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 Michigan Board of Landscape Architects, administered by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2210(1) on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
An imprint of your seal has to reach the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs within 30 days. R 339.19041(3) requires the licensee to submit an imprint of the seal to the department within 30 days of licensure, and the same 30 day clock restarts if a new seal is obtained later. No other Michigan design profession carries this. An architect, engineer or surveyor buys a device and starts using it; a landscape architect buys a device, presses it onto paper, and sends the impression in. Replace a worn stamp and you owe the department another imprint.
That single requirement shapes what you should buy. A device you cannot press onto a sheet and mail is awkward under this rule, and Article 22 gives no electronic seal authority to fall back on. The Article 20 definitions of electronic seal and electronic signature in MCL 339.2007(3) apply, by their own words, “As used in this section and section 2008,” so they do not reach the landscape architect at section 2210.
The legend differs slightly between statute and rule. MCL 339.2210(1) calls for “landscape architect, state of Michigan.” R 339.19041(1) requires the words “licensed landscape architect” and “state of Michigan,” and R 339.19041(2) backs it with a printed design. Order to the rule, which is the later and more specific instrument.
Michigan landscape architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Michigan rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2210(1) |
| Required elements | Your name as licensed, Your landscape architect license number, The words licensed landscape architect, The words state of Michigan and The board approved design set out in the rule | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2210(1) |
| Size and shape | Not addressed. No diameter appears in the Landscape Architects General Rules or in Article 22. The sources here are R 339.19001 to R 339.19049 in full, including part 5, Seal Requirements, and MCL 339.2201 to 339.2211. | Mich. Admin. Code R 339.19041 (silent) |
| Device allowed | Not addressed, which is unusual in Michigan. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2210(1) |
| Signature and date | Not addressed. Article 22 requires the seal and says nothing about a signature, a date, or signing across the impression. MCL 339.2210(1) requires plans, specifications and reports to be stamped with the seal when filed. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2210 |
| What must be sealed | Plans, specifications and reports prepared by the landscape architect or under the licensee’s supervision, when filed with a public authority. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2210 |
| Electronic seal | Not addressed. The electronic seal and electronic signature definitions in MCL 339.2007(3) are drafted for Article 20 and apply, by their own words, “As used in this section and section 2008”. They do not. | Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 339.2007(3), 339.2210 (silent) |
| Renewal and lapse | MCL 339.2210(2) makes it a disciplinary matter to endorse a document with the seal “while his or her license is not in full force and effect”, with penalties under Article 6. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2210(2) |
| Firm requirements | Not applicable. | Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 339.2010, 339.2208 |
| Regulator | The Michigan Board of Landscape Architects, administered by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs | Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 339.2201, 339.2208, 339.2210, Michigan Occupational Code art. 22, read in full from the Michigan Legislature |
Is a seal required in Michigan?
Landscape architects sit in Article 22 of the Occupational Code, not Article 20, and their seal statute is their own. MCL 339.2210(1) provides that “Each landscape architect shall have a seal, approved by the department and the board, which shall contain the name of the landscape architect, the number of his or her license and the legend ‘landscape architect, state of Michigan’ and other words or figures as the department considers necessary. Plans, specifications, and reports prepared by the landscape architect or under his or her supervision shall be stamped with his or her seal when filed with a public authority.” R 339.19041 implements it and adds a filing step no other Michigan design profession carries.
What must appear on the seal
- Your name as licensed
- Your landscape architect license number
- The words licensed landscape architect
- The words state of Michigan
- The board approved design set out in the rule
Nothing is optional and the wording differs slightly between the two sources. The statute at MCL 339.2210(1) calls for the legend “landscape architect, state of Michigan”. The rule at R 339.19041(1) requires a seal that states the name of the licensee, the landscape architect license number, and bears the words “licensed landscape architect” and “state of Michigan.” Order to the rule, which is the later and more specific instrument, and which R 339.19041(2) backs with a printed design. The statute also lets the department add other words or figures it considers necessary, so the printed design in the rule controls the face rather than any general house pattern.
