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 Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Surveyors and 865 IAC 1-7-1, 865 IAC 1-7-2 on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
The signature and the date go directly adjacent to the seal and never across it. 865 IAC 1-7-2(b) requires that whenever a registrant affixes the seal, the document carry the registrant’s signature and the “date the seal is being affixed” directly adjacent but not across the seal. The date is therefore the date of sealing rather than merely a signing date, and 865 IAC 1-7-2(c) allows the signature and date to sit elsewhere on the sheet provided the sheet is otherwise properly certified. Same state, two titles, two answers: the Indiana architect and landscape architect rule at 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(h) also forbids signing across the seal but requires no date at all.
The number is the other place Indiana titles diverge. 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(c) and (f) expressly let an architect drop AR and a landscape architect drop LA from the certificate number. 865 IAC 1-7-1(c) gives no such permission to surveyors; it requires that “The name and registration number of the registrant inscribed on the seal shall correspond to the name and certificate number inscribed on the certificate of registration.” Do not carry an abbreviation habit across Indiana titles.
The device runs between 1 5/8 and 1 7/8 inches in outside diameter, reproducing the design printed in the rule, with either a milled edge or two concentric circles corresponding with the respective edges of the milling.
Indiana land surveyor seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Indiana rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | 865 IAC 1-7-1, 865 IAC 1-7-2 |
| Required elements | Your name as on the certificate of registration, Your registration number as on the certificate, The design shown in the rule and A milled edge, or two concentric circles | 865 IAC 1-7-1(a), (b), (c) |
| Size and shape | Not less than 1 5/8 inches and not more than 1 7/8 inches in outside diameter. 865 IAC 1-7-1(a) states it for surveyors in the surveyors’ own title: “The land surveyor seal shall be not less than one and. | 865 IAC 1-7-1(a) |
| Device allowed | Three ways, listed in the rule. 865 IAC 1-7-1(b)(1) provides that the seal may be “embossed,” “stamped,” or “electronically applied,” in conformance with the design shown in subsection (a). | 865 IAC 1-7-1(b) |
| Signature and date | Signature and date, directly adjacent but not across the seal. 865 IAC 1-7-2(b) requires that whenever a registrant affixes the seal, the document shall have the registrant’s signature and “date the seal is being affixed” directly adjacent but not across the seal. | 865 IAC 1-7-2(b), (c) |
| What must be sealed | Where one or more specifications, plans and drawings are required to be submitted for review by a governmental body, 865 IAC 1-7-2(d) requires the seal applied in the full manner on each page of all drawings or plans and on the title page of all specifications. | 865 IAC 1-7-2(d), (e), (f) |
| Electronic seal | Indiana surveyors have a full electronic transaction rule of their own, which the architects and landscape architects do not. 865 IAC 1-7-4(b) defines document, electronic document, electronic seal as a digital facsimile of an original seal, electronic signature, electronic transmission, original seal as a rubber stamp, electronic stamp or embossing seal meeting the design requirements of section 1, and original signature. | 865 IAC 1-7-4 |
| Renewal and lapse | 865 IAC 1-7-2(a) limits affixing the seal to the time the certificate of registration is current and has not been suspended or revoked. 865 IAC 1-8-1(a)(2) is blunt about non payment: when required fees are not paid on time the certificate of registration becomes invalid, the individual cannot lawfully practice or offer to practice land surveying, and the name is deleted from future rosters until the renewal fee and the required delinquent fee are paid. 865 IAC 1-6-1(b) governs a duplicate or replacement certificate, which keeps the original certificate number with the word Reissue inserted above it. | 865 IAC 1-6-1, 865 IAC 1-7-2(a), 865 IAC 1-8-1 |
| Firm requirements | Not on the seal. 865 IAC 1-7-1 limits the face to the name, the registration number and the printed design. | 865 IAC 1-7-1 |
| Regulator | The Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Surveyors | 865 IAC 1, State Board of Registration for Professional Surveyors, principally 865 IAC 1-6-1, 1-7-1, 1-7-2, 1-7-3, 1-7-4, 1-8-1 and 1-9-1, read in full from the Indiana Administrative Code at iar.iga.in.gov |
Is a seal required in Indiana?
