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 Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects and Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01 on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
Nebraska stipulates no size, and legibility is the test. The board’s published seal guidance says so directly, and rule 6.1.3 of 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6 makes the consequence explicit: “The seal used by an architect or professional engineer shall be legible, whether an embossing, computer generated, or other type of seal. In the absence of legibility, the seal is invalid.” Order for legibility on the smallest sheet you issue rather than to a figure borrowed from a neighboring state.
The face carries four things: the words State of Nebraska, your name as licensed, your license number and the word Architect. Nebraska runs architects and professional engineers under one act, one board and one seal rule, and the only difference between the two devices is that fourth element. An engineer’s seal names the discipline; an architect’s says Architect.
The requirement that generates corrections sits elsewhere. Where the work is done through an organization, the board’s technical submissions guidance requires the organization’s legal name or trading name, its contact information and its certificate of authorization number on each drawing and on the cover or first page of specifications, reports and studies. That is not on the seal, and it is easy to omit because it lives in the organizational practice rules at chapter 7.
Nebraska architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Nebraska rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01 |
| Required elements | State of Nebraska, Your name as licensed, Your license number and The word Architect | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01(1) |
| Size and shape | No size is stipulated by the Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects. | Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects, Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions guidance |
| Device allowed | Device-agnostic and legibility-driven: “The seal used by an architect or professional engineer shall be legible, whether an embossing, computer generated, or other type of seal. | 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6, rule 6.1.3 |
| Signature and date | Signed and dated across or adjacent to the face of the stamp. | Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects, Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions guidance |
| What must be sealed | Technical submissions, with the board’s guidance setting out what has to appear alongside the seal. | Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects, Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions guidance |
| Electronic seal | Nebraska names no technology. | 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6, rule 6.1.8 |
| Renewal and lapse | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01(3) makes it unlawful for a licensee to affix the seal, or permit it to be affixed, to any document after the expiration of the certificate, or for the purpose of aiding or abetting another person to evade the Engineers and Architects Regulation Act. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01(3), (5) |
| Firm requirements | The certificate of authorization number has to appear on the documents. | Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects, Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions guidance |
| Regulator | The Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects | Nebraska Revised Statutes §§ 81-3401 to 81-3455, the Engineers and Architects Regulation Act, chiefly § 81-3437.01 (Seal |
Is a seal required in Nebraska?
Nebraska runs architects and professional engineers under one act, one board and one seal rule. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01 requires each licensee to obtain a seal and prescribes its contents, and 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6, The Licensee Seal, effective 25 November 2025, supplies the practice rules. The board’s published guidance, Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions, states the content requirement in one sentence: the seal must bear the licensee’s name, the license number, the words State of Nebraska, and whether the individual is licensed to practice as a professional engineer, with discipline specified, or as an architect.
What must appear on the seal
- State of Nebraska
- Your name as licensed
- Your license number
- The word Architect
The architect and engineer devices differ in exactly one respect and it is the fourth element. An engineer’s seal names the discipline; an architect’s says Architect. Everything else, including the State of Nebraska wording, the name as licensed and the license number, is common to both. Nothing about a firm belongs on the face, even though Nebraska does require the organization’s certificate of authorization number elsewhere on the submission.
Size and shape
No size is stipulated by the Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects. The board’s own published seal guidance says so directly: the Board does not stipulate a specific size or diameter, and whether applied through embossing, ink or electronic rendering, the seal must remain legible. That matches the rule, which conditions validity on legibility rather than dimension. Nothing in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01 or in 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6, read in full, prescribes a diameter.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Device-agnostic and legibility-driven: “The seal used by an architect or professional engineer shall be legible, whether an embossing, computer generated, or other type of seal. In the absence of legibility, the seal is invalid.” The safe buy is an inked or self-inking stamp, because § 81-3437.01(4) requires the seal, signature and date to reproduce on copies and tracings, and an embossed-only impression usually fails that test.
Signing and dating
Signed and dated across or adjacent to the face of the stamp. The board’s guidance states it as a requirement for both professions: seals must be signed and dated across or adjacent to the face of the stamp, with the licensee’s name and the date on which the material was signed. Across is permitted and adjacent is permitted, so Nebraska does not force a signature through the impression. Section 81-3437.01(4) then requires the seal, signature and date to be placed so that they reproduce on copies and tracings.
Architects and engineers share one Nebraska seal rule, and the firm number goes on every drawing
Nebraska is one of the few states where an architect and a professional engineer take the same statutory seal provision, the same board rule chapter and the same board guidance. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01 and 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6 cover both, and the only difference on the face is the fourth element: an engineer names the discipline, an architect says Architect.
Which documents must be sealed
Technical submissions, with the board’s guidance setting out what has to appear alongside the seal. Where an architect works as an individual rather than through an organization, the submission carries the project name, the project address, the licensee name and the licensee contact information. Where the work is performed through an organization, the submission additionally carries the organization’s legal name or trading name, the organization’s contact information and the organization’s certificate of authorization number, on each drawing and on the cover or first page of specifications, reports and studies. Section 81-3437.01(5) covers the visiting professional: a temporary permit holder uses the home state seal and affixes the signature and temporary permit number to the work.