Size and shape
Not addressed. No diameter appears in the Landscape Architects General Rules or in Article 22. The sources here are R 339.19001 to R 339.19049 in full, including part 5, Seal Requirements, and MCL 339.2201 to 339.2211. R 339.19041(2) sets the design by a printed figure and states no measurement.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Not addressed, which is unusual in Michigan. Article 20 tells architects, engineers and surveyors that the seal may be embossed, printed or electronic. Article 22 says only that documents “shall be stamped” with the seal, and R 339.19041 names no device family and no electronic option. The word stamped, and the R 339.19041(3) duty to submit an imprint, both point to an inked device as the safe buy. The sources here are R 339.19001 to R 339.19049 and MCL 339.2201 to 339.2211.
Signing and dating
Not addressed. Article 22 requires the seal and says nothing about a signature, a date, or signing across the impression. MCL 339.2210(1) requires plans, specifications and reports to be stamped with the seal when filed with a public authority, and 339.2210(2) penalizes endorsing a document while the license is not in full force. R 339.19041(4) and (5) repeat the stamping duty without adding a signature. This is a real difference from Michigan architects, engineers and surveyors, whose MCL 339.2007(2) duty is expressly seal and signature. The sources here are R 339.19001 to R 339.19049 and MCL 339.2201 to 339.2211 in full.
Michigan wants an imprint of your seal mailed in within 30 days
R 339.19041(3) is the rule no other Michigan design profession has: “the licensee shall submit an imprint of the seal to the department within 30 days of licensure”, and the same 30 day clock restarts if a new seal is obtained later. An architect, engineer or surveyor in Michigan buys a device and starts using it. A landscape architect buys a device, presses it onto paper, and sends the impression to the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Replace a worn stamp and you owe the department another imprint.
Which documents must be sealed
Plans, specifications and reports prepared by the landscape architect or under the licensee’s supervision, when filed with a public authority. MCL 339.2210(1) states the duty and R 339.19041(5) repeats it by reference to the statute. R 339.19041(4) limits use: the seal “must be used only on work that has been prepared by or under the personal supervision of the licensee.” MCL 339.2210(2) makes endorsing a document the landscape architect did not actually prepare or supervise, or endorsing while the license is not in full force and effect, punishable under Article 6.
Electronic and digital seals
Not addressed. The electronic seal and electronic signature definitions in MCL 339.2007(3) are drafted for Article 20 and apply, by their own words, “As used in this section and section 2008”. They do not reach section 2210. Nothing in Article 22 or in R 339.19001 to R 339.19049 authorizes an electronic landscape architect seal or names a standard. The sources here are both in full. Treat an electronic Michigan landscape architect seal as unaddressed rather than authorized.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
MCL 339.2210(2) makes it a disciplinary matter to endorse a document with the seal “while his or her license is not in full force and effect”, with penalties under Article 6. Renewal and continuing education sit at R 339.19031, sanctions for missed continuing education at R 339.19036, and relicensure at R 339.19024. The license number does not change on renewal and no expiration date belongs on the face, so the device survives renewal. The one thing that forces a fresh filing is a replacement device: R 339.19041(3) requires an imprint of any new seal to reach the department within 30 days.
Firm requirements
Not applicable. MCL 339.2010, the firm section, sits in Article 20 and covers the practice of architecture, professional engineering and professional surveying. It does not name landscape architecture. Article 22 has no firm registration section, Michigan issues no landscape architecture firm seal, and no firm number belongs on the face. MCL 339.2208 provides that licensure is on an individual basis.
What to check before you order
Order an inked device following the design printed at R 339.19041(2). It carries your name, your landscape architect license number, and the words licensed landscape architect and state of Michigan. Michigan states no diameter, so size for legibility on a filed sheet. Then do the step most licensees miss: press the seal onto paper and send the imprint to the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs within 30 days of licensure, and again within 30 days of getting any replacement seal. Do not assume the electronic seal rules you may have seen for Michigan engineers apply to you, because those definitions are written for Article 20 and your seal lives in Article 22.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for landscape architects in Michigan?
