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 Georgia State Board of Architects and Interior Designers and Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 50-9-.07(1) on 21 September 2026 · Updated 7 November 2026
Your seal is square, 1-3/4 by 1-3/4 inches, with a 1/16 inch border and a 1/4 inch corner radius. Rule 50-9-.07(8) states it as a manufacturing drawing: “It shall be 1 3/4″ x 1 3/4″ inches square, with a 1/16″ thick border of and a corner radius of 1 /4″, with type font and size as indicated.” It then fixes the typography, with State of Georgia in Arial black 7 point, Registered Interior Designer in Arial black 7 point, the name in Arial and the certificate number in Arial 7 point, each line 1/16 inch high. The rule requires compliance with its printed sample in all respects including size and format, so a round Georgia interior designer stamp is wrong at a glance.
The rule also names the device. Rule 50-9-.07(8) closes with the sentence that “The SEAL shall be of a type, which will make an impression by rubber stamp on the surface of the document to which it is applied.” A rubber stamp is the specified physical form rather than merely the convenient one. Electronic application is separately permitted by rule 50-9-.07(2).
One more item to buy with it. Rule 50-9-.07(1) provides that for all documents of service submitted to obtain a building permit or for any other requirement set forth by law, “the registered interior designer’s signature shall be original, in permanent blue ink, with the issue date and purpose appropriately identified on the document.” The Georgia architect rule in the same board’s chapter set says nothing about color, so this is a divergence inside one board.
Georgia interior designer seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Georgia rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 50-9-.07(1) |
| Required elements | Your NAME, Your CERTIFICATE NUMBER, GEORGIA REGISTERED INTERIOR DESIGNER and STATE OF GEORGIA | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 50-9-.07(8) |
| Size and shape | 1 3/4 by 1 3/4 inches, square. | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 50-9-.07(8) |
| Device allowed | The rule names the device. | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 50-9-.07(2), (8) |
| Signature and date | Original signature, in permanent blue ink, with the issue date and the purpose. | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 50-9-.07(1), (3) |
| What must be sealed | All documents prepared by the registered interior designer or under the designer’s responsible control, and prototypical documents for which the Registered Interior Designer of Record assumes professional responsibility as allowed by the chapter. | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 50-9-.07(1), (4) |
| Electronic seal | Permitted, with the same opt out Georgia gives architects. | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 50-9-.07(2) |
| Renewal and lapse | Rule 50-9-.07(6) provides that a registered interior designer shall not affix, or permit to be affixed, the seal or the designer’s name to any drawing, specification or other document as a registered interior designer “unless holding at the time a current certificate of registration in the State of Georgia.” Rule 50-9-.07(7) makes improper use of the seal, or permitting improper use, ground for discipline, and subjects an unlicensed person who improperly uses another’s seal to the sanctions in Code chapter 43-4. | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 50-9-.03, 50-9-.04, 50-9-.05, 50-9-.06, 50-9-.07(6), (7) |
| Firm requirements | Firm data stays off the seal. | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 50-9-.07(5) |
| Regulator | The Georgia State Board of Architects and Interior Designers | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 50-9, Registered Interior Designer Registration, Renewal and Reinstatement, principally rule 50-9-.07, Signing and Sealing Documents as Registered Interior Designer, together with chapters 50-10, 50-11 and 50-12 and rule 50-2A-.01, read from the Georgia Secretary of State rules portal |
Is a seal required in Georgia?
Georgia registers interior designers and gives them a prescribed seal. Rule 50-9-.07(1) provides that “Every holder of a certificate of registration shall secure a SEAL of the design shown below, which shall be imprinted on all documents prepared by the Registered Interior Designer or prepared under his responsible control, or which is a prototypical document for which the Registered Interior Designer of Record is assuming professional responsibility as allowed by this Chapter.” The same paragraph places it: “The SEAL shall be imprinted on each drawing, imprinted on the cover and index pages identifying all specifications covered by the index pages and imprinted on all other documents of service as well.”
What must appear on the seal
- Your NAME
- Your CERTIFICATE NUMBER
- GEORGIA REGISTERED INTERIOR DESIGNER
- STATE OF GEORGIA
Nothing is optional and the specification is unusually physical. Rule 50-9-.07(8) requires the seal to contain the name of the registered interior designer, the certificate number, and the words GEORGIA REGISTERED INTERIOR DESIGNER - STATE OF GEORGIA, all in accordance with the printed sample, and to comply with that sample in all respects including size and format. It then sets the typography: State of Georgia in Arial black 7 point, Registered Interior Designer in Arial black 7 point, the name in Arial and the certificate number in Arial 7 point, each to be 1/16 inch high. Rule 50-9-.07(5) prohibits a firm or corporate name on the seal.