Indiana calls the credential professional surveyor and gives it its own administrative title. 865 IAC 1-7-1 fixes the seal. 865 IAC 1-7-2(a) states when it may be affixed: only during the time the certificate of registration is current and has not been suspended or revoked, and only on documents and instruments created by the registrant or by regularly employed and directly supervised subordinates, with the registrant responsible for seeing that the seal is legible on the document. 865 IAC 1-7-2(d) supplies the filing trigger: where one or more specifications, plans and drawings are required to be submitted for review by a governmental body, the registrant in responsible charge applies the seal in full on each page of all drawings or plans and on the title page of all specifications.
What must appear on the seal
- Your name as on the certificate of registration
- Your registration number as on the certificate
- The design shown in the rule
- A milled edge, or two concentric circles
One choice only. 865 IAC 1-7-1(b)(2) lets the seal have either a milled edge as shown or two concentric circles with the outer and inner circles corresponding with the respective edges of the milling. 865 IAC 1-7-1(c) requires that “The name and registration number of the registrant inscribed on the seal shall correspond to the name and certificate number inscribed on the certificate of registration.” Note what this rule does not carry: unlike the architect rule at 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(c) and the landscape architect rule at (f), there is no permission here to drop a letter prefix from the number. Inscribe the number as the certificate carries it.
Size and shape
Not less than 1 5/8 inches and not more than 1 7/8 inches in outside diameter. 865 IAC 1-7-1(a) states it for surveyors in the surveyors’ own title: “The land surveyor seal shall be not less than one and five-eighths (15/8) inches or more than one and seven-eighths (17/8) inches in outside diameter, using the following design.” The same band is stated separately at 864 IAC 1.1-7-2(a) for professional engineers, at 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a) and (d) for architects and landscape architects, and at 305 IAC 1-4-1(a) for licensed professional geologists, so the agreement across Indiana is four separate rules rather than one shared one, and the printed design differs by profession.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Three ways, listed in the rule. 865 IAC 1-7-1(b)(1) provides that the seal may be “embossed,” “stamped,” or “electronically applied,” in conformance with the design shown in subsection (a). An inked stamp is the safe buy, because Indiana survey plats are recorded and copied and 865 IAC 1-7-2(a) makes the registrant responsible for the seal being legible on the document however it is affixed.
Signing and dating
Signature and date, directly adjacent but not across the seal. 865 IAC 1-7-2(b) requires that whenever a registrant affixes the seal, the document shall have the registrant’s signature and “date the seal is being affixed” directly adjacent but not across the seal. The date is therefore the date of sealing, not merely a signing date. 865 IAC 1-7-2(c) gives an alternative placement: the signature and date may sit at another location on the sheet provided the sheet is otherwise properly certified. This is a divergence from the Indiana architect and landscape architect rule at 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(h), which requires the signature adjacent and not across the seal but states no date requirement at all.
Not a Certified Document, and the date goes beside the seal
865 IAC 1-7-4(d) is the Indiana surveyor rule worth building a workflow around. A registrant may transmit an electronic document without affixing an electronic signature provided the file carries, instead of an image of a seal, signature and date, either “Not a Certified Document” or “Pro Forma Survey” as appropriate. The rule then exempts transmissions to a commercial printer or blueprint service and to the registrant’s own employer or employees. Indiana architects and landscape architects have no equivalent rule anywhere in 804 IAC 1.1.
