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 Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors, Professional Landscape Architects, and Licensed Interior Designers and § 327.411.1 and.4, RSMo (current version effective August 28, 2026) on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
The number on a Missouri surveyor seal is preceded by PLS. 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) puts the license number inside the inner circle “preceded by the roman capital letter(s) A for Architect, PE for Professional Engineer, PLS for Professional Land Surveyor or PLA for Professional Landscape Architect.” A die cut with the bare digits, or with a bare LS, does not match the rule.
The rest of the face is fixed as well. The rule requires “two concentric circles between which appear in roman capital letters, the words, ‘State of Missouri’ on the upper part of the seal” and the profession on the lower part, with your name and the prefixed number inside the inner circle. The diameter is one and three-quarters inches, stated as a single figure with no tolerance and no separate inner-circle dimension. Missouri does not use Registered Land Surveyor, and interns and in-training individuals get no seal at all.
Section 327.411.2, RSMo, makes the seal “the legal equivalent of the licensee’s signature whenever and wherever used”, which is why the rule pairs it with a signature and the date the document was originally sealed every time it goes down.
Missouri land surveyor seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Missouri rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | § 327.411.1 and.4, RSMo (current version effective August 28, 2026) |
| Required elements | Two concentric circles, State of Missouri, Professional Land Surveyor, Your name as licensed and Your license number prefixed PLS | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) |
| Size and shape | One and three-quarters inches (1-3/4 inches) in diameter. 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) requires each licensee to “secure a seal one and three-quarters inches (1 3/4″) in diameter of the following design”. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) |
| Device allowed | 20 CSR 2030-3.060 permits “an embossing seal, a rubber stamp, or a computer-generated image, identical in size, design and content with the provisions of section (1) above.” The safe buy for a surveyor is the inked rubber stamp, because recorded plats are copied, scanned and microfilmed and an embossed impression can vanish in reproduction. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060 |
| Signature and date | The rule requires the licensee to “affix his/her signature and place the date when the document was originally sealed, at the minimum”. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(3) |
| What must be sealed | All final technical submissions, with plats and surveys named in section 327.411.1, RSMo, itself. | § 327.411.1,.3,.4, RSMo |
| Electronic seal | No named technology. 20 CSR 2030-3.060 requires that a digital signature be “unique to, and under the sole control of the person using it; it must also be capable of verification and be linked to a document in such manner that the digital signature is invalidated if any data on the document is altered”. | 20 CSR 2030-3.060(3) |
| Renewal and lapse | Not addressed. Neither section 327.411, RSMo, nor 20 CSR 2030-3 states what becomes of the seal on lapse, revocation or surrender, and neither requires destruction or return. Checked the current text of section 327.411. | § 327.411, RSMo, and 20 CSR 2030-3 (silent) |
| Firm requirements | The firm needs a certificate of authority, but no firm seal and no firm number on the plat. | 20 CSR 2030-10.010 |
| Regulator | The Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors, Professional Landscape Architects, and Licensed Interior Designers | Sections 327.011 and 327.411, RSMo, Chapter 327 (current versions effective August 28, 2026, L. 2026 S.B. 1233) |
Is a seal required in Missouri?
Section 327.411.1, RSMo, provides that each professional land surveyor “shall have a personal seal in a form prescribed by the board, and he or she shall affix the seal to all final technical submissions”, with technical submissions defined to include “drawings, specifications, plats, surveys, exhibits, reports, and certifications of construction”. Plats and surveys are named in the statute itself, so a surveyor’s core work product is squarely inside the duty. Section 327.411.2 makes the seal “the legal equivalent of the licensee’s signature whenever and wherever used”. The design comes from 20 CSR 2030-3.060, and section 327.411.4 excuses preliminary or incomplete documents.
What must appear on the seal
- Two concentric circles
- State of Missouri
- Professional Land Surveyor
- Your name as licensed
- Your license number prefixed PLS
Nothing is left to taste. 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) requires “two concentric circles between which appear in roman capital letters, the words, ‘State of Missouri’ on the upper part of the seal and either ‘Architect,’ or ‘Professional Engineer,’ or ‘Professional Land Surveyor’ or ‘Professional Landscape Architect,’ as the case may be, on the lower part, and within the inner circle the name of the licensee, together with his/her license number preceded by the roman capital letter(s) A for Architect, PE for Professional Engineer, PLS for Professional Land Surveyor or PLA for Professional Landscape Architect.” The lower arc reads Professional Land Surveyor, and the number is preceded by PLS. Missouri does not use Registered Land Surveyor, and it does not use the bare LS abbreviation. Interns and in-training individuals get no seal. No expiration date and no board emblem belong on the face.