Size and shape
1 3/4 by 1 3/4 inches, square. Rule 50-9-.07(8) states that “It shall be 1 3/4″ x 1 3/4″ inches square, with a 1/16″ thick border of and a corner radius of 1/4″, with type font and size as indicated.” There is no diameter, because the Georgia registered interior designer seal is not round. The border thickness and the corner radius are part of the specification, which means this is a die a supplier has to cut to drawing rather than drop into a circular template.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
The rule names the device. Rule 50-9-.07(8) closes with the sentence that “The SEAL shall be of a type, which will make an impression by rubber stamp on the surface of the document to which it is applied.” So a rubber stamp is the specified physical form, not merely the convenient one. An electronic application is separately permitted by rule 50-9-.07(2).
Signing and dating
Original signature, in permanent blue ink, with the issue date and the purpose. Rule 50-9-.07(1) provides that for all documents of service to be submitted for the purpose of obtaining a building permit or for any other requirement set forth by law, “the registered interior designer’s signature shall be original, in permanent blue ink, with the issue date and purpose appropriately identified on the document.” The ink color is specified for registered interior designers and is not specified for Georgia architects in rule 50-2A-.01, which is a genuine divergence inside the same board. Rule 50-9-.07(3) treats subsequent revisions made under the responsible control of the Registered Interior Designer of record, when so noted, the same as documents originally signed, sealed and dated.
It is square, it is 1 3/4 inches on a side, and the signature must be blue
Almost every professional seal in the United States is round. The Georgia registered interior designer seal is not. Rule 50-9-.07(8) specifies “1 3/4″ x 1 3/4″ inches square, with a 1/16″ thick border of and a corner radius of 1/4″.” It then fixes the typeface, the point sizes and a 1/16 inch cap height for each line. That is a manufacturing drawing, and the rule requires compliance with the printed sample in all respects including size and format. A round Georgia interior designer stamp is wrong at a glance.
Which documents must be sealed
All documents prepared by the registered interior designer or under the designer’s responsible control, and prototypical documents for which the Registered Interior Designer of Record assumes professional responsibility as allowed by the chapter. Placement is per drawing, plus the cover and index pages identifying all specifications covered by those index pages, plus all other documents of service. Rule 50-9-.07(4) provides that the seal serves to identify the registered interior designer as the author or person in responsible control of the preparation of all drawings, specifications and other documents and as the Registered Interior Designer of Record. Georgia architects may seal documents prepared by a registered interior designer only after thorough review, under rule 50-2A-.01.
Electronic and digital seals
Permitted, with the same opt out Georgia gives architects. Rule 50-9-.07(2) provides that nothing in the rules precludes the use of a seal electronically applied, and then allows the Registered Interior Designer of record, in order to restrict electronic access to the seal, to substitute for it on all documents subsequently issued the notation “These documents have been properly sealed and signed by (named) Registered Interior Designer of record. Original permitted sets of these documents are on file with (name of permitting authority) and are kept at the job site.” No technology, certificate authority or standard is named.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Rule 50-9-.07(6) provides that a registered interior designer shall not affix, or permit to be affixed, the seal or the designer’s name to any drawing, specification or other document as a registered interior designer “unless holding at the time a current certificate of registration in the State of Georgia.” Rule 50-9-.07(7) makes improper use of the seal, or permitting improper use, ground for discipline, and subjects an unlicensed person who improperly uses another’s seal to the sanctions in Code chapter 43-4. Biennial renewal, late renewal, reinstatement and inactive status are handled at rules 50-9-.03 through 50-9-.06. No expiration date is a seal element, so the device survives renewal.
Firm requirements
Firm data stays off the seal. Rule 50-9-.07(5) provides that the SEAL means the personal, professional seal of a Georgia registered interior designer certified under Code chapter 43-4 to use that title, and that “A SEAL containing a firm name or a corporate name is not acceptable under this paragraph.” Georgia issues no interior design firm seal and no firm number belongs on the face.
What to check before you order
Order a square rubber stamp, 1 3/4 by 1 3/4 inches, with a 1/16 inch border and a 1/4 inch corner radius, reproducing the sample printed at rule 50-9-.07(8). The face carries your name, your certificate number and the words GEORGIA REGISTERED INTERIOR DESIGNER - STATE OF GEORGIA, in Arial and Arial black at the point sizes the rule gives, each line 1/16 inch high. Do not accept a round die and do not let a supplier put your firm or corporate name on it, which the rule makes unacceptable. Buy a permanent blue ink pen at the same time: on permit documents your signature has to be original and in permanent blue ink, with the issue date and the purpose identified.