Which documents must be sealed
Where one or more specifications, plans and drawings are required to be submitted for review by a governmental body, 865 IAC 1-7-2(d) requires the seal applied in the full manner on each page of all drawings or plans and on the title page of all specifications. Partial responsibility is at 865 IAC 1-7-2(e) and (f): a registrant not in responsible charge of the entire work who assumes responsibility for portions shown on any page shall affix the seal on all title pages and on all pages where the registrant’s work appears, and shall insert below the signature and date “COVERING –––– –––– DESIGN.” 865 IAC 1-7-3 makes the seal and signature signify acceptance of full responsibility for the professional work represented, and permits the inclusion of established products meeting trade standards, unbiased testing, manufacturer guarantee or not affecting project safety.
Electronic and digital seals
Indiana surveyors have a full electronic transaction rule of their own, which the architects and landscape architects do not. 865 IAC 1-7-4(b) defines document, electronic document, electronic seal as a digital facsimile of an original seal, electronic signature, electronic transmission, original seal as a rubber stamp, electronic stamp or embossing seal meeting the design requirements of section 1, and original signature. Subsection (c) permits an electronic signature and seal in place of an original pair where they are the unique identification of the registrant, verifiable, and attached or associated with the electronic document so that it is clear to the recipient they represent the registrant’s signature and seal, where the electronic signature is under the registrant’s direct control, and where the registrant maintains a permanent digital copy of the transmitted document for future verification. Subsection (d) permits transmitting without an electronic signature if the language “Not a Certified Document” or “Pro Forma Survey” is inserted instead of an image of a seal, signature and date, and exempts transmissions to a commercial printer or blueprint service and to the registrant’s own employer or employees.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
865 IAC 1-7-2(a) limits affixing the seal to the time the certificate of registration is current and has not been suspended or revoked. 865 IAC 1-8-1(a)(2) is blunt about non payment: when required fees are not paid on time the certificate of registration becomes invalid, the individual cannot lawfully practice or offer to practice land surveying, and the name is deleted from future rosters until the renewal fee and the required delinquent fee are paid. 865 IAC 1-6-1(b) governs a duplicate or replacement certificate, which keeps the original certificate number with the word Reissue inserted above it. Because the seal carries the number and no expiration date, renewal does not make the device stale.
Firm requirements
Not on the seal. 865 IAC 1-7-1 limits the face to the name, the registration number and the printed design. What Indiana does impose is an office and roster obligation: 865 IAC 1-9-1(3) requires all land surveyors engaging in the practice of land surveying in Indiana to identify, on a form specified by the board, the address of all offices at which the surveyor is practicing land surveying, and 865 IAC 1-9-1(2) makes the registrant responsible for notifying the board of address changes and keeping proof of the notification.
What to check before you order
Order an inked stamp between 1 5/8 and 1 7/8 inches outside diameter, reproducing the design printed at 865 IAC 1-7-1(a), with either a milled edge or two concentric circles matching the milling edges. Inscribe your name and registration number to correspond with your certificate of registration, and do not drop a prefix: the permission Indiana gives architects and landscape architects to omit AR or LA does not appear in the surveyor rule. Leave room beside the seal for your signature and the date the seal is affixed, both of which go directly adjacent to the seal and never across it. Embossed and electronically applied seals are lawful, and if you transmit an unsigned electronic file you must insert Not a Certified Document or Pro Forma Survey in place of the seal image.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for surveyors in Indiana?
Yes. 865 IAC 1-7-1 fixes the seal, and 865 IAC 1-7-2(a) states when it may be affixed: only during the time the certificate of registration is current and has not been suspended or revoked, and only on documents and instruments created by the registrant or by regularly employed and directly supervised subordinates, with the registrant responsible for seeing that the seal is legible. 865 IAC 1-7-2(d) supplies the filing trigger: where one or more specifications, plans and drawings are required to be submitted for review by a governmental body, the registrant in responsible charge applies the seal in full on each page of all drawings or plans and on the title page of all specifications.
What has to appear on an Indiana surveyor seal?
Your name as on the certificate of registration, your registration number as on the certificate, the design shown in the rule, and either a milled edge or two concentric circles. 865 IAC 1-7-1(b)(2) gives you that one choice, with the outer and inner circles corresponding with the respective edges of the milling.