Size and shape
One and three-quarters inches (1-3/4 inches) in diameter. 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) requires each licensee to “secure a seal one and three-quarters inches (1 3/4″) in diameter of the following design”. One figure, no tolerance, no separate inner-circle dimension.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
20 CSR 2030-3.060 permits “an embossing seal, a rubber stamp, or a computer-generated image, identical in size, design and content with the provisions of section (1) above.” The safe buy for a surveyor is the inked rubber stamp, because recorded plats are copied, scanned and microfilmed and an embossed impression can vanish in reproduction. Keep the embosser for the office copy if you want one.
Signing and dating
The rule requires the licensee to “affix his/her signature and place the date when the document was originally sealed, at the minimum”. On printed plats that means “a handwritten ‘wet signature’ identification containing the name of the person who applied it”. For a document delivered in a native electronic format it means “a digital signature with an electronic authentication process attached to or logically associated with the document”, and for PDF and similar formats “a scanned signature is acceptable if it is an accurate depiction of the licensee’s actual signature”. The date is the date the document was originally sealed, not the recording date. Signing across the seal is not addressed in the rule or in section 327.411, RSMo.
PLS is part of the number, and the preliminary legend names recording
Two Missouri details bite surveyors specifically. The first is the prefix. 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) puts the license number inside the inner circle “preceded by the roman capital letter(s) A for Architect, PE for Professional Engineer, PLS for Professional Land Surveyor or PLA for Professional Landscape Architect.” A Missouri surveyor’s seal therefore reads PLS followed by the number. A die cut with the bare digits, or with LS, does not match the rule.
The second is the preliminary legend. Section 327.411.4, RSMo, says no professional has to seal preliminary or incomplete documents, and the rule supplies the wording to use instead: “The information on this document is preliminary or incomplete, not for construction, recording purposes, or implementation”. Recording purposes is in that sentence for a reason. An unsealed draft plat that reaches a register of deeds without the legend is the failure mode the rule is written against.
Everything else matches the other three Missouri design professions exactly: 1-3/4 inches, two concentric circles, roman capitals, STATE OF MISSOURI on the upper arc, and embossing seal, rubber stamp or computer-generated image all lawful so long as they are identical in size, design and content.
Which documents must be sealed
All final technical submissions, with plats and surveys named in section 327.411.1, RSMo, itself. For bound work the rule allows the licensee to “sign, seal, and date the title page, an index page, or a seals page on bound multiple page documents” where the signed page identifies the pages it covers, which is the usual route for a multi-sheet subdivision plat set. Preliminary or incomplete work is excused from sealing by section 327.411.4 but must carry the legend “The information on this document is preliminary or incomplete, not for construction, recording purposes, or implementation”, and the words recording purposes are the ones that matter to a surveyor. Sealing work not prepared by the licensee or under the licensee’s immediate personal supervision is prohibited.
Electronic and digital seals
No named technology. 20 CSR 2030-3.060 requires that a digital signature be “unique to, and under the sole control of the person using it; it must also be capable of verification and be linked to a document in such manner that the digital signature is invalidated if any data on the document is altered”. No certificate authority, algorithm or file format is specified. A scanned signature suffices for PDF delivery; the full digital signature is reserved for native electronic formats.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Not addressed. Neither section 327.411, RSMo, nor 20 CSR 2030-3 states what becomes of the seal on lapse, revocation or surrender, and neither requires destruction or return. Checked the current text of section 327.411, a scan of Chapter 327 for the word seal, and the whole of 20 CSR 2030-3. Nothing found says the license number changes on reinstatement, which matters to surveyors because the PLS number appears on plats already on record.
Firm requirements
The firm needs a certificate of authority, but no firm seal and no firm number on the plat. A corporation rendering land surveying services applies under 20 CSR 2030-10.010, which covers the application, the managing agent and renewal. Neither that chapter nor the seal rule puts the certificate number or a corporate seal on a technical submission. The individual PLS seal carries the plat.
