothing about a firm name, a discipline or an expiry date appears in the section, and the word only excludes anything else from the inner circle.
What size is a Delaware land surveyor seal?
Two concentric circles, an inner circle one inch in diameter and an outer circle one and one-half inches. Rule 16.5 identifies it by trade name as well as by figure: “The seal acceptable to the Board is the 1 recognized in the trade as the No. 1 official pocket size, which has an inner circle 1″ in diameter and an outer circle 1 ½″ in diameter.” A sample is printed in the rule with the instruction to replace the specimen name and number with your own.
Can I use a rubber stamp in Delaware?
Only when a raised seal cannot be used, and only in red ink. Rule 16.1 makes the raised seal the default and rule 16.2 makes the rubber alternative conditional on both the circumstance and the ink color. Section 16.0 names no computer-generated or electronic device at all.
Does Delaware accept a digital signature on a survey?
No. Rule 16.3 requires that “The signature must be originally handwritten,” and section 16.0 names no electronic seal, no digital signature and no technology. Delaware does address electronic seals expressly for its geologists at 24 DE Admin. Code 3600, s. 3.2 and for its architects at 24 DE Admin. Code 300, r. 7.6.1.1, but neither reaches a land surveyor. Treat an electronic Delaware land surveyor seal as unverified rather than authorized.
Does the date go beside the Delaware seal?
Not addressed. Section 16.0 says nothing about a date beside the seal and nothing about whether the signature must cross the impression, and 24 Del. C. ch. 27 subchapter III adds nothing on the point.
Do I have to send the Board a copy of my Delaware seal?
Yes, both of them. Rule 16.6: “All new licensees shall provide to the Board a copy of both the raised and rubber seal within 30 days of issuance of their license.” Diarize the thirty days.
Which Delaware documents have to be sealed?
All technical submissions prepared by you or under your direct supervision, under 24 Del. C. § 2719, which also forbids impressing the seal on anything not prepared under that direct supervision and forbids state and local officials from accepting or approving plans or other documents prepared within the meaning of the chapter that are not sealed and signed by the professional land surveyor under whose responsible charge they were completed. Rule 16.0 states no preliminary or draft carve-out.
What is Delaware emeritus status and does it need a seal?
Rule 9.8 creates Professional Land Surveyor Emeritus status. The emeritus licensee keeps the license or registration number issued by the Division, is excused from the continuing education requirement, and uses the emeritus title for teaching, consulting, expert witness work and “other purposes that do not require seal or certification” under rule 9.8.2.3. Whether the license number changes on reinstatement, and whether the device must be surrendered or destroyed on revocation, are not addressed.
Do I need my Delaware seal for a continuing education audit?
Yes. Rule 10.0 governs license renewal and professional development hours and contains a sentence that catches people out: on audit, “The licensee shall sign and seal all verification documentation with a Board approved seal.”
Does a Delaware surveying firm need a seal?
Not addressed as a seal matter. Section 16.0 puts nothing about a firm on the device and prescribes no firm seal. 24 Del. C. § 2722 provides for a certificate of authorization, and rule 5.0 of the chapter governs reciprocity rather than firms; neither section 16.0 nor § 2719 requires a certificate of authorization number to appear on a sealed plan.