What size is an Indiana surveyor seal?
Not less than 1 5/8 inches and not more than 1 7/8 inches in outside diameter. 865 IAC 1-7-1(a): “The land surveyor seal shall be not less than one and five-eighths (15/8) inches or more than one and seven-eighths (17/8) inches in outside diameter, using the following design.” The same band appears separately at 864 IAC 1.1-7-2(a) for professional engineers, at 804 IAC 1.1-2-7(a) and (d) for architects and landscape architects, and at 305 IAC 1-4-1(a) for licensed professional geologists, so the agreement across Indiana is four separate rules rather than one shared one, and the printed design differs by profession.
Embossed, stamped or electronically applied in Indiana?
All three. 865 IAC 1-7-1(b)(1) provides that the seal may be “embossed,” “stamped,” or “electronically applied,” in conformance with the design shown in subsection (a). An inked stamp is the safe buy, because Indiana survey plats are recorded and copied and 865 IAC 1-7-2(a) makes the registrant responsible for the seal being legible on the document however it is affixed.
How much of an Indiana submission gets sealed?
Each page of all drawings or plans and the title page of all specifications, where the set goes to a governmental body for review. 865 IAC 1-7-2(e) and (f) cover partial responsibility: a registrant not in responsible charge of the entire work who assumes responsibility for portions shown on any page shall affix the seal on all title pages and on all pages where the registrant’s work appears, and shall insert below the signature and date “COVERING –––– –––– DESIGN.”
What does sealing signify in Indiana?
865 IAC 1-7-3 makes the seal and signature signify acceptance of full responsibility for the professional work represented, and permits the inclusion of established products meeting trade standards, unbiased testing, manufacturer guarantee or not affecting project safety.
What does Indiana require for electronic sealing?
Indiana surveyors have a full electronic transaction rule of their own, which the architects and landscape architects do not. 865 IAC 1-7-4(b) defines document, electronic document, electronic seal as a digital facsimile of an original seal, electronic signature, electronic transmission, original seal as a rubber stamp, electronic stamp or embossing seal meeting the design requirements of section 1, and original signature. Subsection (c) permits an electronic signature and seal in place of an original pair where they are the unique identification of the registrant, verifiable, and attached or associated with the electronic document so that it is clear to the recipient they represent the registrant’s signature and seal, where the electronic signature is under the registrant’s direct control, and where the registrant maintains a permanent digital copy of the transmitted document for future verification.
Can I send an unsigned electronic file in Indiana?
Yes, with the right wording. 865 IAC 1-7-4(d) permits transmitting without an electronic signature if the language “Not a Certified Document” or “Pro Forma Survey” is inserted instead of an image of a seal, signature and date, and exempts transmissions to a commercial printer or blueprint service and to the registrant’s own employer or employees.
What happens if my Indiana registration lapses?
865 IAC 1-7-2(a) limits affixing the seal to the time the certificate of registration is current and has not been suspended or revoked. 865 IAC 1-8-1(a)(2) is blunt about non payment: when required fees are not paid on time the certificate becomes invalid, the individual cannot lawfully practice or offer to practice land surveying, and the name is deleted from future rosters until the renewal fee and the required delinquent fee are paid. 865 IAC 1-6-1(b) governs a duplicate or replacement certificate, which keeps the original certificate number with the word Reissue inserted above it. Because the seal carries the number and no expiration date, renewal does not make the device stale.
Does an Indiana firm appear on the surveyor seal?
No. 865 IAC 1-7-1 limits the face to the name, the registration number and the printed design. What Indiana imposes instead is an office and roster obligation: 865 IAC 1-9-1(3) requires all land surveyors practicing in Indiana to identify, on a form specified by the board, the address of all offices at which they practice, and 865 IAC 1-9-1(2) makes the registrant responsible for notifying the board of address changes and keeping proof of the notification.