What to check before you order
Order a 1-3/4 inch die, two concentric circles, roman capitals throughout. STATE OF MISSOURI on the upper arc, PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR on the lower arc, and inside the inner circle your name as licensed with your license number preceded by PLS. Take the inked rubber stamp as your working device, because plats get copied and recorded, and add an embosser only if you want one for office copies. No expiration date and no emblem. Missouri requires no proof of licensure from you at the counter and no imprint filing with the board.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for land surveyors in Missouri?
Yes, and plats and surveys are named in the statute itself. Section 327.411.1, RSMo, provides that each professional land surveyor “shall have a personal seal in a form prescribed by the board, and he or she shall affix the seal to all final technical submissions”, with technical submissions defined to include “drawings, specifications, plats, surveys, exhibits, reports, and certifications of construction”. The design comes from 20 CSR 2030-3.060, and section 327.411.4 excuses preliminary or incomplete documents.
What has to appear on a Missouri land surveyor seal?
Five things under 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1): two concentric circles, the words State of Missouri on the upper arc, Professional Land Surveyor on the lower arc, your name as licensed, and your license number preceded by PLS, the name and number both inside the inner circle and the lettering in roman capitals. Nothing is left to taste. No expiration date and no board emblem belong on the face.
What size is a Missouri land surveyor seal?
One and three-quarters inches in diameter. 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) requires each licensee to “secure a seal one and three-quarters inches (1 3/4″) in diameter of the following design”. One figure, no tolerance, and no separate dimension for the inner circle.
Rubber stamp, embosser or computer image in Missouri?
Any of the three. 20 CSR 2030-3.060 permits “an embossing seal, a rubber stamp, or a computer-generated image, identical in size, design and content with the provisions of section (1) above.” The safe buy for a surveyor is the inked rubber stamp, because recorded plats are copied, scanned and microfilmed and an embossed impression can vanish in reproduction. Keep the embosser for office copies if you want one.
What signature and date does Missouri require?
The rule requires the licensee to “affix his/her signature and place the date when the document was originally sealed, at the minimum”. On printed plats that means “a handwritten ‘wet signature’ identification containing the name of the person who applied it”. The date is the date the document was originally sealed, not the recording date. Whether the signature crosses the impression is not addressed in 20 CSR 2030-3.060 or in section 327.411, RSMo.
Which Missouri survey documents have to be sealed?
All final technical submissions, with plats and surveys named in section 327.411.1, RSMo. For bound work the rule allows you to “sign, seal, and date the title page, an index page, or a seals page on bound multiple page documents” where the signed page identifies the pages it covers, which is the usual route for a multi-sheet subdivision plat set. Sealing work you did not prepare or supervise under your immediate personal supervision is prohibited by section 327.411.3.
What goes on a preliminary Missouri plat?
Section 327.411.4, RSMo, excuses preliminary or incomplete work from sealing, and the rule supplies the wording to use instead: “The information on this document is preliminary or incomplete, not for construction, recording purposes, or implementation”. Recording purposes is in that sentence for a reason. An unsealed draft plat that reaches a register of deeds without the legend is the failure mode the rule is written against.
How does electronic sealing work in Missouri?
It depends on the delivery format. For a document delivered in a native electronic format the rule asks for “a digital signature with an electronic authentication process attached to or logically associated with the document”, which must be unique to and under the sole control of the person using it, capable of verification, and linked to the document so that it is invalidated if any data is altered. For PDF and similar formats “a scanned signature is acceptable if it is an accurate depiction of the licensee’s actual signature”. No certificate authority, algorithm or file format is specified.
What happens to my Missouri seal if the license lapses?
Neither section 327.411, RSMo, nor 20 CSR 2030-3 states what becomes of the seal on lapse, revocation or surrender, and neither requires it to be destroyed or returned. Nothing in either says the license number changes on reinstatement, which matters to surveyors because the PLS number appears on plats already on record.
Does a Missouri surveying firm need its own seal?
No. A corporation rendering land surveying services applies for a certificate of authority under 20 CSR 2030-10.010, which covers the application, the managing agent and renewal. Neither that chapter nor the seal rule puts the certificate number or a corporate seal on a technical submission. The individual PLS seal carries the plat.