Browse interior designer stamps and seals.
- Why a State Board Guaranteed Stamp Supplier Matters
- The Truth About Georgia Interior Designer Stamp Cost
Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for a Georgia registered interior designer?
Yes. Rule 50-9-.07(1) requires every holder of a certificate of registration to secure a seal of the design shown in the rule, imprinted on all documents prepared by the registered interior designer or under that designer’s responsible control, or on a prototypical document for which the Registered Interior Designer of Record is assuming professional responsibility as the chapter allows.
What has to appear on a Georgia interior designer seal?
Four items under rule 50-9-.07(8): your name, your certificate number, and the words GEORGIA REGISTERED INTERIOR DESIGNER and STATE OF GEORGIA, all in accordance with the printed sample and complying with it in all respects including size and format. Rule 50-9-.07(5) separately prohibits a firm or corporate name on the seal.
Why is the Georgia interior designer seal square?
Because rule 50-9-.07(8) says so, in dimensioned detail: 1-3/4 by 1-3/4 inches square, with a 1/16 inch border and a 1/4 inch corner radius. Almost every professional seal in the country is round, and this one is not, which means it has to be cut to drawing rather than dropped into a circular template.
What typeface does the Georgia interior designer seal use?
Arial and Arial black, at the sizes the rule gives. State of Georgia is Arial black 7 point, Registered Interior Designer is Arial black 7 point, the name is Arial and the certificate number is Arial 7 point, and each line is to be 1/16 inch high. Those figures are part of the specification rather than a suggestion.
Rubber stamp or embosser in Georgia?
Rubber stamp. Rule 50-9-.07(8) requires a seal “of a type, which will make an impression by rubber stamp on the surface of the document to which it is applied.” An embosser is not what the rule describes.
Does my Georgia signature really have to be blue?
On permit documents, yes. Rule 50-9-.07(1) requires that for all documents of service submitted to obtain a building permit or for any other requirement set forth by law, your signature be original, in permanent blue ink, with the issue date and purpose appropriately identified on the document. Buy the pen when you buy the stamp.
Where does the Georgia seal go on a set?
Rule 50-9-.07(1) places it: imprinted on each drawing, imprinted on the cover and index pages identifying all specifications covered by those index pages, and imprinted on all other documents of service as well. Rule 50-9-.07(4) explains why, providing that the seal identifies you as the author or person in responsible control of the preparation of all drawings, specifications and other documents and as the Registered Interior Designer of Record.
What about revisions to sealed Georgia documents?
Rule 50-9-.07(3) treats subsequent revisions made under the responsible control of the Registered Interior Designer of record, when so noted, the same as documents originally signed, sealed and dated. The noting is what makes that work, so annotate the revision.
Can I apply the Georgia seal electronically?
Yes, and Georgia gives you an opt out as well. Rule 50-9-.07(2) provides that nothing in the rules precludes the use of a seal electronically applied, and then lets the Registered Interior Designer of record, in order to restrict electronic access to the seal, substitute on all documents subsequently issued the notation “These documents have been properly sealed and signed by (named) Registered Interior Designer of record. Original permitted sets of these documents are on file with (name of permitting authority) and are kept at the job site.” No technology, certificate authority or standard is named.
When may I not use my Georgia seal?
Rule 50-9-.07(6) provides that a registered interior designer shall not affix, or permit to be affixed, the seal or the designer’s name to any drawing, specification or other document as a registered interior designer “unless holding at the time a current certificate of registration in the State of Georgia.” Rule 50-9-.07(7) makes improper use, or permitting improper use, ground for discipline and subjects an unlicensed person who improperly uses another’s seal to the sanctions in Code chapter 43-4.
Does my Georgia seal go stale at renewal?
No. No expiration date is a seal element, so the device survives renewal and the face stays correct. Biennial renewal, late renewal, reinstatement and inactive status are handled at rules 50-9-.03 through 50-9-.06.
Can my firm name go on the Georgia seal?
No. Rule 50-9-.07(5) defines the seal as the personal, professional seal of a Georgia registered interior designer certified under Code chapter 43-4 to use that title, and provides that “A SEAL containing a firm name or a corporate name is not acceptable under this paragraph.” Georgia issues no interior design firm seal and no firm number belongs on the face.