Yes. MCL 339.2210(1) provides that “Each landscape architect shall have a seal, approved by the department and the board, which shall contain the name of the landscape architect, the number of his or her license and the legend ‘landscape architect, state of Michigan’ and other words or figures as the department considers necessary. Plans, specifications, and reports prepared by the landscape architect or under his or her supervision shall be stamped with his or her seal when filed with a public authority.” Landscape architects sit in Article 22 of the Occupational Code, not Article 20, and R 339.19041 implements the section.
What has to appear on a Michigan landscape architect seal?
Your name as licensed, your landscape architect license number, the words licensed landscape architect, the words state of Michigan, and the board approved design printed at R 339.19041(2). Nothing is optional. The statute also lets the department add other words or figures it considers necessary, so the printed design controls the face rather than any general house pattern.
What size is a Michigan landscape architect seal?
Michigan does not state one. No diameter appears in the Landscape Architects General Rules, R 339.19001 to R 339.19049 including part 5, Seal Requirements, or in MCL 339.2201 to 339.2211. R 339.19041(2) sets the design by a printed figure and states no measurement, so size for legibility on a filed sheet.
What device should a Michigan landscape architect buy?
The rules do not name a device family, which is unusual in Michigan. Article 20 tells architects, engineers and surveyors that the seal may be embossed, printed or electronic; Article 22 says only that documents “shall be stamped” with the seal, and R 339.19041 names no device type and no electronic option. The word stamped, and the R 339.19041(3) duty to submit an imprint, both point to an inked device as the safe buy.
Do I have to file my Michigan seal imprint?
Yes, twice over if you replace the device. R 339.19041(3) requires the licensee to submit an imprint of the seal to the department within 30 days of licensure, and the same 30 day clock applies if a new seal is obtained later.
Does Michigan require a signature and date with the landscape architect seal?
Article 22 says nothing about a signature, a date, or signing across the impression. MCL 339.2210(1) requires plans, specifications and reports to be stamped with the seal when filed with a public authority, and R 339.19041(4) and (5) repeat the stamping duty without adding a signature. That is a real difference from Michigan architects, engineers and surveyors, whose MCL 339.2007(2) duty is expressly seal and signature.
Which Michigan documents have to be sealed?
Plans, specifications and reports prepared by the landscape architect or under the licensee’s supervision, when filed with a public authority. R 339.19041(4) limits use: the seal “must be used only on work that has been prepared by or under the personal supervision of the licensee.” MCL 339.2210(2) makes endorsing a document the landscape architect did not actually prepare or supervise, or endorsing while the license is not in full force and effect, punishable under Article 6.
Can I use an electronic seal in Michigan?
Nothing in Article 22 or in R 339.19001 to R 339.19049 authorizes an electronic landscape architect seal or names a standard. The electronic seal and electronic signature definitions in MCL 339.2007(3) are drafted for Article 20 and apply by their own words only to that section and section 2008. Treat an electronic Michigan landscape architect seal as unaddressed rather than authorized.
Does renewal affect a Michigan landscape architect seal?
The license number does not change on renewal and no expiration date belongs on the face, so the device survives renewal. Renewal and continuing education sit at R 339.19031, sanctions for missed continuing education at R 339.19036, and relicensure at R 339.19024. MCL 339.2210(2) makes it a disciplinary matter to endorse a document with the seal “while his or her license is not in full force and effect.” The one thing that forces a fresh filing is a replacement device.
Does a Michigan landscape architecture firm need a seal?
No. MCL 339.2010, the firm section, sits in Article 20 and covers the practice of architecture, professional engineering and professional surveying, and it does not name landscape architecture. Article 22 has no firm registration section, Michigan issues no landscape architecture firm seal, and no firm number belongs on the face. MCL 339.2208 provides that licensure is on an individual basis.