Electronic and digital seals
Nebraska names no technology. The rule treats an electronic seal as just another legible seal and puts the duty on the licensee: rule 6.1.8 provides that architects and professional engineers are responsible for providing adequate security over their seal and signature wherever it appears, regardless of whether the seal and signature is produced electronically or by other means. There is no required certificate authority, no PKI specification and no board-approved digital signature process.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01(3) makes it unlawful for a licensee to affix the seal, or permit it to be affixed, to any document after the expiration of the certificate, or for the purpose of aiding or abetting another person to evade the Engineers and Architects Regulation Act. Not addressed: neither the act nor 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6 requires destruction or surrender of the seal, or says whether a license number changes on reinstatement. Checked ch. 6 in full and § 81-3437.01.
Firm requirements
The certificate of authorization number has to appear on the documents. Engineering and architecture organizations need a certificate of authorization, and the board’s guidance on technical submissions requires that where work is performed through an organization rather than by an individual, the submission carry the project name, the project address, the organization’s legal name or trading name, the organization’s contact information and the organization’s certificate of authorization number, on each drawing and on the cover or first page of specifications, reports and studies. The organization does not get a seal of its own; the individual licensee still seals. This requirement is easy to miss because it sits in the technical submissions rules at 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 7 rather than in the seal chapter.
What to check before you order
Order a legible device carrying four things: the words State of Nebraska, your name as licensed, your license number and the word Architect. Nebraska stipulates no diameter and makes legibility the test, so size it for the smallest sheet you issue. An embossing seal, a computer generated seal or another type is acceptable so long as it reads, but buy an inked stamp, because the seal, signature and date must reproduce on copies and tracings. Sign and date across or adjacent to the face of the stamp. If the work is performed through an organization, put the organization’s legal or trading name, its contact information and its certificate of authorization number on each drawing and on the cover or first page of specifications, reports and studies. If you are working on a temporary permit, use your home state seal with your signature and temporary permit number.
Browse architect stamps and seals.
- Nebraska Architect Stamp Cost: Don’t Break the Bank!
- How and When to Use a Nebraska Architectural Embosser
Frequently asked questions
Is an architect seal required in Nebraska?
Yes. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01 requires each licensee to obtain a seal and prescribes its contents, and 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6, The Licensee Seal, effective 25 November 2025, supplies the practice rules. The board’s guidance, Licensee Seals and Technical Submissions, states the content in one sentence: the seal must bear the licensee’s name, the license number, the words State of Nebraska, and whether the individual is licensed to practice as a professional engineer, with discipline specified, or as an architect.
What has to appear on a Nebraska architect seal?
Four elements: State of Nebraska, your name as licensed, your license number and the word Architect, under § 81-3437.01(1), rule 6.1.1 and the board’s guidance. Nothing about a firm belongs on the face, even though Nebraska does require the organization’s certificate of authorization number elsewhere on the submission.
What size is a Nebraska architect seal?
None is stipulated. The board’s published seal guidance states that it does not stipulate a specific size or diameter, and that whether applied through embossing, ink or electronic rendering the seal must remain legible. Rule 6.1.3 conditions validity on legibility rather than dimension, and neither § 81-3437.01 nor chapter 6 read in full prescribes a diameter.
Can I use an embosser in Nebraska?
Yes, if it reads. The rule is device-agnostic and legibility-driven, naming an embossing, computer generated or other type of seal. An inked or self-inking stamp is the practical buy, because § 81-3437.01(4) requires the seal, signature and date to reproduce on copies and tracings, and an embossed-only impression usually fails that test.
Where do the signature and date go in Nebraska?
Across or adjacent to the face of the stamp. The board’s guidance states it as a requirement for both professions: seals must be signed and dated across or adjacent to the face of the stamp, with the licensee’s name and the date on which the material was signed. Both placements are permitted, so Nebraska does not force a signature through the impression. Section 81-3437.01(4) then requires the seal, signature and date to be placed so that they reproduce on copies and tracings.
What goes on a Nebraska technical submission besides the seal?
Where an architect works as an individual rather than through an organization, the submission carries the project name, the project address, the licensee name and the licensee contact information. Where the work is performed through an organization, the submission additionally carries the organization’s legal name or trading name, its contact information and its certificate of authorization number, on each drawing and on the cover or first page of specifications, reports and studies.
Does Nebraska name a digital signature technology?
No. The rule treats an electronic seal as just another legible seal and puts the duty on the licensee: rule 6.1.8 provides that architects and professional engineers are responsible for providing adequate security over their seal and signature wherever it appears, regardless of whether the seal and signature is produced electronically or by other means. There is no required certificate authority, no PKI specification and no board-approved digital signature process.
What seal do I use on a Nebraska temporary permit?
Your home state seal. Section 81-3437.01(5) covers the visiting professional: a temporary permit holder uses the home state seal and affixes the signature and temporary permit number to the work.
Can I seal after my Nebraska certificate expires?
No. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437.01(3) makes it unlawful for a licensee to affix the seal, or permit it to be affixed, to any document after the expiration of the certificate, or for the purpose of aiding or abetting another person to evade the Engineers and Architects Regulation Act. Neither the act nor chapter 6 requires destruction or surrender of the seal, or says whether a license number changes on reinstatement.
Does a Nebraska architecture firm get its own seal?
No, but its number goes on the documents. Engineering and architecture organizations need a certificate of authorization, and the board’s technical submissions guidance requires the organization’s legal name or trading name, its contact information and its certificate of authorization number on each drawing and on the cover or first page of specifications, reports and studies. The organization does not get a seal of its own; the individual licensee still seals. The requirement sits in the technical submissions rules at 110 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 7 rather than in the seal chapter, which is why it is easy to miss.
